Some data just doesn't follow a straight path. Learners use line graphs to represent data that changes over time. They use the graphs to analyze the data and make conclusions.

Middle schoolers research the importance of jump ropes in sports. Students team up with a partner to time their jump roping and heart rates. Middle schoolers preform various skills using the jump rope.

Think you can solve the energy problem? You'll first need to know about current energy use. Analyzing a set of circle graphs lets scholars see where energy consumption is the greatest, both by sector and by household use. They develop a...

Learners time each other as they read as many rime words as possible.

Challenge your class to hold a discussion about the theme of death in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead without direct teacher guidance. After going over the discussion protocols and quotes from the text, learners move in a circle...

After reading through Act II of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, take some time to discuss the references to death in the play. For this fishbowl discussion, learners prepare questions, practice answering individually and with...

Young explorers may not be able to travel the Silk Road but they can listen to music that was played on instruments of the time and create their own songs with the help of an interesting interactive resource. 

Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.

Listen to the book Madeline, and identify rhyming words with learners as they hear them in the book. Learners will engage in a class discussion about rhyming words. After listening to Madeline, they will circle pictures of words that...

Readers answer eight who, what, when, why, and where questions as they read this New York Times article. They peruse the article to learn about Chris Christie and the 2012 presidential race. Next, they answer the related comprehension...

Who is Salman Khan? That is the first question learners will answer after reading a New York Times article about the online math and science educator. They'll read the article and respond to eight questions that ask, who, what, when,...

More than anything, this is great practice in scientific inquiry. After discovering that the color coating of an M&M® dissolves in water during a preceding activity, investigators now question whether or not the color makes a...

A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects...

How many times did it take Thomas Edison to invent a successful working lightbulb? Young learners read a short passage about this famous inventor and his determination in getting an idea to work successfully. Then, pupils respond to four...

Young scientists discuss the results of carelessness during experimentation and the temptation to misrepresent findings. These activities are intended to develop the ability to identify scientific error, misconduct, and fraud. Use this...

Students find the area of three figure by the traditional formulaic methods. Then they count the number of grid squares to double check. They show an intuitive sense of Pick's Algorithm by counting every two boundary squares as one unit....

Learners complete a 3-5 week unit related to the novel "Name Me Nobody." They participate in a literature circle, read and discuss stories provided by the Safe Schools Coalition, complete a Character/Problem-Solution chart, create a...

Kids love songs! Listen to "La tortuga taruga" to interest the class. Then, read about animals. Finally, play a fun game! All learners gather in a circle, and music plays while pictures are passed around. When the music stops, each...

Chopin was a lovely composer who played the piano masterfully. Third graders are introduced to Chopin, his piano sounds, triple meter, music patterns, movement, and the waltz. They listen to his music while hearing the story Butterflies...

Literature circles can be so enjoyable and enlightening, but it's tough to make it around to each group in a short amount of time. This lesson suggests that each group records their discussion, and a different reading strategy is used...

Have you ever conducted a Web search and received too many hits? Teach your class about Boolean search terms and provide them time to practice conducting efficient online searches. This lesson plan contains several fun activities which...

How many words can you find? Use this word search towards the end of the unit to reinforce the new vocabulary words. Consider making it a game and timing it to see who can locate the words first.

Here is a fine lesson on reading and understanding expository text designed for 4th graders. With a partner, learners read a passage of text about a machine called a wheelright. This machine was commonly used in the colonial...

Get ready for a musical story time! First your young musicians review musical dynamics as they listen to and discuss the pitch and sound of each instrument you play for them. Then they talk about special words (mostly verbs) in the book,...