There's a lot of thought that goes into setting up safe and supportive classroom environments. From establishing a whole group meeting area and arranging desks, to organizing classroom supplies and creating bulletin board displays,...

In the sixth instructional activity in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with...

Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...

Beyond reading and arithmetic, one of the most important skills for graduating seniors to have is fiscal literacy and responsibility. Start them on the right financial track with nine lessons that focus on a variety of important...

Considering using Tolkien's The Hobbit for book circles or whole-class reading? Check out this packet that provides an overview of the novel, some interesting background materials, and links to additional resources.

Nano-nano! Nanotechnology can seem like it's from another planet! After learning about this tiny technology, collaborative groups experiment with how smaller particles affect chemical reactions. They do this by immersing a whole and a...

Talk about a timely resource! As part of a series of primary source exercises, individuals read and respond to questions about Theodore Roosevelt's "The Square Deal" speech. Roosevelt reminds us of what our social system should be.

Set up each pupil's desk with one of these back-to-school printables. Each desk decoration includes a line to write in the individual's name as well as a copy of the alphabet, complete with arrows and numbers that show learners how to...

How can something be true even if it didn't happen? Invite your classes to investigate the truths found in the world of magical realism as they analyze short stories, poems, informational texts, video, and art from this genre.

More than 80 percent of the earth's surface originated from volcanoes. The 16th activity in a 20-part series introduces the shape and development of volcanoes. It begins with a demonstration using a balloon and flour to illustrate...

When we think of ocean exploration, many of us have visions of sunken pirate ships full of treasure or mysterious creatures of the deep. What really motivates deep-sea investigation? The first in a series of diverse six-part lessons...

Learners analyze the evolution of cultural attitudes through the lens of transportation, examining several artifacts, documents, and photographs. Topics covered include how American attitudes have influenced society's evolution into a...

An environmenta science unit includes three lessons plus a cumulative project covering the ecosystem. Scholars follow the history of the Ford Rouge Factory from its construction on wetlands and how it destroyed the...

Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...

In this fraction practice worksheet, students examine a shaded fraction visual that describes fractions as parts of whole objects. Students respond to 2 questions about shaded fractions.

Use segmented shapes to introduce scholars to fractions before they even have learned about numerators and denominators (although this is a great way to introduce these terms!). The first section has four multiple-choice problems:...

An impressive lesson where pupils visualize models and solve problems involving multiplying a whole number times a fraction. Fraction bars are used to help learners truly understand what's happening during this mathematical process. The...

Calling all fraction novices! Use sets of objects to introduce scholars to fractions before they even have learned about numerators and denominators (but this is a great way to introduce these terms!). The first section has four...

The commutative property of multiplication applies not only to whole numbers but to fractions as well. Connor and Makayla explore and discuss the idea that 2/3 x 3 is the same as 3 x 2/3. Your 5th grade class will connect with...

Fractions can be tricky. Luckily, you've found this handy slide-show. It defines the various parts that fractions are made of and then shows what each part represents. Images of shaded blocks act as a visual reference for the part/whole...

Here is another way to illustrate division of a whole number by a unit fraction. For this case, the problem is asking if there are so many servings per cup, how many servings are in a package of multiple cups. Learners are to model their...

Pattern blocks and shapes demonstrate how to add and subtract fractions. By aligning blocks with different shapes, learners figure out how to create a whole, and then how to add and delete parts from that whole.

Photographs and graphics bring the solar system and Earth to life in this presentation. Viewers are taken on a virtual field trip, beginning with the sun and planet placement, and proceeding through both Earth and the moon's movements....

Work with small and large numbers alike with a place-value activity. After writing the value of selected numbers, fourth graders write what happens to each number if they change certain parts of it.