Engineer an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to study concepts of physics. Using household materials, collaborative groups design and build an AUV and then test Newton's Laws of Motion as they apply them in underwater environments...

In an ideal world, sentences in a college-level essay should feature a variety of sentence types. In reality, most papers stick to simple and compound sentences, two of the types a handout on sentence patterns discusses. Part of a larger...

When it comes to comparing and contrasting in an essay, looking at a chart and picking a random transition word may not do the trick. As explained in an informational writing handout, the words writers use to move from one idea to...

Being able to recognize patterns, craft generalizations, and draw conclusions based on information in a text passage are essential critical thinking skills. Encourage learners to hone these skills with a worksheet that asks them to read...

You matter—unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared, then you energy! Scholars learn about matter, energy, the elements and so much more using an informative presentation. Completing the included worksheet creates a...

Based on DNA, fungi relate more closely to animals than to plants. This new scientific knowledge shifted the world view of scientists and opened up new classifications. Viewers learn about fungi's place in evolution, in the tree of life,...

Very few universities still offer a master's degree in the ecology of grasses, but that was the degree that led George Wells Beadle to an interest in genetics and later a Nobel Prize. Scholars learn about the discoveries of Dr. Beadle...

Water quality testing often reveals interesting facts about the local environment. Scholars respond to several AP® questions highlighting topics such as air pollution, water pollution, and the spread of disease. Each question requires a...

Stay tuned for a programming announcement. The resource contains the four free-response questions from the 2007 AP® Computer Science exam. Teachers and pupils use the questions to understand how topics appear on exams. The items cover...

Can a gift be a burden? Scholars take a close look and write essays about characters that have gifts that can also be a disadvantage. Two other essays include discussion of how Nathaniel Hawthorne and Oliver Senior use literary...

Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...

Go on a WebQuest to find the Rule of Law! Scholars use the Internet to learn all about how law works in a democracy and how the Rule of Law relates to both American government and governments around the world. Researchers then engage in...

Urban communities are the focus of a series of lessons created to meet specific needs using differentiated instruction. A pre-assessment designates scholars into three groups based on their ability level. Small groups take part in...

Good verses evil. Scholars make inferences after taking a close look at the short story, State of Affairs, in which Daniel Defoe goes back and forth comparing good and evil thoughts through his writing. After reading the text,...

How do we interact with Earth? Scholars learn about the sun, Earth, moon, forces, gravity, and heat sources by reading a text and performing hands-on demonstrations. They also differentiate between living and non-living things using...

An article details everything you need to know about celebrating Kwanzaa at your school. An opening-day ceremony starts the seven-day holiday celebration followed a daily routine that includes a greeting, candle lighting, reciting an...

Have a popping good time. Using probability and statistics skills, learners determine which type of popcorn to buy based on the percentage of kernels popped. After analyzing corn and popcorn sales to make a prediction of future sales,...

The debate over the Equal Rights Amendment continues. To better understand the controversy, class members research the history of attempts to get the amendment ratified. In addition, pairs engage in a structured academic conversation...

Don't leave anyone out. To highlight the importance of the US Census to younger learners, an activity has them distribute markers to see if there are enough for each person. They see that counting the population is necessary to fairly...

While the American system is based on the idea of almost-universal suffrage for adults, great thinkers have had concerns about this system of governance. Using classic writings from Alexis de Tocqueville and videos highlighting thinkers...

Vaccine development is the focus of a activity that explores its history, timeline, and how the scientific method aids the process. Following a discussion about Edward Jenner and Small Pox, learners answer questions in their journals...

Highlight a unique solar cell with a report and a poster. Scholars complete the ongoing solar cells project by writing an engineering report in the last of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They also create research...

Suffragettes, suffragists, and anti-suffragists. A two-day, richly detailed lesson plan has young historians investigate the twentieth-century suffrage movement. Groups examine primary and secondary source materials about Jane Addams and...

Prepare young historians for a study of Angel Island Immigration Station with a lesson examining primary and secondary source materials, maps, and websites. Using what they have learned, individuals create a map of Angel Island, labeling...