Middle schoolers write a nonfiction animal book. They research an animal to write about and use the templates provided to gather all sorts of information on their animal. Consider making a model book so your class has an idea of what it...

Middle schoolers debate one another. In this pollution lesson, pupils work in teams to debate which is more serious, air or water pollution. They research their topic to come up with valid points to justify their side of the debate.

After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...

Middle schoolers demonstrate what they know about the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels. A set of 15 multiple-choice questions also addresses how the heart handles microgravity and how animals without...

In this second of three activities, energy engineers plan and create a hydropower dam as they learn how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity. A hydropower puzzle is also included, which can be worked on by teams that finish...

Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...

Middle schoolers, after reading the Transatllantic Slave Trade, create a color coded triple-timeline to help them explain the chronological streams that flow through the essay.

Students examine the use of steamboats in North Carolina. In groups, they design and contruct their own small models of steamboats using simple materials. They test their models in water and share how they were built and why. They...

Students begin their examination on the conflict in the Middle East. Before beginning, they complete a survey and discuss their answers to hopefully reduce their bias about the region. They examine the problem in the Middle East from the...

Young scholars explore the concept of creating models. In this model representation lesson, students are introduced to the idea of a model and discuss the differences between models and the actual object.

Learners investigate the origin of the quadratic function. In this algebra lesson, students analyze solving an equation by completing the square. They compare the early methods as compared to our method for solving quadratics.

Middle schoolers prepare multimedia presentations.  For this computer technology lesson, students use PowerPoint and other multimedia sources to compose individual presentations.  Middle schoolers complete an interactive...

Ninth graders interpret a chosen character from the novel Animal Farm and represent that character in original symbolic form and present orally to the class.

Students inspect visual arts by exploring images on-line. In this art analysis lesson, students discuss the history of art and the its ability to communicate with people through images. Students utilize pencils and charcoal to create...

Students read a poem aloud called the "Mexican Version of the Night Before Christmas. They enact the scenes of the poem. They discuss variations of this poem both in English and Spanish.

Learners research different kinds of engineers and investigate what each one does. After completing three days of research and using a research guide sheet, they create a PowerPoint presentation of at least 8 slides but no more than 15.