Many types of cancer treatments now depend on nanotechnology—a big "little" discovery. Scholars begin by removing "malignant" tissue from simulated brains, one using fluorescent markers thanks to nanotechnology and one without. This...

The issues of voter fraud and voter suppression are relevant in every election, local as well as national. Soon-to-be voters learn about a recent bill proposed in North Carolina, the Voter Information and Verification Act, and...

From start to finish, this is a truly excellent lesson plan addressing the epidemic of diet-related disease in the United States. Learners begin with a reading excerpt of detailed information on trends in the American diet and the...

Civil rights meets biotechnology in a instructional activity that scrutinizes the collection of DNA of citizens who have been arrested, but not yet convicted of a crime. Real-life cases are examined in which the DNA of a relative was...

“What is the theme of this story?” Now there’s a question all pupils dread. Rather than encountering a sea of faces that look like they were painted by Edward Munch, face a classroom filled with smiles and confidence. Show your readers...

The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...

Students analyze and classify substances.  For this classifying matter lesson, students look at various substances and identify them as heterogeneous or homogeneous mixtures, pure substances, or solutions.  Students bring...

Second graders explore states of matter when they change a liquid to a solid. Working students make ice cream in a zip-lock bag.

Art is a great way to convey or express an idea. Learners choose an idiom, draw it, and use transfer paper to create photograms. They discuss how why they chose the phrase they did, and how they expressed that idea through their...

Using a dry cleaner bag and a blow dryer, create a hot air balloon! The materials list suggests obtaining one dry cleaner bag per student, but since this is probably inconvenient, consider doing this as a demonstration during a lesson on...

Eighth graders create an in-depth research report on a state. They conduct Internet research, write a comparison essay about New York State and their assigned state, create a 3-dimensional map, and develop a Powerpoint presentation.

Fourth graders determine what is meant by a physical change, and they demonstrate how they can make physical changes. They complete activities at stations that entail changes in color, size, texture, hardness, or state of matter. Using...

Eighth graders determine the amount of agitation necessary to dissolve various sized sugar particles. This task assess students' abilities to collect, organize, and interpret data, create appropriate graphs, predict future events based...

Students explore number values by completing consumer math worksheets. In this math functions lesson, students identify the use of a decimal in numbers and the place values that are represented when dealing with money. Students complete...

Students describe and compare common properties of various classroom materials. In this science/matter lesson, students observe common classroom items and the materials they are made of to complete a list of common properties.

Students explore snow. In this forms of water lesson plan, students read a story about snow, identify the types of snow found in Alaska, and learn Inuit words for snow. The lesson plan calls for an Intuit Elder to visit the classroom as...

What have US-Japanese relations been like since the conclusion of World War II? Why do some commentators identify Japan's postwar years as a subordinate independence? Invite your young historians to research Japan's status in the world...

Students identify the different types of water and explain in what proportions they exist on Earth. They identify and correctly label the parts of the water cycle and how these parts interact with each other. Students identify the...

Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.

Learners determine that the rate of reaction is affected by temperature, surface area, concentration of reagent, and addition of a catalyst or inhibitor. They observe that on December 3rd, 1984, 8000 people died when the chemical plant...

Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. For this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, students...

Young scholars study the six styles of nineteenth-century furniture. They select their favorite style, then use three design elements from this style and sketch an idea for a piece of furniture.

First graders investigate the changing states of water.

Eighth graders compare/contrast population, railroad mileage, manufacturing plants, and industrial workers between the Union and Confederate States in 1860; students analyze effects of the resources of the Union and Confederate Forces on...