Essential Buildings and Services in the Community

Besides serving as awe-inspiring monuments of human achievement, skyscrapers are built to perform a wide range of functions in urban communities. The second lesson in this series begins by exploring the history of the Empire State...

School violence is becoming an epidemic in America. How can schools protect their teachers—and teach them how to protect their students? Read an important brochure about how violence affects teachers personally, emotionally, financially,...

Transform studying about veterans in a textbook to personal interviews with veterans in the community. Four varying lesson plans make up an entire unit or individualized learning based on your class's needs. Exercises include researching...

Students investigate the importance of community service by creating their own project ideas.  In this volunteering instructional activity, students research stories of Peace Corps Volunteers and how they were able to have a...

Students investigate the ways in which ancient technologies - six types of simple machines and combinations - are used to construct modern buildings. As they work together to solve a design problem (designing and building a modern...

Commonplace today, the zipper and button construction of blue jeans was a major innovation. Using the patent for the J.W. Davis and Levi Strauss innovation, individuals comb an image of the fly for clues. Afterward, they discuss its...

Students build a list of gardening vocabulary from prior knowledge of gardens. In this gardening lesson, students understand the importance of gardens to humans and animals for food, shelter, and air. Students discuss the garden in...

Elementary schoolers count and order objects using numbers 1-300. They bring recyclable items from home. Students group the items, skip count by 2's, 3's, and 5's, and arrange the items on a number line. Recyclable plastic bags are put...

Students create building from paper bags. For this building lesson, students draw buildings on different size paper bags. They wear these bags on their heads or hands and tell the story of the building.

Learners explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, learners investigate what their talents are and consider how they can share those with others.