Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...

How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson of a...

Study the chemistry of mining! Through nine lessons in the unit, learners explore different concepts related to mining. Their study ranges from rock and mineral analysis to the environmental impact of dynamite and the chemical reaction...

Exponent properties can be complicated for learners. A creative lesson seeks to simplify the concept and build a solid understanding. Young mathematicians have the opportunity to create numerous expressions and analyze the simplified...

To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...

North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...

Tootsie rolls as a teaching aid? Absolutely. Demonstrate to young athletes the importance of warmups and stretching  with an activity that asks them to try and stretch a piece of cold taffy. Class members hold the taffy in their...

Your learners combine their knowledge of real and imaginary numbers and matrices in an activity containing thirty lessons, two assessments (mid-module and end module), and their corresponding rubrics. Centered on complex numbers and...

Future engineers create robotic arms like those on rovers built by NASA in the second instructional activity of the series. They test their devices by attempting to pick up and move cups to a specified location.

Students view artwork and navigate the Internet, and read books to learn about the Aurora Borealis.  In this Northern Lights lesson plan, students complete a KWL and separate the facts from the myths about the Northern lights....

Discover the pattern of exponents through an interactive lesson. Young mathematicians manipulate sliders and watch the result as they change the base or exponents in an expression. The tutorial shows them the simplified expression and...

There are architectural parabolas all around us! A creative lesson analyzes the architecture of a parabolic bridge. Learners must manipulate the bridge to satisfy given criteria and then answer questions about the dimensions of the...

How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...

Here is really nice set of resources on scientific notation. Eighth and ninth graders explore the concept of multiplying and dividing in scientific notation. For this multiplying and dividing numbers in scientific notation...

Shuffle 'em up and deal! Learners practice operations with polynomials using cards they pass around the room. The activity works with pairs or individuals, so it offers great flexibility. This is the fifth installment in a series of 42...

Boost observational skills with an inquiry-based lesson that takes scholars on a virtual field trip. With help from webcams, learners observe animals in a zoo or aquarium. Observations go into a journal and a discussion is held to review...

It's a snow day, and two brothers attending schools with different schedules each got a late start to the day. But who had the shorter school day? That's what your class will find out as they apply their knowledge of fractions to this...

How do greenhouse gases impact temperature? Have your classes use the interactive software to explore different concentrations of greenhouse gases and their effect on climate. Learners can recreate different atmospheric concentrations...

Should a criminal's punishment match the crime? An argumentative writing plan explores this question as class members investigate a variety of mixed-medium sources by experts in the field, form evidence-based claims, and support them...

Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...

Young scholars explore the concept of cell phone plans. In this cell phone plan instructional activity, students research the cost of cell phones. Young scholars compare various cell phone plans and decide on which phone plan is best for...

Here is a packet of lessons which are designed to help you to foster your pupils' creativity. The lessons are designed to develop their fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration on ideas. The are built around field trips to a...

Help young researchers find credible sources online. Modeling with a Google search for information about Shakespeare’s Macbeth, use a computer projector or Smart Board to show class members how weak the top three search results are....

Merge technology and wellness. Class members complete inquiry-based research on a personal wellness issue and create an annotated bibliography, uploading their completed work to their personal wellness websites. Prior to beginning, your...