Compelling discussions are the result of open-ended, challenging questions. An introduction to Paideia discussions includes explicit directions about how to prepare readers and how to model the kinds of questions they should develop...

Build upon linear functions to learn about quadratics. The instructional activity introduces the concept of zeros for quadratic functions and makes the connection to the linear factors of the function. It presents quadratics in both...

Middle schoolers examine the process of designing a book and identify the steps necessary to publish a book. In small groups they analyze ABC books, and discuss the similarities and differences between the books. Students then brainstorm...

Students assume the role of an engineer or planner. As an engineer or planner they must come up with ideas that can be put into place to control floods. They produce a working model of flood control.

Students practice with business letters. They identify main ideas and supporting details.

Students create replicas of Chinese hanging scrolls in an attempt to understand the technology behind the creation and use of paper in Ancient China. This three-day lesson includes enrichment ideas.

Young scholars explore environmental protection by creating a presentation in class. In this Chesapeake Bay lesson, students discuss the current threats from human beings towards the delicate balance of life near the bay. Young scholars...

Speaking of the Internet. The culminating lesson plan for the unit on the Internet challenges pupils to prepare short, two-minute speeches on an issue facing society. The pupils chose from three topics that connect the Internet...

Magnetic resonance imaging, just how safe is it? The introduction to unit study of magnetic resonance imaging technology presents the grand challenge questions of how an MRI machine works, the risks involved, the physics involved,...

Celebrate April's National Poetry Month or enrich a poetry unit with a wealth of language arts material. Class members develop an oral interpretation of a poem and/or develop a podcast interview with a poet. 

Students explore effective citizenship. They describe the skills, attitudes, and actions of a good citizen. In groups, students brainstorm ideas for effective citizenship. Each group shares their ideas for what they consider to be a...

Eleventh graders will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding Key Idea: As listeners and readers, 11th graders will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations. As...

Over a period of 35 years, earthquakes and volcanoes combined only accounted for 1.5 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in the United States. The 15th lesson in a 20-part series connects the locations of earthquakes and...

Students work in groups to share their lists of A-B-C ideas they came up with from the previous activity. They review page layouts taught during activity two. Students complete a rough draft of their page. They create a colored...

Learners study the growth of the Phoenix area using geographic images, maps, tables, and graphs. They study the idea of community.

Student discover some of the ideas and concepts that make up the topic of Ecology. They read and interpret graphs to assimilate the information that is displayed. They discover the rate of increase of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...

What would the world be like if each person acted with greater cultural awareness and understanding? Learners consider the impact of cultural diffusion, as well as how global leaders can address some of today's pressing...

An Algebra II lesson draws the connection between the exponential function and its inverse. By graphing an exponential function and using tables and a calculator, students graph the logarithmic function. The plan comes with a...

What does size have to do with it? Learners analyze different mixtures, both homogeneous and heterogeneous, to discover the properties related to the size of their particles. The activity connects these properties to those of...

Students review techniques on how to read a passage smoothly making the words connect, and with expression. They then read the instruction to the chapter in their science book and answer questions that are written on the board. They...

Students learn the importance of communication especially when it comes to animals. Students are shown video clips of a dog displaying unwanted behavior. Students participate in a class brainstorm where they list ideas of how people...

Activate middle schoolers' minds with this physical science activity. Learners vary the diameter of gears and the number of teeth on them to find how energy output is affected. This writeup features well-developed background...

Count the connections between dots. Young mathematicians come up with a method to determine the number of connections between pairs of dots. The assessment leads the class to determine the connections they can make when groups are...

Students examine Jacques-Louis David's Telemachus and Eucharis and Dorothea Lange's photograph of a migrant mother and consider how artists communicate ideas across time. They look closely at, and think creatively about artworks.