Discuss personal ideas about science and how a filmmaker can employ the arts to promote science. After reading an article, young scientists will discover how James Cameron is trying to interest people in the oceans. In groups, they will...

Think outside the box - and think about education beyond the classroom walls - with a resource that has your critical thinkers watching a video about a nursery in Scotland that lets youngsters roam wild in a forest....

Step into the great outdoors and develop young scientists' skills of observation with a nature journaling lesson. Given a specific focus or goal, children practice making and recording observations of nature through written descriptions...

One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...

Imagine having to give up cell phones, computers, and TV? What would be lost? What gained? An examination of the Drokpa, a nomadic people who live in the grasslands of Tibet, provides class members an opportunity to consider how access...

Sixth graders classify their regions' natural disaster(s). Within this lesson students enhance their research skills by utilizing different resources, as well as their writing skills by composing short research papers.

Take a close look at news reporting techniques and global issues. Begin by creating a graphic representation of developing nations and defining the term. After class discussion, the second day's activities pick up by deconstructing news...

Thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and hail are just a few of the topics covered in a thorough weather preparedness guide. With descriptions of each weather phenomenon, from what causes them to how and when they occur to...

Discover the parts of a tree and so much more with a packet of activities covering a range of subjects. First graders label practice pages, test their measuring and addition skills, explore books, dance, build 3-D trees, play games, give...

Wrap-up a unit on global climate change with a lesson that examines the causes and effects of climate change. Learners fill out a chart that represents what they think causes climate change—natural and human-based—and what they think...

Use the Franklin Institute's exhibition "An Inquirer's Guide to the Universe" to have learners research ideas for a science fiction story. After completing their research, writers will compose science fiction stories that incorporate...

Imagine being stranded all alone on an island for 18 years. How would you survive? Class members are challenged to makes necessities out of natural materials that would likely be found on an island.

How did Charles Darwin support his controversial theory of evolution with evidence? Use an excerpt from his 1859 work On the Origin of Species to reinforce the importance of making inferences within an informational text, and to...

Don't bark up the wrong tree with this set of cards! Seven cards present different parts of a tree, including a trunk, branches, and leaves. A great addition to your science or language arts lesson.

That's a disaster! Scholars complete a gallery walk to view images and make inferences about natural disasters. They fill out a note catcher about what they observe and infer any questions they may have. They then participate in a World...

Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In this environmental lesson, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an Iowa name...

Using personal experience, visual art, and music that evoke natural disasters, your older high schoolers create their own expressions of storms. Learners conduct online research about weather drama. They make their own expressive...

First graders access prior knowledge about pumpkins and read the story Pumpkin, Pumpkin. They will sequence the life cycle of the pumpkin through the use of picture cards and then sing a song about the life cycle of the pumpkin and plant...

A read-aloud anthology offers stories all about nature's life cycles. Over three weeks, second graders listen to and discuss tales about the cycles of daytime, nighttime, seasons, plants, trees, frogs, butterflies, and water. Following...

Examine the changing nature of language in the U.S. View and discuss excerpts from a PBS documentary with your class and then conduct Internet research, and complete a team project on the evolution of teen expressions. 

A natural disaster could strike at any time: do your learners know the school and community emergency plans? Start the school year by honing research and speaking skills in a practical way with this preparedness lesson. Youngsters...

Writers participate in a unique form of environmental writing and deepen their connections to nature through journaling. They generate new ideas and thoughts that they can use for continued nature journaling and explore a variety of...

Students explore the 5 themes of geography. In this cross curriculum literacy and geography instructional activity, students listen to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, and make a list of the needs of the people in...