Your class can participate in a writing program involving four building blocks. By exploring words, sentences, writing forms, and story organization, they improve their creative writing skills throughout this year-long unit. Early in the...

Young mathematicians identify shapes and their correct names. They work with partners using various manipulatives and computer software to reinforce the concept. I really like these lesson plans. They are well-designed, the procedures...

Investigate the future of the presidency in the wake of the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Clinton. The class brainstorms both sides of the argument, reads and discusses an article, then analyzes and writes a journal...

Engaging in topical discussions can be a great way to teach kids how to build strong arguments and support their opinions with concrete evidence. High schoolers choose a controversial topic, build an argument for or against that topic,...

Learners conduct a survey of society's typical purchasing practices to determine the influence of packaging on consumer choices and to determine if consumers consider waste disposal and recycling when making purchasing decisions.

Each color holds its own feeling and these feelings are used to describe the four seasons. Youngsters create a color palate based on the four seasons, assigning various colors to each season. They each create four clay tiles, painting...

Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...

Here is a great way to incorporate art into your next unit on prehistoric people. The class makes stones out of ceramic clay and then creates paintings like those found in the Lascaux Caves in France. A video link, full day-by-day...

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or infections (STIs) are totally preventable. Yet, the number of cases is on the rise. Why? This health lesson contains a lot of information about prevention, as well as a great activity about how...

Explore the exciting and diverse geography, people, history, governments, and economies of the Middle East. Curious minds develop a basic vocabulary of Arabic terms and work with various materials to create an aesthetically pleasing,...

This hands-on lesson takes young geometers on a tour of 2D polygons and 3D polyhedrons. After exploring different web resources and discussing geometric shapes, small groups construct models of polyhedrons using bendable straws. Note:...

Read and examine primary source material in order to analyze, synthesize, and debate information about the Great Depression. Critical analysts research various source materials related to the Great Depression. They work in teams to...

How did Native Americans react to the arrival of the Lewis and Clark expedition? Here, learners review excerpts of journal entries that chronicle the arrival of the Corps of Discovery to the Shoshone and Blackfeet tribes. Your young...

Young mathematicians research and discuss real world math word problems and ways in which they apply math concepts in their everyday lives. They create a storyboard of a math word problem from which they create a slide for a multi-media...

Geometry students use hinged mirrors to discover that the regular polygons are composed of triangles tessellating around a center point. They sketch triangles on paper models of the regular polygons having 3 to 10 sides and compute the...

Students explore motion by observing the movement of people and duplicating those movements. They compare and contrast various kinds of movements and identify different types of movements in pictures. They build an object that can be...

Students create a scrapbook of college student life during the 1960's using digital archives and Internet research. They read and discuss the article "What's the Matter With College?" and then compare college experience of today with...

Examine food labels to determine percentage of fat and sugar to total calories with middle schoolers. Daily nutritional guidelines are discussed and learners will decide how well their foods fit into a healthy diet. In the provided...

How do advertisers influence consumers? The big idea here is that once consumers understand the factors that influence their desire for a product or service, they are better able to consider substitute and/or complementary products.

Geometers explore the concept of tessellations. They use a tessellation applet to manipulate shapes and design their own tessellation using the applet.

Albert Bierstadt's painting Wind River Country shows viewers how a reader progresses through a story. Your class studies the light and dark areas, how the eye moves across the painting, and what attracts the audience to the work, and...

Examine factors that influence your choice about physical activity.  In this physical activity lesson plan, students recognize how physical activity and good health go together.  Students participate in a survey about...

Learners examine cyberbullying. In this lesson on democracy, students discuss the different ways to deal with cyberbullying. They then take a position on the question of whether a democracy should allow schools to take action against off...

Students examine domestic violence issues. In this global studies lesson plan, students read a case study on domestic violence. Students take notes on the case and respond to discussion questions.