Examine water as a scarce natural resource instead of taking it for granted. Middle schoolers identify the traits of potable water, and research local water sources to determine if they are impaired or not.

Fourth graders research to find the regions of Texas.  In this technology lesson, 4th graders create a Kid Pix project showing the location of various regions of Texas.  Students show where in those regions Native American...

Big news isn't necessarily newsworthy everywhere! How do journalists decide what to cover with so much happening around them? A instructional activity on media literacy examines the factors that affect the media's choice of stories to...

After brainstorming a list of contemporary local, regional, and national civil rights issues, pairs of scholars select one of these issues and design an information campaign to spread awareness of the issue.

Students investigate U.S. Geography by creating a map in class. In this natural resource lesson, students create a map of the United States and research the Northeast based on their resources and recyclable materials.  Students...

What does it take to create news stories that are both informative and objective? Aspiring journalists walk the line between engagement and activism with lesson 15 of a 16-part series titled The Social Media Toolbox. Grouped pupils...

Fourth graders find the meaning for capital, land, labor and enterprise and relate them to economics of a place. In this economics lesson, 4th graders form a company to make an agricultural product and look for the resources they will...

Thinking about designing a project for your social studies or environmental science classes? Use an overview of a project that prompts class groups to research an environmental issue.

Research skills are extremely important and they can be linked to any subject. Get your class thinking about scientists that study the polar region, what they do, and how they get funded to continue their research. Each child uses a...

Fourth graders, in groups, research states and using various print and nonprint reference materials. The groups make a presentation to inform the class about all the information from the state. This lesson plan provides imbedded support...

Popular culture can pack a powerful punch when it comes to creating awareness around an issue! Teams collaborate to create a pop-culture-themed message during a digital citizenship instructional activity. Part of a vast library of...

Students analyze ozone data.  In this atmosphere lesson, students will use a NASA resource to gather data for different regions of the Earth.  Students will then create a graph for their data and answer related questions. 

If you are planning on working on a research paper in your class, take a look at this resource first. Starting off with information about plagiarism, the series of activities briefly described here should give your pupils a general idea...

If you could travel anywhere in the United States, where would you go? Use this question to interest your fourth, fifth, and sixth graders as they experiment with Mapquest or other direction-based resources. They choose where they'd like...

Is there a difference in the way organizations present news via social media and in print? The third in a series of 16 lessons from The Social Media Toolbox explores news outlets and their delivery methods. Groups follow a story for a...

Students use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.

Students explore South Carolina. In this cultural heritage instructional activity, students investigate the topography of South Carolina using maps. Students are engaged in identifying the different regions of the state and examine the...

Learners investigate the different regions of our oceans by researching the Internet.  In this oceanography instructional activity, students discover the different jobs related to ocean research and examine their roles by reading...

Imagine if Sigmund Freud or Charles Darwin had a Facebook page. As part of a study of major historical figures in the field of psychology, class members are assigned a psychologist and design a mock Facebook page that includes...

Second graders conduct research on a given dinosaur using various resources, complete an information sheet that be used to create their graphic organizer from, and produce a graphic organizer, using the Kidspiration software.

Sixth graders research a number of sources including the Internet to find information about the regions of Arkansas while locating sites of national historic interest. They located sites on maps while working at assigned websites. They...

Learners discuss the fact and fiction of slavery in the South. After viewing a video on two New Orleans plantations, they determine the accuracy of the facts presented. In the computer lab, they visit various sites and examine which ones...

Using Google Earth, Google Docs, and other Google Tools, collaborative groups of seventh graders research and then create and share online newspapers reporting on the early development, geographical features, political issues, and...