Fifth graders discuss the currents conditions on the planet of Mars. In groups, they work together to develop a mechanism that allows for a balanced ecosystem to survive on the planet. After presenting their ideas to the class, they...

Students create a storybook using vocabulary from the topic "urban and rural life". They write about past events in a children's story. They present their story to the class at an author's tea.

Students examine all sides of the issues surrounding wildland fire. Groups assume the roles of different people who must decide what to do about a fictitious wildfire. They have a discussion to analyze the issue. A good, real life lesson!

Students analyze the different ways that photography helps historians understand the lives of people who lived in the past. They examine images from Russell Lee's photo essay and discuss how Texas' has changed from an agrarian to an...

Fourth graders explore folktales and legends to investigate the life and culture of the Haudenosaunee Indians. The stories and food of the six Nations are experienced as the lesson proceeds.

Eighth graders study hidden environmental costs in things we buy.  In this consumerism lesson plan students watch a video about consumerism and analyze advertisements in teen magazines. 

Students investigate how fish use their sense of smell. For this scientific method lesson, students design and perform an experiment to investigate how fish use their sense of smell. This lesson includes statistical analysis and...

Can a sidewalk increase the amount of pollution in local streams? Scholars learn the answer to this question though research and experimentation in the fifth unit in the six-part series. Pupils study runoff, impervious surfaces, and the...

Brian was devastated when Hostess® filed for bankruptcy, and he was also fearful that his favorite snack treat would be lost forever. The snack food was in danger of being lost, your class won't be lost when using Twinkies® as the...

Students discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the plant and...

Emerging scientists research weather-related vocabulary terms, and map out where wildfires are most likely to occur. To bring this lesson to life, you could demonstrate what happens to a fire when you cool or remove the fuel, or cut off...

While the lesson is lacking in procedure, it does provide a wealth of information on artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Information on his life, art, and inspirations can provide you with insights into creating learning activities that convey...

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...

Bring the drama of history to life in your class and give your learners the opportunity to illustrate their understanding of a historical situation through the medium of a dialogue and/or play. Your young historians will consider a...

Ninth graders explore the culture of the neighborhood.  In this Social Studies lesson, 9th graders examine the different development sites in their community.  Students research the zoning regulations. 

Ninth graders brainstorm the economic and social functions of a family. In groups, they research the roles of each member of a family in the past and compare it with their family today. In groups, they develop criteria for what the...

The final lesson in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen in the future...

Students determine how suburbs changed America. In this post World War II instructional activity, students complete research projects that require them to examine the growth of suburbs in the 1950's and 1960's. Students reveal how...

Students describe the impact of population growth on the environment. They describe how cities affect their surrounding environment and explain how cities are handling growth and its resulting effect on the quality of life. They visit...

High schoolers explore activities that might some day bring "justice for all" to their communities. They assess how justice is a day-to-day, life or death matter that faces their communities. Interviews are conducted to explain how...

Students explore what it means to solve problems and communicate in real life situations. They recognize math in a variety of real life materials. Also, they determine what procedures they use to solve a problem and what areas of math...

Young scholars study immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Each student create an identity of an immigrant and write an essay in the first person. Essays describe what they found when they arrived in New York City.

Students examine children's rights and how laws can affect their education and daily life. Through the investigation of various cases, they assess how the best interests of children are either upheld or ignored and how the Constitution...

Young scholars read the novel "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. In groups, they use the text to identify and describe family relationships in the book. Using this information, they compare and contrast how these relationships are...