Clay itself sinks, but clay boats float. Why? Young engineers build clay boats to learn about buoyancy. They test the weight the boats can hold using washers and then tweak their designs to make improvements, following the engineering...

Class members connect engineering with an understanding of linear programming using a technical resource. Scholars learn about linear programming (linear optimization) and how it applies to engineering design in the first of two modules....

Students discuss the terms exploration and technology. They read about the MESSENGER, Mission to Mercury, and answer questions. Next, they design and plan the technology for a space mission using an online interactive activity.

Students choose a project from one of the public art programs and work on it as a collaborative project. The goal is to encourage students to research art programs in their city, and communicate with students from another city.

Acid rain, and how it affects the environment, is the focus of this Earth science lesson. During the study, learners evaluate measures to reduce acid rain, and design an investigation to demonstrate the conection between a hypothesis and...

When you take a simple task and create an exceptionally difficult way to complete it, it is known as a Rube Goldberg machine. These machines are filled with many types of energy transfers and energy transformations. Here, pupils...

The class explores Ukrainian motifs, the scratchboard technique, and two-dimensional art. They design and produce a Ukrainian style egg with tagboard, crayon, tempera paint, and a stylus. Ukrainian egg designs are similar to those used...

To set up this activity, your class explores Minnesota's nickname as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and the back of the state quarter that features a Minnesota lake. Young mathematicians compare the number 1 to the number 10,000 with support...

There are so many ways to tell a story! Develop visual storytelling skills while facilitating an understanding of Greek art and culture. Learners design Greek style images to tell a story through art. They add their designs to Styrofoam...

Get young learners involved in the development of classroom rules! Students and the teacher discuss the purpose of having rules, including how rules provide order, security and safety. Then learners design pictures to accompany the...

Looking for a good instructional activity on measurement? This one could be for ytou! Learners select and use appropriate nonstandard units to measure and compare lengths and weights of real-life objects. They use problem-solving skills...

Students, assessing a variety of sources, explore the growth of inventions that were brought about by the Industrial Revolution. They analyze labor practices and philosophies within the history of the United States. A timeline is set in...

Fourth graders read "Starting a Business" and answer the question: "How could you design an ad to let the community know about the business described in the story?" Then, they illustrate a written ad that could be posted in the...

What does it take to prepare for a construction project? In an engineering lesson plan, youngsters examine how a Ferris wheel can turn and carry a load without falling apart. After reading up on big wheel designs, they create a model...

Turn the act of following directions into a fun and engaging game! Especially designed for students with cognitive or intellectual disabilities, this instructional activity uses a game format as a natural reinforcer. Write a set of...

While this activity was designed for young scholars with special needs, it could be used with any group learning about the calendar or days of the week. Old calendar pages become the bingo board, and numbers 1 through 31 become the...

Investigators collect the carbon dioxide produced when an antacid tablet is activated and identify what alteration produced the most gas. They also collect the gas in a buret in order to practice precision. Then they choose between two...

After learning a bit about symbolism and view the Australian flag, learners make one of their own. They discuss how flags and art can symbolically express ideas or feelings, design three symbols, and construct a flag that represents...

Students design and create a sculptural relief using modeling clay.They create latex rubber molds and then produce relief sculptures using Sculptamold.

If you can find Tinker Toys™, then this may be a fun assignment for your physical science class. Using the construction set and a few other toys, they examine the forces involved when it they are being played with. For each, they...

There's nothing like the prospect of writing a scary story to get your middle schoolers' writing juices flowing! In the lesson presented here, pupils listen to scary short stories read to them by the teacher. Then, a discussion ensues...

Discover activities to help learners increase self-awareness, build peer and family relations, and develop positive self-esteem. Here you'll find six suggestions for instilling a sense of confidence and self awareness in youngsters. Each...