Can art play tricks on your eyes, and can a still painting really appear to vibrate? The second lesson in a four-part series discusses the way our beautiful brains translate visual images. It highlights the style of optical art and...

Learners use common and unusual objects to make observations of details, design, and functionality. They describe and draw each object while working in small groups. The differences between observation and perception is covered as part...

Eighth graders imagine they are getting ready to "take off." They may imagine themselves in any type of aircraft or spaceship. They may then sketch themselves as passengers anticipating this moment.

Students examine and discuss animal adaptation. They read an article about snakes, conduct research on ways animals adapt, develop a diagram, and write a short story written from the perspective of the animal they researched.

Canadian winters, and its residents ways of dealing with winter are the focus of this four-lesson sequence. It them, high schoolers create works of art that reflect their perceptions of winter. They study how Canadian's have incorporated...

Understanding geography and government begins at the local level. Using maps and the parts of a newspaper, a unit plan introduces the concept of community. It starts with the creation of classroom and school maps, and then moves through...

Students read about and study insects--their distinguishing characteristics, habitats, camouflage methods, defense mechanisms, etc. They draw pictures and write a story from the viewpoint of an insect and share their pictures and stories...

Third graders investigate how manduca sees and they discuss what they think the manduca might be thinking. They write a story about what an insect sees and does from the insect's perspective.

Young scholars become aware of society;s use of animals. They cover the concepts of ethics, and humane education. Students view chicken photos, an informative video, and encounter a list of companies that do and a list that don't test on...

One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...

Students explore the shifts in perceptions of the sphinx as Greeks, Romans, and finally the French under Napoleon moved through Egypt.

Ninth graders examine the relationships of science and technology and how it influences people's perceptions of places.  In this mythology and astronomy lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a...

Students conduct Interned research on the cougar, listing perceptions about cougars, and facts about cougars. They view a video, take notes during the video, and organize presentations to present their findings.

Fourth graders explore various methods of growing and harvesting rainforest foods in order to sustain its biodiversity. They discuss the various uses for trees from several viewpoints. Students research chocolate demand and land use...

What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...

Explore cultures from around the world with an engaging pen pal resource. Through a series of classroom activities and written correspondence, children learn about the favoritec pastimes, schooling, geography, and weather that is...

Students access prior knowledge of the five senses and relate to students with disabilities. In this people with disabilities lesson, students research and use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast famous people and their...

Students investigate the customs and habits of other cultures by reading letters from a Peace Corps Volunteer.  In this global customs instructional activity, students discuss how analyzing a culture is similar to analyzing art, no...

Students will recognize objects in nature that are similar in shape to the letters of the alphabet. In this digital camera lesson, students will find objects in nature that look like letters of the alphabet. They will create a poster of...

Davina Pardo's documentary Minka asks viewers to consider that value of preserving traditional dwellings and traditional building techniques by examining how American journalist John Roderick and Japanese architect Yoshihiro Takishita...

Clean up the environment with a activity that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various...

Are there factors that put some individuals at a higher risk for drug addiction than others? Learn more about the risk factors that may make some people more susceptible to addiction, as well as protective factors that help prevent...

Engage young marine biologists in a reading of Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab with a fun hands-on activity. Given a set of clipart images of the different aquatic animals that appear in the book, children identify each one...

Students consider the role of industry on the American landscape from a variety of perspectives. They investigate a simulated case study. They investigate a chemical spill catastrophe. Students write an informative pamphlet to assist...