Students discover the origins and different uses of watermelons. Using the internet, they find photographs of the fruit and reading about them in primary source documents. As a class, they plan a community activity in which they use a...

Eighth graders discuss the needs of their local community and how they are being met by the government. Individually, they participate as a volunteer at a local organization of their choice. They reflect on their experience and...

Students research and produce an iMovie documentary about the human and natural history of a stream basin (watershed).

As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning instructional activity, individuals study both historic and...

Every family has a different story to share. Your learning community examines the checklist that applies to the lesson, share some of the teacher's family photos, and look for clues in their own family photos in order to complete a...

Bring the excitement and beauty of Japanese festivals into your classroom. Kids with special needs create calendars that reflect special festivals and holidays common to Japanese culture. They start the project by creating a list of...

What a model community would look like? Get your kids talking with an activity that allows them to create their own town. After printing out a "fold out village," groups of students use a variety of resources to help them build an actual...

Students discuss cultural diversity, and examine how the community reflects the cultural background of the inhabitants. They read the book, People, take a community walk, create a rainbow chart, and research other states for relocation...

Fourth graders explore various careers and research the education and skills required, the job location and description, and the tools/instruments used.

Students are given the identify of a newly freed slave at the end of the Civil War. Students participate in a discussion to explore some of the difficulties and decision making freed slaves had to consider. Students present their...

Students examine the appeal of temperance to African-American women. They also discover the racial tensions involved in this movement. They work together to read articles and answer questions.

Students read The Train Ride Home by Robin Solomon. In this literature response lesson, students will inspect the writing of Solomon to determine how she established a certain tone through her word choice and...

Become a member of the Pollution Patrol and stand up to litter! After discussing the life cycle of seeds and discussing how plants figure into the food chain, young conservationists engage in several activities involving podcasts,...

Seventh graders assume different roles to determine the cause of a possible virus outbreak in their school. They must investigate the symptoms reported and determine the virus causing these conditions, analyze the body systems affected...

Middle schoolers examine how plants are able to adapt to their ecosystem and the role that fire plays in changes through the years.  In this ecosystem lesson students complete several exercises focussing on plants and their...

Students define propaganda and list the various propaganda techniques used to influence people. They identify propaganda methods used by the American Government to encourage Americans to support the war effort

Middle schoolers view The Gift of All, a Community of Givers. In this philanthropic lesson, students discuss the gifts of philanthropists they've seen. Middle schoolers research and write a two page paper with four bullet points....

Review how gristmills affected the lives of the Pennsylvania community. The class uses documents and pictures to explore the purpose of the gristmill. They simulate members of the community and write a paper about colonial forces...

Students examine the past and present effects of energy sources on geography in the 21st century. They compare/contrast energy consumption and production in the U.S. and the world, make predictions for future energy consumption, and...

Students discuss Ramadan and the practice of fasting. Working in groups, they visit Websites and complete worksheets about the Muslim holiday. Students write letters role-playing as someone unfamiliar with a celebration and then write...

Third graders research the history of their home city and how it's development was influenced by different groups of people. They present their research information to the class.

Fifth graders solve career word problems using math.

Seventh graders examine the characteristics of philanthropists.  In this cross- curricular lesson, 7th graders evaluate the character traits of people from a film. Students write a metaphor about responsibility to community.

Fifth graders contrast and compare ancient Greece to the U.S.A.  In this Greek History instructional activity, 5th graders investigate the buildings and designs of ancient Greece, as well as their democracy and government....