Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...

How is the Earth's weather created? Middle schoolers will explain how the Sun's energy is transformed into different forms. They will perform mathematical calculations of volume, mass, and temperature. They they will explain the...

Forget your ID number? Your pupils learn to use logarithms to determine the number of digits or characters necessary to create individual ID numbers for all members of a group. 

Using a helpful resource, pupils watch a TED Talk of an opinion speech as they consider the criteria for a high-quality introduction. Scholars then engage in a shared writing process with the teacher to practice writing the introduction...

Enjoy the view. Scholars continue viewing a video of an opinion speech, this time identifying the supporting evidence the speaker employs. After watching, they work in small groups on their shared writing projects, crafting a body...

Learning is never-ending. Scholars learn about effective conclusions as they continue watching a video of an opinion speech. After analyzing the speech's conclusion, they work in small groups to write an ending for their own speeches. 

Do I stand or do I sit? The class plays a dice game where they must decide to either continue to stand and play or sit down and keep their points. After the game, groups discuss individuals' strategies and see connections to the...

Young scholars discuss information relating to Illinois geology. They examine top mineral resources in Illinois to find detailed information about geodes and where they can be found. Students complete geode lab to explore external...

Fourth graders discuss the different interactions of plates and the ways mountains are created.  In this plate tectonics lesson students complete an activity in groups.

First graders study ways in which the earth changes due to erosion and weathering in this series of lessons.

Learners explore the layers of the Earth using a Snicker's bar. In this science lesson, students identify the parts of the Snicker's bar and identify which layer of the Earth the parts of the candy bar would represent. Learners discuss...

Students represent volcanoes with models and sketches. They research volcanoes and plan how to build a model. They, in groups, build a model volcano and cause it to erupt making observations before and after the eruption.

After reading an article, "Cameras Capture a 5-Second Fireball and Its Meteorite's Secrets," space science superstars use the  triangulation method to determine the location of a distant object. In-class activities and homework are...

Learners use eyewitness accounts to gather and evaluate information about the events of the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens. They play the following roles: reporter(s), eyewitnesses, and scientists who are investigating the...

Students conduct Internet research on Mexican volcanoes. They explore various websites, complete a website worksheet, answer questions in Spanish, and create a timeline of a volcano's eruptions.

Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...

Sixth graders measure distances on a map using string and a ruler. They complete mathematical word problems about measurement.

Students examine the rock cycle and how rocks can change over time.  In this geotechnical engineering lesson students draw a diagram of the rock cycle.

Students read and discuss waves and their wavelengths and amplitudes. In this waves lesson plan, students draw the wavelength and amplitude of a wave and discuss tsunamis and storms.

Students investigate the environment by designing a group project.  In this ecology instructional activity, students identify the man made threats to the Amazon while reading environmentally conscience vocabulary terms. ...

Students explore the concept of probability. For this probability lesson, students develop an understanding of probability by pulling marbles out of a bag and recording the data. Students use the recording sheet to discuss the results of...

First of three lessons, this is a great start to a unit on energy. As you demonstrate, learners discover different types of energy and how it is converted from one form to another. They then focus in on the generation of electricity by...

In this second of three lessons on power plants, future engineers find out how we generate electricity and how coal-powered plants operate. They work in small groups to make electromagnet generators to light LED bulbs. A set of...

Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Find out what drives a turbine to generate electricity and whether or not it has an impact on the environment. A discussion and lecture is divided by a hands-on activity in...