Your class explores weather proverbs and superstitions from around the country and writes their own proverb about weather. They interview community elders to learn proverbs about Alaska and its weather. Then they discuss several example...

Imagine the surprise when small groups present their Evidence Charts to the class and discover that each group has studied a different version of the Cinderella story. Irish, Ojibwa, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Mexican, and...

Plant and animal life of the ocean is the focus of this science instructional activity. Young scientists sort a variety of seashells and explore why many sea animals have shells. They examine the shells, write journal entries...

Throughout history, the growth of big cities has resulted in the destruction of ecosystems. In the case of Chicago, IL, a grassland that was once home to bison, deer, wolves, and foxes quickly became a booming city of over three million...

Early settlers in the American Midwest experienced constant struggle. This reading passage describes for young learners the hardships of homesteaders as they journeyed west and sought to start a new life. When finished, students identify...

Having this reading passage handy to assess your learners' ability to process written text, practice summary with your class, and improve reading comprehension. This passage is about the people who work at the hospital. Learners read...

Students explore the characteristics of invertebrates in their backyards. They observe, describe, and classify specimens. They conclude with a "snail race."

Students complete internet based research on pet care in order to prepare a written and oral presentation for the class. They examine the life span, environment, food and grooming of the pet they chose to research. They complete the...

Third graders explore the idea of formulating a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test the hypothesis.

Students identify the main food in the different cultures they have examined. In groups, they compare and contrast their expected table manners to the ones in Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia. Using this list of behaviors, they identify...

Young scholars analyze an apple. In this lesson about developing inquiry skills, students do an experiment with an apple. Young scholars make several observations about the apple. Students answer questions to help them improve and...

Could your class identify an old-fashioned can opener? What about a rotary phone,...

Learners compare versions of Cinderella and draw conclusions based on the story elements identified. In this literacy comprehension and story elements lesson, students read several versions of Cinderella, complete a "Comparing Folklore"...

Students recognize the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts. In this genre study lesson, students discuss what nonfiction means and write the definition. Students listen to a read aloud and vote whether the text is fiction or...

Students analyze the characters and events in fictional writing. In this literary elements lesson, students study the meaning of the words characterization and fiction. They listen to the story Pigsty by Mark Teague, or any other book...

Students identify and describe the poles of a magnet. They demonstrate how the poles interact with one another.

Students gain insight into the unusual, solitary world of Beatrix Potter's Victorian childhood and can compare/contrast it with their own world to explain why Potter wrote such simple stories and why she wrote about animals rather than...

Students recognize that body design affects balance. They investigate the basic structure of a dinosaur body to see how it achieved balance, then build any dinosaur body system they want, using small marshmallows and extra straws as needed.

Students select a Colorado animal, develop a Directed Web page, and research their animal. Each member of the group combine their research and develop a Newsletter.

Learners study and identify different types of simple machines and how they work. They design a simple machine.

Third graders study machines. They watch a video about and identify and chart machines they find at home and at school. They design and build simple and compound machines, create an advertisement for them and attempt to sell them at the...

Students study early Native American-European trade. They play bartering games to discover trade as an economic funtion, as well as other implications of trading one good for another.

Students describe the differences between an estimate and a guess. They create reasonable estimates based on comparison and activities. Students explain how estimation is helpful in showing the relative size on a scale. They also...

Third graders are introduced to the importance of science safety. As a class, they role play through different safety procedures and decide which senses need to be protected for different scenerios. They discuss how to avoid hazardous...