Students improve their reading and writing skills using Step Up to Writing and Six Traits of Writing techniques. Students complete a Robinson Crusoe vocabulary crossword, a Treasure Island character analysis web, reading comprehension...

Students work in groups for up to three weeks to investigate the possibility of acid rain in your area and to investigate the damage that acid rain can do to buildings, monuments, and plants. Each group prepares a report to local...

Students design a mobile or wall hanging that reviews the circulatory system. In this circulatory system instructional activity, students work in small groups to identify the structures of the heart, and create a model in the form of a...

Students describe the properties of solids and liquids, and explain how a semiconductor works.  For this atom lesson students demonstrate the bonding properties of carbon and silicon.

Ninth graders work in pairs and research a mythological figure, focusing on how the myth leads to an understanding of the "human condition." They compile information, summarize the myth, and develop a plan for written and oral reports.

Eighth graders explore the life and works of Pablo Neruda. They complete an author map concerning his personal and professional life. Students identify the key components of an ode. They write an ode to a common object around their...

Students answer questions about robin's eggs. They read about robins, then mark up text for unfamiliar words.

Learners explore codes, decode secret messages, and create codes of their own to use with their friends. They examine the use of gestures, letters, symbols and numbers in codes.

Students explore human anatomy by participating in hands-on activities. For this digestive system lesson, students read the book It All Began With a Bean and discuss the process of food digestion in our body. Students utilize soda...

Learners research South American to prepare a PowerPoint presentation about its culture, traditions, and societies. In this South American research lesson, students research South American based on their export products to create a...

Eighth graders empathize with how colonists felt when they were taxed without representation. They use a metaphor of students and a school principal to describe the strained relationship that developed between the colonies and Britain.

Students use various sources to compare and contrast information about the Titanic. In groups, they create a list of questions and use the internet to find the answers. They write a report with the new information and use their peers to...

Fourth graders, using Kidspiration, compare and contrast the two main characters from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. They use a teacher-created template to describe their characters. Students then create their own character analysis.

Students explore the rationale behind the arrangement of the elements on the Periodic Table. Using internet and traditional research, students compare and contrast the properties of elements on the periodic table to determine a...

Students use a plastic sandwich bag containing a damp paper towel taped to a window as a model system to observe the germination and early growth of radish seeds. They are challenged to pose a question about seed germination and growth...

Tenth graders read and analyze the poem, "The Street," by Hispanic author, Octavio Paz. They research the life of Octavio Paz and identify his literary contributions. They complete an online scavenger hunt and create an author map of...

Students complete compare and contrast activities for two stories about racism and tolerance in the science fiction genre. In this literary analysis lesson plan, students read a Ray Bradbury short story and Walter Mosley poem, watch a...

Students discover the habits of panthers by solving fictitious crime mysteries.  In this animal life lesson, students utilize their research from previous lessons to solve mysteries in a panther activity.  Students answer...

Students look into their community's historical changes. For this community lesson, students see what draws  people to their community and research important buildings or national historic sites. They look at local architecture and...

Students brainstorm pizza toppings and determine the number of possible ways to order a pizza. In this algebra lesson, students analyze and investigate geometric patterns as they relate to the concept of a variable. Students then...

Students investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of minerals. They make a list of the uses of minerals found in Illinois. They write a report individually based on their observations.

Fifth graders observe a dry piece of bread and a damp piece of bread in two separate sealed bags that have been sitting for several days that have been labeled. The observe the mold with a hand lens and record findings in their science...

Seventh graders investigate some concepts associated with geometric shapes. They study the bisector segment and the perpendicular line to a given line. Students conduct analysis with the goal of deepening observation and deduction...

Eighth graders define natural selection and adaptation. They simulate natural selection within a species and relate the elements of natural selection to the simulation. They analyze the results of natural selection in terms of...