Young learners consider what flies and what kinds of sounds airplanes, animals, etc. make when they fly. They also get to generate a brainstorm list. Children discuss what the categories should be once the list is completed. Some really...

Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre.  Based on what...

Here’s a reading strategy that can be used with any text. Class members examine portions of a novel, and make predictions about the theme or subject matter of the book. Although designed for Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal...

Middle schoolers conduct a hands-on experiment designed to demonstrate how continents and oceans formed and why the manner of formation is relevant to a study of volcanoes.

Explore the importance of tolerance with a music-themed lesson. Learners listen to the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and discern the underlying messages before discussing the painful effects of ridicule, disrespect, and...

Elementary schoolers engage in a game of logical reasoning called Secret Sort. A Venn diagram is used as a way to sort objects. This resource would be a great way to introduce the Venn diagram (maybe the most famous, and most-useful...

Here is a great lesson designed for very young scientists. In it, they act out the famous Aesops fable, "The Crow and the Pitcher." In doing this, they get to experience water displacement first-hand. Some terrific extension activities...

Thumbprints are fascinating! Here is a clever lesson that allows kids to discover that everyone has a unique thumbprint - no two are alike! They use magnifying glasses to closely observe their own, and someone else's thumbprints. Then,...

Property ownership, restricted trade, and free trade are the topics of this game. Kids play a trade game to better understand the interrelationship between technology, economics, and personal choices. Rules to the game and a series of...

Turtles are the stars of the show in a creative lesson designed for very young learners. In it, learners are shown pictures of real turtles. They discuss the shell and the head, then they compare them to other animals. Pupils are given a...

Rally your administration and facilities manager to let your class examine the water flow rates in different areas of the school. After the audit, the class researches opportunites for conserving water and writes a report or develops a...

Advanced lab apprentices prepare zinc and copper solutions to which they will compare the same minerals from a multivitamin. Using absorption spectroscopy, they analyze the contents of the multivitamin for concentration. This lab can be...

I really like this clever lesson on using peanuts to help facilitate the learning of addition and subtraction for your young mathematicians. Youngsters use peanuts as "counters" for a variety of math problems that include greater than...

The peanut takes center stage in this science lesson for young learners. In it, pupils label the parts of the peanut plant. They discover that the peanut is actually the fruit of a plant that has developed underground. Some really fun...

Plant roots are the focus here. Pupils discover that some plants actually store food in their roots, that roots provide water for plants, and that gravity and sunlight have an effect on plants. This terrific, six-page plan has two...

Invite your first graders to compose and decompose two and three-dimensional figures with this fun, hands-on lesson. They investigate and predict the results of putting together and taking apart two-dimensional shapes with rubber bands...

Even the youngest kids can make scientific comparisons using collected data. They read The Tiny Seed, then discuss the essential nutrients and elements needed for a seed to grow into a blooming plant. They plant seeds and track their...

There is no better way to learn about a subject than with a hands on project. Middle schoolers design and create a product that meets the needs of fictitious clients. They view a PowerPoint, consider how the Western marketing style is...

Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...

Students research about the processing of biodiesel fuels. In this energy lesson, students produce their own biodiesel using used and new vegetable oil. They discuss the environmental and economic benefits of using biodiesel.

Students study the different transportation fuels.  In this energy sources lesson students debate the merits of their fuel over others while working together in groups.

What is a ‘Zine? Although the referenced PBS video that launches this study of self-published magazines is not available, the activities detailed and the step-by-step directions for creating ‘Zines would engage young writers. This...

Here is a lesson which describes a lab activity in which a rat is dissected, and its heart is studied. The lesson has ample background information about three of the rats internal systems, and excellent lab sheets that support the...

Advanced chemistry scholars read about gas chromatography as a means of separating mixtures into their components. Then they try the technique on fingernail polish remover. Detailed instructions are provided via a lab sheet for your...