Students participate in a physical education activity, Mission Possible, where they attempt to steal a jug of jewels. They must successfully overcome five challenge areas to complete the activity. Students develop cooperative...

Learners time each other as they read as many high-frequency words as possible in one minute. Peers record progress.

Good consumer practices such as price comparison can make or break a budget. Youngsters research five different cell phone carriers and the plans they offer. They compile their data and determine which plan offers the best value. They...

Peers take turns timing each other for one minute and reading as many high-frequency cards as possible.

Take any number, multiply it by five, and then divide by five. Did you end up with the original number? In the same vein as the previous lesson plan, pupils discover the relationship between multiplication and division. They develop the...

Scholars time each other as they work through a sheet of all 26 letters. They test each other to see how many letters sounds they can identify in one minute.

Using a set of high-frequency word flashcards, partners time each other to see how many words they can read in one minute. They place correctly read words in a yes pile and incorrectly in a no pile. Once a minute is up, partners count...

See how changes in initial populations and parameters affect a biological community. Individuals use a special software program to simulate a desert community with five species. They adjust initial populations to see how the community...

A simple activity goes a long way in demonstrating the property of porosity to your rock hounds. They will mass a specimen of dry sandstone and then soak it in a pre-measured amount of water. After seven minutes, they once again measure...

What a great beginning-of-the-year activity! Get your class to identify their values through a three-page worksheet (included). Each speaker will craft a two-minute description that includes their story and how they can help their...

Whatever floats your boat—with some additional weight. The first activity in a five-part series challenges pupils to design a boat to hold pennies. Using the design process, learners design, build, and test their boats, making sure they...

When it comes to the education of children with special needs, it's vital for there to be regular and open communication between all parties involved. This agenda nicely outlines key topics to discuss in weekly meetings...

If forced to move and give away almost everything you own, what five non-essential things would you take with you?  Prior to reading about Mrs. Bentley in chapter 15 of Dandelion Wine, individuals are asked to respond to this...

Potentially get all the way across the water. The fourth of five design challenges asks pupils to develop a plan for a paddle-powered boat that will store its energy. Given a limited number of supplies, the class members design, build,...

Learning to be a savvy shopper can make or break the bank. Upper graders research five different cell phone carriers to see if they'll have enough money in their imaginary budget for a dream phone or a basic phone. They create either a...

Learners work in a cooperative groups to create a free standing tower of straws and pins in ten minutes. They watch a video of the cooperative groups working, discuss the process and list the things they could do to improve the cooperation.

Middle schoolers summarize a one to two page article of informational text. They compose a summary according to the guidelines on the "Five Rules for Writing a Summary" chart. They take turns reading their summary to the group, and...

Be shore to use this drifter resource. The third installment of a five-part series has learners using the NOAA's Adopt-a-Drifter website to track to movement of a drifter (buoy) in the ocean. Graphing the collected data on a map allows...

Class members solve problems to find the whole when given a percent. They  use double line numbers and factors of hundred to help break the 100 percent into equal segments. 

Students work in groups to prepare a brief broadcast or print news report from one of five possible viewpoints about an environmental contamination scenario. Students are given basic information about a chemical spill in a small town and...

Young scholars, after researching the internet for information about native bird species, create an informational banner. They follow all the directions from their copy of "Bird Banner Guidelines" and complete this task in groups of four...

Learners view a slide show featuring famous athletes and educational institutions that have played a part in the history of basketball. They participate in a game in which a basketball is tossed from person to person as facts and...

Five individuals in the class are "infected" with cholera! The rest of the class serves as investigators to discover the source of the outbreak. They test drinking fountains around campus for contamination. You, of course, will secretly...

Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...