This engineering activity gets youngsters working together to design and construct a bridge. Each bridge is tested in front of the class to discover how much weight it can hold before showing any change in form. The lesson plan does not...

For this complex game about the carbon cycle, the playing field is divided into air, living, and earth zones. Children are assigned to be either plants or animals, and collect carbon tokens as they proceed from zone to zone. While the...

Students explore folktales. For this folktale lesson, students listen to a story from another country and discuss the characters. Students retell the story using puppets and do coloring sheets. Students do a sequencing cut and paste...

Students recognize and identify common objects that can be used as a lever. For this simple machines lesson, students experiment with materials to design and construct a machine that uses a lever. Students also design and build a catapult.

First graders plan a trip for Christopher Columbus. They use their math skills to construct a ship for Columbus' voyage. They show their ship and calculations to their classmates and build graphs to show the amount of supplies needed to...

Students enjoy Leo Lionni's illustrations in Frederick and watching how Frederick uses his imagination. In this Frederick lesson plan, students practice dramatic techniques as they retell traditional literature.

Young scholars study relief sculpture and architectural elements, discuss Egyptian hieroglyphics and relief sculptures that can be seen on Roman and Greek structures, and create a relief sculpture using drywall.

Learners study the three different types of levers and develop a simple machine. In this levers and simple machines instructional activity, students look at different types of levers, and experiment with a ruler and a marshmallow to...

Students create a gift.

Students listen to the story The Contest between the Sun and the Wind.  In this Sun and Wind story students answer comprehension questions and retell the story through role playing with character puppets.  Students create paper...

Students graph and solve quadratic equations. In this functions lesson, students analyze a quadratic equation using three points on a curve to define the graph of a quadratic function. They find the vertex and intercepts of the graph.

Students explore philosophy by researching the Dalai Lama. In this peaceful living instructional activity, students discuss the Dalai Lama and his unique views of the world before reading the story Can You Say Peace? Students answer...

Third graders examine and explore a variety of ways to measure length. They discuss how to measure large objects using the end-to-end method, and in small groups measure the length of the room using the end-to-end method with a...

Students study Chinese jade carvings and then carve an animal from soap in a similar fashion.

Students construct models of microorganisms recognizing size relationships-comparing the size of viruses with the sizes of bacterial and eukaryotic cells. They put into perspective just how small microbes are by comparing the size of...

In this perimeter and area lesson, students learn the formulas for perimeter and area and view model problems using tiles. Students work in groups to solve practice problems. Students define perimeter and area and explain why...

Students investigate Mayan Numbers. In this algebra lesson, students compare our number system to the number system of the Mayans. They identify base 10 and base 20 numbers including zero in the Mayan symbols. They solve a Mayan problem.

Students create cut slab boxes from clay using the slip and scoring technique. They impress a surface texture into the clay. Students decorate their box to represent themselves in some way.

Students compare the ancient Greek method of schooling and writing to contemporary methods and learn the Greek alphabet on wax tablets.

First graders find angles in their classroom. In this geometric figures lesson, 1st graders identify, describe and classify angles they see in their world. Students create pictures that contain angles and display them in the room.

Third graders study plants. In this biology lesson plan, 3rd graders label and identify parts of plants, identify spices obtained from plants, and determine what part of a plant a spice comes from by using taste, touch, smell and sight.

Students discover how rocks are created.  In this rock formation lesson, students investigate saturation, evaporation, and phase changes in geology.  Students create rock candy from skewers, string, boiling water and sugar.

Young scholars practice reading comprehension of an Australian folktale. In this Australian folktale lesson plan, students read the story, Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail, before completing retells with character puppets, discussing...