Students work together in groups to research the characteristics of the Mesozoic Era. Using various sources, they must include information about climate, landforms, plants and animals found during this time period. They create a...

Eighth graders describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about 300 to 1000 A.D. They emphasis the preservation of Greek and Roman traditions. Students analyze the Byzantine art and architecture.

Students explore the history of the airplane and the Wright brothers.  In this aviation lesson students examine the Wright brothers stories and kites.

Students discuss how the Pilgrims brought seeds, from England, into the new settlements and explore the history of seed nurseries. After observing packets of seeds and their contents, students list information found on the packets and...

Students study the history of telegraph invention. In this technology lesson, students build their own Morse Telegraph System. They discuss how this invention benefits the society.

Should driver's licenses be granted to unauthorized immigrants? That is the question class members grapple with in a lesson that asks them to first read a fact sheet that details the arguments for and against licensing unauthorized...

How has our relationship to energy changed over time? An engaging exploration challenges learners to create a timeline showing human energy needs and uses over time. Scholars review what timelines are, choose a 50-year period in history...

Five scientists and their contributions to modern cell theory are listed, one person per slide.  It concludes by having viewers answer recap questions. This simple presentation can be used on the first day of your unit on cells...

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...

Hail to the Chief! Your class learns about Abraham Lincoln winning presidency and choosing cabinet advisors through a reading passage and paired multiple choice questions. The resource offers great practice for state tests and...

Cell phones are likely made of gold—at least part of them! An interesting lesson explains the conventional and not-so-conventional uses of the popular element gold. From the Inca empire to modern-day technology, learners discover gold...

Young scholars explore the lives of early American Indians and settlers in Kentucky. They describe the agricultural practices of Indians native to Kentucky and develop a supply list for a group of settlers coming to the state to...

Planes, trains, and automobiles. How many ways to travel are there? Scholars learn about modes of transportation in the past and how they have changed over time. Budding historians view a timeline, participate in group discussion, and...

What is the most pressing issue in your community? The resource helps you and your middle schoolers begin the process of doing something about it! Learners compare and contrast two pressing issues in their local counties by reading two...

You're only 10 minutes late? Do you know how much the universe has expanded in those 10 minutes? Scholars graph supernovae based on their redshift and see if the results verify Hubble's Law. If it does confirm it, the universe is...

Ten multiple-choice questions make up an interactive practice designed to increase reading comprehension. The topic of the informational reading is the North Carolina Colony.

Art does not always have to look perfectly realistic. Play with proportion and shape by stretching images. Pupils study works of art by Picasso, Cézanne, and Monet before selecting a photograph to adapt. They use a distorted grid to...

Should the excavation of what is believed to be the cave of the Lone Woman of San Nicholas Island be allowed to continue? As a practice exercise designed to prepare pupils for a timed writing exam, individuals read two Los Angeles...

Jack London's heart for adventure has come to define the spirit of America and its frontier. Selected passages from the foreword The Cruise of the Snark take eighth graders through London's construction and voyage of his ship before...

Technology has undoubtedly improved the lives of people around the world—but has it improved communication? Seventh graders read two informative passages about the rise of texting and emailing versus in-person conversations before...

You can't tell by the title, but this is a functional periodic table of elements. Incorporating bright colors, lucid text, and easily operated features, this application serves as a valuable reference tool for your chemistry class.

Blast off! An engaging hands-on activity has pupils create rockets powered by Alka-Seltzer. They learn about the physics behind these rockets throughout the process.