Watch your classroom turn into an arcade. Pupils work in groups to build pinball machines from boxes and other found objects. Gamers must incorporate a variety of obstacles and launchers into the machine to see their designs in motion.

Convey your interest in conveyor belts. By considering different size tubes, groups create a conveyor belt that can transport boxes of candy at least four feet. Also, the conveyor belt must make a 90-degree turn—quite a difficult task!

Close your eyes and picture a time where you decided to tell the truth to someone. What were you wearing? How did you feel? Such prompts begin a guided imagery activity for Zach's Lie. Directions for creating an environment conducive to...

It's important to make sure houses can withstand winds. A hands-on activity has learners create a structure out of household materials. They use a fan to simulate hurricane-force winds to see if their structures can withstand the...

DNA is like the fingerprint of genetics. A quick lesson introduces the topic of DNA sequences with a mystery about an endangered species. The lesson shows how DNA extraction, replication, and sequencing often provide undeniable evidence...

Match up the DNA code. Pupils read the website from the American Museum of Natural History about how DNA can determine whether a skin is from a particular type of reptile. Using the same technique, learners match up products with the...

Data encryption is an important security measure for sensitive data stored on computers. Pupils learn how to utilize matrices for creating code. They also get a great review of matrix multiplication, inverse matrices, and the identity...

Make breaking a leg a less troublesome experience. Groups brainstorm designs for crutches that have devices that help carry items. They build prototypes of their devices to test out their designs.

What does it take to support a friendship? Youngsters complete a group activity using yarn and balloons to demonstrate qualities of a good friend, and their importance in a strong friendship.

Little ones talk about how sounds can be made high or low depending on the length of the keys that make them. They label eight xylophone keys from highest to lowest depending on the relative sound they'd make. Tip: Get out a real...

Run-on sentences using and are all too common in our youngsters' writing. Have them read these different paragraphs to determine where they can remove some of the ands. Consider doing this activity as a whole class on the overhead or...

Your geometers are used to finding the perimeter of a square or rectangle, so give them something different this time! With this lesson, small groups will receive a picture of a shoreline and calculate the perimeter. The website listed...

Young scholars investigate their school forest and make their own miniature forest. In this forest investigation instructional activity, students read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and make alist of reasons to have trees. Young...

Woo, ghost crystals, just in time for Halloween! Young scientists experiment with light and water as they make and observe ghost crystals. The lesson does not include the process for making the crystals, but provides a web link where a...

Measure a tree? Yes, measure a tree! Learners get outside and measure a tree's trunk, crown, and height. Each group compares their answers to determine if any re-measuring is necessary. Once back in the classroom, students make bar...

Practice makes perfect when it comes to dividing and multiplying fractions! This problem-solving worksheet packet has learners putting these skills to test with negative numbers, mixed numbers, and whole numbers. Four pages give simple,...

Students identify habitats in Arizona. Theys define and illustrate a food web, and explain the importance fo biodiversity.

Learners examine how grids are created and used to locate positions of objects or features on a map.

Students make models of the planets and use the models to show revolution of the planets around the sun. They explain the rotation of the planets after demonstrating with balloons.

Students review angles. In this geometry lesson, students become chess players on a floor chess board. When they make a move, they need to identify the angle of their movement. In the lesson plan it says the "degree" of the angle,...

Learners will see first-hand how they can work through a word problem. A given problem is dissected, labeled, and solved, demonstrating how to show work and use problem-solving strategies to complete a word problem.

Young scholars explore how to use and evaluate conditional statements using QBASIC. They create conditional/boolean statements in a variety of situations. Students write IF statements in QBASIC. They evaluate conditional expressions.

In this thousands word problems activity, 7th graders solve and complete 6 different word problems that include the thousands place. First, they read each story and draw a picture to determine the solutions to each problem. Then,...

Fifth graders visit the playground to look for signs of life. They search for insects, birds, animal tracks, feathers, nests, trees, soil, etc. They then compose a class list that shows all findings in the schoolyard and post it in the...