Forty percent of food in the US goes uneaten while 14.5 percent of US households lack a secure supply of food. As part of the preparation for a performance task assessment, groups consider statistics such as these about food waste and...

Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...

Groups discover physics as they take an assigned scenario, perform research about different aspects of the subject matter, and present their findings to the class. From the presentations, learners must develop and support a point of view...

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,...

Students design informational materials to educate people on the importance of matching a new pet to the family's lifestyle and living arrangements. Students use critical thinking skills to make a decision on the appropriate choice for a...

Seventh graders conduct a web quest to find information on types of energy found in US. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders investigate the environmental consequences of using these resources. They develop a creative presentation...

A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...

Students read and discuss articles relating to the theme "How should we deal with the growth of towns and human populations into wilderness areas?" Based on the class brainstorm, each student generates a research topic. They are grouped...

Seventh graders use the Internet to gather information about a disease. They also discuss in groups how diseases are a worldwide problem and brainstorm ideas they can help. They create an informational packet on the disease they researched.

Students research the genetically-engineered GloFish and write essays expressing their views about the subject. They evaluate the pros and cons of genetic engineering.Students may also hold a debate about genetic engineering.

Students, in teams, generate and research questions about Canada's receding glaciers. They then hold a 'press conference' in which each team provides answers for questions in their area of research. Finally, they pool their information...

Students research and find information on air pollution. In this air pollution lesson plan, students answer short answer questions about air pollution. 

Eighth graders discover their own ecological footprint and create a plan for reducing this figure. They extend this to the school and community to see how they are doing on this scale. They discuss the concept of the ecological...

Middle schoolers research endangered species and create and publish books to present their findings. Designed to use Inspiration software, this resource could be adapted if you don't have access to the program. Contains handy website...

Students discuss turtles. They read books about turtles, make turtle puppets, research turtles on the Internet and then create a turtle fact booklet.

Students are able to become more informed about the dangers of water contamination by sharing their prior knowledge with each other. They discover the importance of communicating these dangers to the public.

Students attend a field trip. Upon their return to the classroom, students write unanswered questions related to the field trip. Using the internet and other resources, students find answers to their questions. They write their...