Uncover the basics of DNA structure through exploration activities. Collaborative groups build DNA models and recreate the process of replication. Then, using plant cells such as peas or strawberries, they extract a DNA sample.

Transform lizards onto different locations. The interactive provides a diagram of a lizard and several locations. Pupils use their knowledge of transformations to move the lizard to the different locations and use the tools of GeoGebra...

Working in groups, learners practice using gerunds as subjects by talking to one another. Then, independently, they write sentences using a subject, a verb, and a subject complement from a given list of each and in their own words. They...

Which travels faster, light or sound? Scholars work in groups to simulate the ability for waves to travel through solids, liquids, gases, and through a vacuum. Then, they learn about the properties of a mystery wave and must determine...

Darwin explained the connection between species of finches 150 years before scientists understood DNA. Technology and progressing science proved he was right, yet many struggle to understand how natural selection happens. Scholars use...

Before there can be peace, we have to understand conflict. Introduce the concept of conflict through a two-part activity that combines discussion, collaboration, and writing. The first in a 15-part series examines the multiple meanings...

Teens of the world, unite! Take your class or club on a multicultural journey through the relationship between cultural values and teen leadership skills. Groups work together to learn about one another's cultures while examining the...

Can posting art or music online lead to the career of your dreams? Inquisitive individuals consider their social media presence with a lesson from a series focusing on identity exploration and digital citizenship. Pairs put their heads...

How can visual aids enhance understanding of a complex topic? With the third of four lessons from the Introduction to the Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) set, scholars view illustrations online from the book We Are All Born Free and...

How do you know if your pupils have a deep understanding of proportional relationships? Assessment is key! A helpful series starts with questions on proportional relationships modeled after the Smarter Balanced Assessment items....

A picture is worth a thousand words, but political art may be worth even more! After examining examples of political cartoons, murals, and other forms of public art, class members create their own pieces to reflect their ideals and...

Aliens have taken over the United States! Citizens can only keep two rights laid out in the first 10 amendments of the Constitution and must figure out which ones are best. Young scholars research the importance of each amendment and key...

When it comes to teamwork, it's best not to drop the ball. Pupils stand in a circle, tossing around a ball of yarn to one another to create a web. Next, they use teamwork skills to keep a soccer ball from falling off the web before...

Let's make a deal! Drawing on work in previous unit lessons, young scholars negotiate favorable trade treaties with other nations during the early Modern Empire Era. Their work relies on previously completed activities, as well as...

Extra, extra, learn all about it! Students view posters, brochures, and other resources to discover the extracurricular activities offered in the school and community. They also write a self-reflection sharing their knowledge about the...

Reclaim forgotten philosophers of the twentieth century. Feminist philosophers have shaped our current concepts of politics and gender, but they are seldom mentioned in the classroom. Change that omission with a lesson plan that includes...

Uncover the fascinating world of vaccines in a multifaceted activity. Investigators explore community perception and the science of vaccines with eight tasks. Scientists continue their studies by giving and reviewing surveys, analyzing...

Go green! Scholars survey their classmates to determine how green they are and then write a report to summarize their findings. Finally, pupils agree on five changes they can make in their lives to help the environment. 

How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...

The second lesson in a historical fiction series encourages pupils to develop a character profile of a colonial person using research acquired in the previous unit. Learners prepare their historical fiction narrative by responding to a...

High schoolers apply sophisticated research skills to an inquiry-based project connected to Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation. Working from the prior unit and the model areas of investigation, including animal intelligence,...

Putting a rectangular object into a circular one—didn't the astronauts on Apollo 13 have to do something like this? Learners first construct the center of a circle using perpendiculars. They then discover how to inscribe a rectangle in a...

Looking for higher-level thinking questions? This assessment provides questions that challenge young mathematicians to think and analyze rather than simply memorize. Topics include piecewise functions, linear modeling, exponential...

Breaking the rules is one thing, proving it is another! Learners expand on their previous understanding of congruence and apply a mathematical definition to transformations. They perform and identify a sequence of transformations and use...