Women Olympians have come a long way since 1900 when 22 women competed for the first time. News coverage of the Olympics has also changed dramatically. What has been slow to change, however, is the language used in the coverage of female...

Students discuss, summarize, and express alternative positions regarding a study on adolescent sleep. They examine arguments for and against changing the school start time for high-school students, based upon the findings of a scientific...

Third graders practice making predictions about weather from conditions they observe on weather instruments and weather reports. Learners are introduced to the most basic weather reporting instruments: the thermometer, the wind vane, the...

What is on your to-do list today? The second lesson of a three-part series on Lost Heroes of America investigates the laundry list of items in front of the second Continental Congress. Scholars research, analyze, and present information...

Fifth graders calculate the perimeters, areas, and volumes of everyday objects. They discuss the word problem involving Puck from the Shakespeare play "Mid-Summer Night's Dream," and invent and plan a method for solving the problem in...

Young scholars make observations through 3-D visualizations. They explore scientific and geologic processes through the use of 3-D pictures.

In preparation for solar car races, middle schoolers attempt to discover what time of day the most solar energy can be collected. Begin by demonstrating the use of a voltmeter for measuring solar cell output. Take them outdoors to take...

Tomorrow's engineers visit an intriguing website about inventions that have changed the way we live. Biographies of child inventors on the suggested website aren't easy to find, so make sure to find some stories to share in place of...

Investigate poetry and song lyrics with your class. They will identify poetic elements in their favorite modern music. Then they will play their song choice aloud for their classmates.

Eighth graders explore the major religions of the world. In this religion lesson, 8th graders create a foldable with the characteristics of the religions to study. Students watch videos, PowerPoint slides and look at pictures from the...

Students design their own playground equipment. In this design lesson, students take pictures of equipment they like and make a class pictograph of their favorite ones. They investigate the design, research equipment around the world,...

Students explore African American migration. In this black culture and history instructional activity, students use a map to identify northern and southern states in which African Americans lived in the 1900s. Students observe and...

Youngsters become flexible problem solvers with this challenging lesson. If there are 24 square tables in a restaurant, how many customers can be seated at one time? They can use manipulatives or draw pictures to help them find the...

What can your class learn from a skull? With proper facilitation, they can learn about diet, physical adaptations, special differences, and even the environment. Pupils will examine a series of mammal skulls and pelts to help them...

In his article about color-blind casting entitled, "Willy Loman Is Lost, Still Looking for Stimulus Plan and Some Dignity," Charles Isherwood quotes August Wilson as saying,  "To mount an all-black production of a 'Death of a...

Develop concepts on how to change your improving wordsmiths' writing from blah to wow with the activities and ideas in this resource. The instructor provides the class with examples of writing that lacks detail and precision, and then...

Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...

"You are pigs." With those three simple words, the lives of the Piggott family were changed forever. Read aloud the children's story Piggybook by Anthony Browne and teach your class the importance of personal responsibility,...

"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own...

Imagine recycling food scraps and using them to make paper. The directions are all here in a seven-page packet that details several paper-making strategies.

Get readers thinking about issues raised by Chapter 5 of Carson McCullers' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter with an anticipation guide. Individuals decide whether they agree or disagree with a series of statements and discuss their...

How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a lesson plan focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and...

To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that...

Examine the mechanism of photosynthesis through different light scenarios. Pupils vary the amount and type of light exposure on plant leaves in the fifth lesson plan in a 12-part series. Through observation, they determine the rate of...