Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...

Understanding the US government's role proves very important in the American economy, especially for consumers. Scholars learn about how varying government agencies help them when facing an issue. The third and final resource in the...

Accuracy, transparency, trustworthiness, and impartiality are four unspoken rules of journalism. Scholars delve deep into the subject by discussing the pros and cons of relying on social media for news. They also play an online game to...

An outbreak of illness hits a refugee camp and the local population worries about the spread of the deadly disease. Scholars virtually travel to the area to determine what causes the disease and how it is spread. Next, they must put...

Where does tradition fit in a divided community with violence on both sides? Scholars learn about the marches in Northern Ireland and the many issues surrounding them. They take on roles in the community and try to convince others of...

Calling all science sleuths! A patient appears to have a disease eradicated years ago—how do you treat it? Scholars must research the illness, the possible causes, and find a cure before the disease spreads and wipes out the entire city....

A dozen years after a great plague wipes out the majority of Earth's civilization, a group of scientists joins together to fight infectious diseases. Scholars join the training mission and learn about viruses, bacteria, pathogens and...

More than 100 cities around the world have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Scholars investigate a city wanting to make this switch, but needs help determining how to make the shift. Groups consider all options,...

Scholars learn about a series of three challenges when they design a bus system for a small town. They determine the bus routes and then figure out the best type of fuel to use before considering the cost of going electric. Learners...

How is a dodo bird like a beach ball? Science sleuths discover amazing size comparisons using a hands-on Internet resource. Individuals examine the metric scale of objects and organisms ranging from the smallest possible to the largest...

Here's a force to be reckoned with in the physics classroom! Scholars discover the movements associated with tension, compression, and other common forces through a hands-on simulation. Pupils pull, push, and twist their way through each...

Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...

Young historians research the devastating attacks of 9/11 and use that information to script their own documentaries. The follow-up activity includes recording the documentary and conducting classmate interviews, 

The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...

Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars?  To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the voice of...

Prevent the Federal Reserve System from becoming a dry topic for your middle and high schoolers by using an informative, engaging resource! The cartoon takes your class on a journey with aliens from the planet of Novus to observe the...

Balancing a budget—the bane of many people's existence! Yet, its' something that must be done, especially in government systems. The resource, fourth in a seven-part series exploring local government, focuses on various exercises that...

It's easy to forget about something as simple as water, a substance that is easily available to many in the world. However, understanding water management and the importance of a renewable resource system becomes clear in an informative,...

Scholars work through three different activities applying their knowledge of total internal reflection (TIR). First, they simply identify which diagrams create TIR and which don't. Next, they match different types of boundary behaviors...

Consider the riddle of dragon genetics. Young scientists simulate being dragon parents and determining which traits their child will have. Then they learn of a new relative and must determine how they are related using probability and...

Magnifying glasses and cameras often use converging lenses, but how do they alter an image? Pupils discover a lens, axis, and object arrow before identifying four characteristics of the resulting image. They label the location,...

Pupils apply their knowledge of refraction to four different sets of challenges. Each of the first three focus on one variable's impact on the direction of bending. The fourth combines variables for greater challenge.

We see curved mirrors every day in spoons, rear-view mirrors, stores as a safety measure, make-up mirrors, and in novelty stores. Scholars explore the changes to an image based on the curve of the mirror, the location of the image, and...