Here is a lesson designed for pre-schoolers and kindergartners that will pique their imaginations. They study images of a very interesting ceremonial hat from China's past called a Summer Official's Hat. These hats were worn by people of...

Should researchers be able to excavate, examine, and remove Native American artifacts from historic sites? Should companies be permitted to build on sacred Native American land? After watching West of the West's documentary, The Lone...

Make a prototype of a game based on cell biology. Researching game design and working in groups to create a game will activate knowledge of cell biology. The review task will help students learning as they test out the games and their...

A lesson on classification and sorting is here for you. Elementary schoolers participate in an interactive computer game in which they sort books by theme. They take a trip to the library to observe and discuss how books are sorted, and...

Pupils build rock sculptures, In this hands-on art lesson plan, students pile rocks into unique formations to create rock sculptures.

Middle school meteorologists get acquainted with basic weather instruments: the thermometer, barometer, psychrometer, and anemometer. For each, the question is asked, "Do you think you can make a _______________?" At these points, you...

Build creative writing skills through a project centered around a street name. Young writers start by creating a unique street name and brainstorming what life might be like on that street before writing a descriptive piece about this...

Learners design informational materials to educate people on the importance of matching a new pet to the family's lifestyle and living arrangements. Students use critical thinking skills to make a decision on the appropriate choice for a...

Students think about the characteristics of a hero so they can later evaluate which historical figures on the heroes chart meet the criteria.

Get kids re-oriented to the computer lab for back-to-school. The constructivist approach in this session allows children to exert ownership of their behavior in the computer lab. Read aloud a few books about good and poor manners, as...

First graders build a habitat for crickets after studying animal survival needs. They care for and observe the crickets in the classroom habitat.

Young scholars review what a cylinder is and how a cylinder is measured. They build a variety of cylinders with different heights and radii. They compare the surface area and volume of each cylinder and discuss anything that surprises...

Finding approximate solutions to word problems allows users to assess the reasonableness of their answers. In a well-paced lesson, the class rounds numbers to estimate the solutions. They explain their thinking and determine if the...

Upper elementary and middle schoolers explore the properties of various polygons. They use video, resource links, and engage in hands-on activities in order to construct geometric nets. This fine plan should lead to increased...

Students study the physical properties of the Moon.  In this life on the moon lesson plan students describe the ways life on the Moon would be different than on Earth. 

Ever heard of the battle to save the Derby Bus Station? Built in 1933 by Charles Herbert Aslin, its art deco design was unique and The Beatles once dined at the café. The station closed in October 2005 and was scheduled for demolition...

Create and investigate nets for solid shapes with your class. They identify the different parts and faces of each polygon and solid then calculate the surface area and volume of cones. They use circle sectors of varying sizes to build...

Inspire thought around some of the themes of Pudd'nhead Wilson with a visualization activity. As you read a passage, learners close their eyes and picture the scene. A writing exercise and discussion follow.

Learning how numbers are put together as parts and wholes is a big step in building the foundational number sense of young mathematicians. Here, children are given a number less than 10 and are asked to find as many pairs of numbers as...

Young statisticians are introduced to box plots and quartiles. They use an activity and discussion with supplemental exercises to help them explore how data can be graphically represented.

Fourth graders create their own story problem from an idea list and solve it. They draw a picture to help in solving their problem. Students build a diorama to illustrate their story problem. They work in class to solve story problems...

Singing is a great way to build memory, music, and verbal communication skills. Little ones sing the song, "Old Mac Donald had a Farm." They make the sounds of each animal on the farm paying attention to signaling cues, singing high, and...

Using their readers, learners answer questions, compose sentences, fill in the blanks, and compare two stories. Each activity is intended to build high frequency vocabulary and spelling proficiency, and is scheduled for a different day...

Investigate word roots and build vocabulary with this online resource. Using a word bank, information about Latin roots, and a definition, learners fill in the missing letters in each word. This activity prompts pupils to think about the...