What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...

Scholars discover the amount of the Earth's water in various locations such as the ocean, ice, the atmosphere, etc. They then make a model of the how much water those percentages represent. Finally, analysis questions bring the concepts...

Two activities work with a fiction and nonfiction book about robots‚—Robot Dreams by Sara Varon and Robot by Roger Bridgman. Scholars read each story, then build a robot out of found objects, examine robot sensors, and search for...

Budding artists are introduced to a new medium for Bas Relief sculpture: block printing linoleum. They design and sculpt a dimensional piece of artwork, creating a variety of textures, lines and depths. This engaging lesson should excite...

Another in the amazing series of lesson plans which use unique mediums! Students execute artwork on a non-traditional painting surface. They theorize what happen to their artwork if it is exposed to heat, then see what happens when they...

Experiment with light and dark in a series of interactive activities that lead up to reading and writing poetry. Class members have the opportunity to observe their feelings while sitting in the light and dark and to play with shadow...

Roll with your class into the idea of conservation of energy. Pupils use a roller coaster track to collect data to reinforce the concept of conservation of energy and the influence of friction. Class members then create a graph from...

Water filtration — that's pure genius! Groups test the ability of a water filter to purify water by running chlorine contaminated water through a filter and measuring the chlorine concentrations as they filter the water. They then graph...

Building an accelerometer app for your Android device. Groups develop an app that uses the accelerometer on an Android device. The purpose of the activity is to reinforce the programming design. The post activity assessment challenges...

Knowing the temperature coefficient allows for the calculation of voltage output at any temperature. Groups conduct an experiment to determine the effects of temperature on the power output of a solar panel. The teams alter the...

Students read the poem "Light" together and then discuss how poetry can come from anywhere.

Students explore their own culture and identity through the study of literature and artwork of other cultures. Students read and discuss Last of the Breed and identify cultural values. They create a presentation that incorporates their...

Students identify the players, events and changes in the history of the Supreme Court of Michigan. They explain the purpose of the Court in state government. They summarize the role and purpose of the Court.

Students read the book Do You Want to Be My Friend? and then use pictorial clues to determine which animal would come next. In this character lesson plan, students look at the tail of the animal to predict it.

Students experiment with the effects of color and light as they are exposed to the basics of working with stained glass: cutting, assembly, soldering and finishing.

Fourth graders use internet cites to explore the Underground Railroad. They also learn the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Focus questions are included.

Students give their teacher directions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In this direction lesson plan, students brainstorm the day before on the items they will need.

Middle schoolers use the Internet to study how water is treated to make it safe to drink. They use a tutorial on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website to gain this information. They complete a worksheet for the assessment...

First graders hear Great Grandma and I. They locate objects representing then (seed) and now (tomato). They make then and now charts for members of their families.

First graders discover predicting and clarifying skills while reading "The Old Woman and Her Pig." During the reading, they check their predictions while evaluating the characters, setting, problems, and solution. On the second day,...

Write dear old Peter Rabbit a letter with this lesson. First, youngsters listen to the story Peter Rabbit and analyze the story elements. Then they complete a story map graphic organizer in order to write a letter to Peter...

This instructional activity, which promises to improve the essays of your middle schoolers, contains a list of characteristics an essay should include. It breaks it down into the introduction, thesis statement, body, etc. There's also a...

Students perform research using primary resources in order to create a knowledge base for the place of women in society. The sources are synthesized by students to reveal the true story of the extraordinary women of America.

Eighth graders examine various maps associated with Hernando de Soto's expedition. By comparing their textbook maps with newer maps, they answer a battery of focus questions. Using Microsoft Word, 8th graders answer the questions...