What is a caucus? Why is Iowa's first? Why did Iowa shift to the caucus format? After researching these basic questions, class members debate the question of whether or not Iowa should maintain its "first in the nation" status for caucuses.

Students research Herbert Hoover's life and how he became known as a "Great Humanitarian." Students use images and historic places in their research.

Participate in three activities that look at the earth's limited water supply and the changes water goes through as it enters each phase of the water cycle. The resource is complete with three activities that demonstrate the changing...

What kind of impact do humans have on watersheds? Find out in a lesson plan that defines, explores, and promotes ways to protect our watersheds. The ultimate goal of the lesson plan is for learners to discover how a watershed is impacted...

Learn more about genetic modification, organic farming, and the role of biotechnology in agriculture by watching a documentary that shows how newly gained knowledge can be applied to specific situations involving farmers and the choices...

Students explore a career in journalism while using various forms of technology; such as, distance learning via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and the Internet. They have the opportunity to create a final project that is based...

As a class, scholars read the poems, Humpty Dumpty, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, and Jack and Jill, in order to identify words with the same ending sound. Using their rhyming skills, learners brainstorm additional words...

Scholars work collaboratively to compose a found poem from one of their favorite stories. With a finished product in hand, class members form a circle and perform their work for an audience by taking turns reciting one line till the poem...

Everyone deserves to read a great book! Here, pupils write a persuasive letter to the school's librarian detailing their favorite story and why it should be found on the shelves. Class members' persuasive reading passages are shared with...

Here, young historians compare their early lives to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s. They listen to a read aloud of a story by Dr. King's sister, and then write in the provided reflective journal template. Lastly, they share their...

Over the course of five periods, scholars create a poetry portfolio. They begin with a reading of the poem, Firefly. With a focus on vocabulary, learners reread the poem then look for sight words and other skills. 

Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...

I Have A Dream ... that after the lesson, all individuals master the reading, writing, researching, listening, and speaking skills the biography project helps them develop. Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a topic example for a model...

Students participate in class discussion to investigate how media affects the ideas of Americans (specifically in politics) and then research events in political history to analyze how the media may have influenced the government's...

How was Edgar Allan Poe able to create "intriguing, memorable, and lasting literature"? To answer this question, learners analyze the syntax, diction, and characterizations in Poe's poems and short stories and compare the impact of these...

Students analyze Article 1 of the Constitution. They respond to the Public Criticism E-Learning module.

Students identify three or more ways the Federal Government impacts their daily lives and then explore ways in which citizens can influence political leaders.

Young scholars conduct scientific investigation in which they observe glacial effects on landscape, develop and explain their own theories of how glaciers change land, and demonstrate understanding and explain basic motion and force...

Students are able to list the types of household waste that they produce daily. They are able to describe some other types of waste that are produced by industry or agriculture to help maintain their lifestyles. Students are able to...

Students are assigned to bring five flowers. They explore flowers to distinguish different physical features of flowers. They compare and contrast different flowers to determine what features they have in common. Students develop an...

Students study the difference between innate and learned behaviors. They observe the adaptations and behaviors of mammals in this series of lessons.

Fourth graders participate in activities to examine how simple machines help build things. They identify the six types of simple machines. They discover how simple machines where use historically to build pyramids and how they are still...

Twelfth graders study the relationships of the 3 variables in Newton's Second Law. They design an experiment to test the relationships among the variables. Students work cooperatively with members of a team. They also analyze data to...

Students demonstrate how to participate in a cooperative group. In this philanthropy lesson, students create drawings by working together as a group and contributing their thoughts and feelings.