Developing Successful Teamwork Skills - The Spaghetti Incident

Sixth graders work in small groups to identify the characteristics of a successful learner. They identify characteristics that think are most helpful for them. Students answer the question: What does a successful student look like?

Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...

Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins on earth that live north of the equator (in the wild). In this last lesson a discussion on how the Galapagos islands developed their populations and diversity sparks the introduction. Two...

You've heard of Blackbeard, Black Bart, Calico Jack, and Anne Bonny. But do you recall the most successful pirate of all? Viewers are introduced to the exploits of Madame Zheng and the accomplishments that earned her a place on the list...

Students investigate Lewis and Clark. In this Lewis and Clark instructional activity, students search the Internet for information about Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Students use maps to understand the explorations and...

Should public humiliation be an acceptable consequence for a crime? Have your middle schoolers engage in a round table discussion about the recent resurgence of the use of public humiliation as a punishment for crimes in the United...

How tall is your marshmallow structure? Using only limited supplies (including uncooked spaghetti noodles, masking tape, and one marshmallow), teams endeavor to support the marshmallow atop the tallest spaghetti structure they can build....

How do humans affect ecosystems? Learners read two articles and interpret a graph to develop essays on the human impact on ecosystems. They read about human impact on tigers and manatees as a basis for their overarching papers.

Engage all the upper elementary classes in your school in a game to learn Dewey Decimal Classification. On 5 or 6 consecutive visits to the library, teams from each class learn how the system works, locate books in each category, and...

Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson to emphasize the rules and individual roles...