This isn't the boomerang you're used to. Scholars first see how a commercial boomerang works. They then cut out a four-wing boomerang and test its flight to compare it to that of the commercial boomerang.

Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....

Do you know the name for the biological study of interactions? A short presentation with accompanying worksheet introduces individuals to ecology. The materials offer a broad overview of the subject and the levels of organization to...

Use whatever material floats your boat. Working in groups, scholars decide on a type of metal and a type of coating to use for building a boat. They test their creations by leaving their boats in a pool of water for several days before...

Fire away! Using a couple of milk jugs, a dowel rod, and a yardstick, individuals build catapults to throw water balloons. Learners notice that the catapult is a simple machine. By making a target, the class has a chance to refine their...

Using the collaborative resource, learners view a PowerPoint about teamwork, taking notes and discussing what makes an effective leader. They then engage in a fun activity to see which group can build the tallest structure using...

Let's build a dream house! By examining promotional materials and photographs of early suburban developments, scholars consider what led to the development of this particular American dream. The resource includes case studies of three...

Forgot how to multiply matrices? Well, this app can help. It is like a gigantic, well-organized reference card for all things math. Customize your personal reference material by adding your own notes and build up a personalized list of...

Lead your class into watercolor with a well-sequenced plan. Pupils learn about famous watercolorists Winslow Homer and Georgia O'Keeffe and take notes on a presentation about these artists and watercolor techniques. After a teacher...

Explore self and social construction with a hands-on art project. After studying and discussing bullying and other social experiences, individuals create three paper dolls that represent specific social constructions. Included here is a...

If you need some creative ways to teach the order of operations, use a series of activities that focus on properties. Each instructional activity uses different materials and works as a stand-alone activity, or can build upon the...

The snake goes sssss and the plane goes nnnnn! Practice letters and their sounds with a collection of activities. For each letter, kids get to color, practice the sound, and practice writing the letter. This is group one. See the...

An engaging resource provides many primary source materials to inform a study of the Women's Suffrage Movement. Suggestions include building a timeline of the fight, using the documents as the basis of a DBQ, and/or using a Venn...

Let the energy blow. Using mostly easily found material such as PVC pipe and fans, pupils build wind turbines. Scholars connect a multimeter to an electric motor to determine the amount of energy generated by their designs. Learners then...

Bundle up to stay warm! A fun-filled investigation opens with a group discussion about heat loss and using materials to prevent it. Young scientists then view an animation about thermometers and the Celsius scale and practice reading...

Since you can't go to the comet, bring the comet to you. Young scientists build models of comets using everyday materials and then participate in a simulation of the interaction between the comet and other bodies in the solar system....

Bring the excitement of genetics to scholars with a dynamic hands-on meiosis modeling experience. During the activity, biologists follow step-by-step procedures to build chromosomes, model independent assortment, learn about crossing...

Driving a Mars rover is a challenging task. Learners play a board game that simulates the decisions scientists and engineers make while controlling the rover. Their task involves building a command sequence to get from point A to point B...

Bring the science of space exploration to the classroom. Young learners explore the mechanics of the parachute-landing mechanisms on the Mars Rover. They design and build their own parachute models and test their ability to land a probe...

Two activities work with a fiction and nonfiction book about robots‚—Robot Dreams by Sara Varon and Robot by Roger Bridgman. Scholars read each story, then build a robot out of found objects, examine robot sensors, and search for...

Sometimes what you get is far more than what you first see. The third routine in the Building Community series asks participants to engage in a See, Think, Wonder strategy. Small groups analyze a projected image, infer what is happening,...

Middle schoolers learn what respect means to them and their classmates with the opening exercise in a series of confidence-building lessons. Participants list people they respect and why they respect them. They generate a definition,...

Money? Beauty? Education? The final lesson in the Confidence Building module encourages middle schoolers to consider the power they have to determine the course of their lives. After investigating different forms of power, participants...

Groups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...