Making inferences can be a tricky proposition for middle schoolers. In the lesson presented here, pupils practice the skill of drawing a conclusion and making a judgment - which are what making an inference is all about! There are five...

Cultural discourse can start through a variety of venues. Learners begin to think about how our minds, memories, and identities shape our attitudes toward culture and history. They analyze seven pieces from the Dongducheon art exhibit...

Make an informed decision when choosing a medical insurance provider. An engaging lesson asks your classes to write piecewise models to represent the cost of different medical plans. The project-based learning activity is a variation of...

Pike fish pose a threat to native trout and catfish in lakes. Would you drain and poison a lake to get rid of the Pike fish? If the lake was drained and poisoned, then refilled and repopulated with trout and catfish, how would you...

What is an emergency, why is preparing for one important, and how can your pupils help others prepare for an emergency? Answer these questions and more with a short unit. Learners will participate in a variety of collaborative,...

STAR deputies unite! Scholars gather in small groups to solve problems using the STAR method. Pupils read a card that describes a situation that requires problem-solving. They role-play the scenario in front of their peers.

A "Magic Minute" activity asks class groups to develop a commercial to advertise a way to turn a time-waster into a time-saver. Ad groups begin by brainstorming time-wasters and then problem-solve was to turn them into time-savers. After...

Why is conflict resolution such an important skill to learn? Pupils explore the topic, playing an adapted Tic-tac-toe game. Two class teams are tasked with finding a win-win solution to a hypothetical conflict before adding their X...

Two scholars walk into a room arguing, what is happening? Peers observe the two actors in preparation for a whole-class discussion about conflict. Learners establish a conflict, name the three approaches—passive, aggressive, and...

Two puppets open a discussion about comfrotable and uncomfortable touches. Scholars add to the discussion information they remember from a previous lesson, then delve deep into three problem-solving safety rules, and explore...

The final lesson in a series of five that focus on developing the interpersonal skills required to develop and maintain positive relationships asks class members to identify their best friend-making skill. Individuals share these claims...

Scholars examine examples of peer pressure and discuss how specific actions negatively affect one's well-being. Learners gather in small groups to write two scenarios in which peer pressure is used. They reference the STAR method in how...

A "My Self-Concept Report Card" worksheet launches a lesson about the importance of positive self-talk. After completing the worksheet, individuals make a list of the things they would do to improve or maintain a positive self-concept.

Mirror, mirror. Hook sophomores into the benefits of positive self-talk with a lesson that asks them to reflect on the roles they play at home, at school, and in their communities. Class members fill out a “Looking At Me In My...

Life is like trying to juggle three tennis balls! That's the big idea in a lesson that asks freshmen to consider that sometimes juggling the areas of their lives (social/emotion, academic, and career) runs smoothly and sometimes not so...

Examine the consequences of varying speed.  An engaging set of five problem sets challenges young mathematicians by targeting a different grade level from K-12. In the initial lesson, scholars make conclusions about the time it...

Encourage self-awareness with a lesson plan that challenges scholars to identify feelings—happy, sad, mad, and scared. Using a feelings thermometer, similar to that of a bar graph, pupils discuss how they would feel in specific scenarios...

Are your fourth graders having problems with decimals? Help them identify the place value of various numbers. Here, they describe what happens to the value of different numbers, as well as select numbers with given values in the tenths...

Time for statistics and learning to overlap! Learners examine Venn Diagrams as a means to organize data. They then use the diagrams to calculate simple and compound probabilities.

The fifth portion of the 25-part series introduces probabilities calculated from outcomes that are not equally likely. Class members use tables to calculate probabilities of events, add outcome's probabilities, and find...

An eye-catching hook makes a smart analogy between ingredients for a food recipe and ingredients for quality relationships. Scholars discuss and list qualities they feel contribute to positive interactions. Pupils create a recipe card...

Pie isn't just for eating! Scholars learn to create pie charts and circle graphs to represent data. Given raw data, learners determine the percent of the whole for each category and then figure out the degree of the circle that percent...

Use a straightforward approach to understanding logarithmic properties and their role in solving exponential and logarithmic equations to your math class. The lesson begins with an overview of a logarithmic function and its...

Students experience problem-based learning as they use prior knowledge of the states of matter to keep a frozen juice bar from melting.