Scholars use the article "More College Students Are Smoking, Study Says" as a springboard for discussion on the reasons why people smoke cigarettes. They investigate different methods of graphing statistics by using the data provided in...

Students research Truman Library website and gather ten trivia facts. They prepare a short oral presentation on one of their questions, scoring each other on speaking and listening skills. Then they create a Truman campaign button.

An engaging biography of "Hoosier" poet James Whitcomb Riley serves as a springboard for study of his unique dialect-based verse. Several activities illuminate differences between spoken vernacular and formal language. Learners record...

Students are guided into creating their own self-portrait in steps using colored pastels. They also use their self-portraits as a springboard to write a personal narrative. This is a cool lesson plan!

Learners assess the educational and social issues of boys and girls in school as a springboard to interviewing women in the fields of science, in order to study of their early interests and experiences in these typically male-dominated...

Students examine new evidence of violent behavior in dolphins as a springboard for research on various dolphin behaviors, such as communication, feeding patterns, group behaviors, parenting, navigation, and interactions with humans.

Students view Pablo Picasso's sculpture "Baboon and Young" and use it as a springboard to discuss their conceptions of the term family. They use a collection of discarded manmade objects to create an animal sculpture.

Young scholars create a new species of insect. They create a list of insect characteristics and use this as a springboard to draw an insect of their own. Students write a brief descriptive paragraphs about their insect, giving...

Make connections about animal characteristics and the animal's environment. In this animal characteristics lesson, students use a piece of art as a springboard for a discussion about animals and camouflage. Students choose an animal that...

Students consider the online game Neopets as a springboard to developing the characters, settings and plots for online fantasy games. They draft technical plans that describe how their games be presented and played on the We

Students examine the functionality of different types of computer memory (RAM) as a springboard to researching the definitions, uses and functions of different common computer terms. The class creates a computer terminology guide.

Young scholars consider the marketing of cellphones to teenagers as a springboard to designing products and related marketing strategies aimed at specific segments of the teen market.

Students explore the history of planetariums and the features of the Hayden Planetarium as a springboard to planning, developing and displaying their own planetarium exhibits.

Students connect a scene from a play they are reading to events in their own lives. Working in male/female pairs, students act out a scene from "Hamlet." Pairs work to role play a scene as an extension of the one they have read, using...

Students create a piece of original fiction utilizing flashbacks. Students define and identify the use of flashbacks in the novel Holes. Definitions and examples are recorded in student journals. They use their examples as springboard...

Students take photographs of themselves, animals, and objects and used these photos as springboards for writing stories, plays, photo captions, comic strips, ads for products, and greeting card messages.

Fifth graders create a fairy tale story with emphasis on castles. After reading various texts featuring castles and their residents, 5th graders complete a book report project. The book report serves as a springboard to the writing...

Here are two great lessons that work together and are inspired by the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. Young writers and actors will retell the story of "The Frog Prince" through games, improvisational script writing, and...

Coming up on the Olympics? Be sure your middle schoolers understand the dynamic and ancient history of this global tradition. They begin by recalling traditions parents have passed down, considering their relevance and ways they might be...

Where did the Olympic Summer Games originate? The class takes a look at ancient origins of modern Olympic games. They research the Olympics and write a compare and contrast essay that describes how the Olympic Games have changed since...

Students create Inspiration webs using graphics or photographs that depict high and low points in their lives. This technology-based Language Arts activity for the upper-elementary or middle-level classroom is excellent for improving...

Students explore the different aspects of Korean culture. For this geography lesson, students prepare different Korean dishes in the classroom. They create a visual display of things they learned about Korean culture.

Read Dangerous Minds with your language learning disabled pupils to identify characteristics and connect to literature. This is a specific activity intended for use with the suggested book. The class uses a character map  as a way...

Fun is in the air as learners with special needs engage in sensory-filled activities. They discuss color, snow, cold, winter, and body parts while touching and smelling various objects. They discuss the parts of the body with relation to...