Students study the design elements and symbolism of Japanese gardens through a hands-on instructional activity in Zen Garden design.

Students study seeds and spring planting. They plant corn, chili, watermelon seeds in a local field and then invite a farmer to come to discuss the preparation, caring and planting of seeds in a field.

Students explore constant motion. Using photography equipment and a dark room, students develop photographs that depict motion. Students demonstrate the proper use of photograph equipment.

Sixth graders explore the solar system. Using the Internet, 6th graders gather information about planets in our solar system. Students participate in an activity to determine where they should build the first city in space. They create a...

Fourth graders use print and electronic media to find the following essential elements of these storms: characteristics, effects, safety and preparation, and interesting facts. A graphic organizer is used to gather and record this key...

Place value to the millions is the focus of this math instructional activity. Third and fourth graders investigate multiple ways to represent a number. They examine place value while studying factual information about Pablo Picasso....

Students become familiar with the various coins in our money system as well as amount of each coin. They help develop their ability to count change and find different ways to show equal amounts.

Students create and extend patterns. In this pattern lesson, students learn to identify patterns using multiple senses. Students work at centers in small groups to explore and extend their understanding of patterns.

Middle schoolers explain that while cities have unattractive features, the density of human life enables energy efficiency, mass transit, recycling, and other benefits which are difficult or impossible in rural areas. This is the fifth...

Fifth graders choose a country associated with a family member and research its location, government, language, economy, history, holidays, foods, sports, and famous people. They write to inform using this data and draw a map identifying...

Fifth graders use modern technologies which allow them to gain a new, dynamic, and intersting understanding of themselves, their community, and the world. They focus on environmental education and the effect of the environment on plant...

Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...

What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...

Students design their own playground equipment. For this design lesson, students take pictures of equipment they like and make a class pictograph of their favorite ones. They investigate the design, research equipment around the world,...

Pupils create various types of graphs. They go to suggested websites to collect data and create graphs to organize the data. Then they answer questions according to their graph.

After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...

As part of a study of the Civil Rights Movement from 1868 to the present, class members examine first person narratives, the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, and other significant events in civil rights history....

Shapes are so fun! Little ones explore, identify, and create shapes using tangrams or pattern blocks. The activity is intended to stimulate critical thinking while engaging learners through play and shape identification. Each child will...

Give your learners a leg up in their study of engineering. Groups design and create a prothestic for a leg. They test out their designs for strength, stability, durability, and comfort.

Eighth graders conduct research on various careers that are of interest to them. They conduct Internet research on a selected career choice, and create a nine card stack using HyperStudio to describe their career's salary, required...

Second graders complete a survey as class answering the question: "Did you eat breakfast this morning?". They place a tally mark in the column that best represents their answer. They then discuss the results in the graph.

Second graders examine and discuss different goals that lead to learner success. They discuss the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare," and discuss different goals and scenarios on a handout. Students then write a personal learning goal...