The Race

Who would have thought to explore the concept of race through children's literature?  After reading Bell Hooks' picture book, Skin Again, and chapter sixteen of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee, class members consider whether skin color...

Do you ever get nervous before a big event? A pair of race cars discuss their nerves before tomorrow's race in a reading activity that includes five comprehension questions.

Here, young historians learn about the space race by examining a letter written to John F. Kennedy by an elementary school student in 1961, and then reading an article to learn the historical context that helps them make sense of it. A...

And they are off! Using Styrofoam meat trays and balloons, individuals build racers that demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion. Pupils run their racers three times and make improvements between each trial. To conclude the activity,...

As the cost of oil continues to rise and the environmental impacts of emissions become more widespread, the demand for alternative energy sources for cars is huge. In an engaging and challenging week-long lesson, your upper-elementary or...

Is interacting with people from different backgrounds part of a well-rounded education? A big question awaits young readers as they explore two New York Times articles that discuss modern-day segregation, population statistics, and...

Modern animation presents an overview of the history of space exploration. Beginning with Sputnik in 1957, the international space race was on. Eventually, space exploration became, not a competition, but rather a collaboration. Also,...

Sixth graders demonstrate understanding by creating a visual product. They will read The Big Balloon Race, by Eleanor Coerr and create a chart using vocabulary from the book. They also write a poem on hot air balloons using the newly...

This is mostly an exploration of race through an interactive website, class readings, and discussion. Individuals take an online quiz about race, they answer questions on a worksheet by visiting another website, and discover that race is...

The world of genetics and DNA is much clearer than it was 25 years ago, in large part due to the success of the Human Genome Project. Watch a short, engaging video about the dueling organizations who raced to be the first to sequence the...