Do the ends justify the means? Getting a drug approved in the US is a long and involved process. But at some point out, it involves testing on humans. The ethics of such testing is the focus of a resource that uses Dr. Albert...

Sixth graders create a powerpoint presentation about a research topic of their choice. They brainstorm several topics to identify an essential question that they would like to research. Using traditional and technological resources, 6th...

How did the struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s transform American society and politics? Why are American schools integrated today? Class members explore these essential questions by examining a series of primary and secondary...

A thorough and well-designed resource for older students, this lesson focuses on Chaucer's character the Wife of Bath from his classic novel, The Canterbury Tales. As a way of understanding Chaucer's complex characterization and...

How do artists affect and how are artists affected by the time periods in which they live? Learners examine the life and work of controversial and influential cultural artist Patti Smith as they seek answers to this essential question....

Agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization. How have human's changed the planet and how might we mitigate the effects of human activity on the planet? To answer these questions class members research the changes in human land use from...

Students discover that some of the influences ancient myths have had on the way of life still practiced today in a Spanish speaking country they have chosen. They work in small groups to devise their own essential question, research...

Learners improve speaking confidence when using difficult question forms. This lesson focuses on helping students explain how to engage in this kind of social conversation. A worksheet imbedded in this plan provides practice.

Students write with a sharp, distinct focus identifying topic, task and audience. They discuss anticipatory statements with supporting details. Students create an essential question at the beginning of a composition, novel, or unit.

Seventh graders answer the following problem based lesson with the essential question, "Which city or town in Canada would adequately meet my family's needs for relocation?" They present their city and provide rationale for its...

Third graders create reports in the fashion of small books. They write brief descriptions for a variety of topics and answering a variety of questions. They create a picture book for their individual animals. They utilize basic computer...

Seventh graders explore stars. In this star lesson, 7th graders apply generalities about space objects to constellations and explore the differences between radio waves and light waves by answering essential questions in their research.

Young scholars brainstorm what they know about the Vietnamese Conflict using terms which they sort into historical categories. They focus on essential questions which include the American reaction to the spread of Communism, American...

Students study the criteria for evaluating web sites and use information found in authoritative web sites to create questions for a game of Jeopardy. They evaluate three different web sites, some with minor errors and some with major...

Sit back, relax, and transport to 1787! This lesson on the Constitution begins with guided imagery of the Constitutional Convention. The class reads A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution in an...

To better understand what it takes to work in the field of training or educating, learners first explore the education career cluster. After they research the cluster, pupils write questions for a guest speaker. This speaker can be from...

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. 

How do discerning readers determine bias and credibility? Ask small groups to figure it out! First, each group is provided with either articles or videos that contain bias. They examine the resources, respond to included questions, and...

Turn your 6th graders into detectives while growing their love of reading. Using critical thinking skills, they will be able to describe the five basic elements of detective fiction, read detective novels, make predictions, use the...

Students explore insect life by participating in a role-playing activity. In this mosquito life lesson, students listen to a role-play scenario in which they must protect a town from mosquitoes by creating a field guide about the insect....

Students engage in Internet search. They find answers to questions concerning an assigned country. They create a video presentation about a foreign country. They design a display about the foreign country.

Students maintain an on-going self-assessment of their use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills as discovered in the Choices class. In addition they keep an on-going journal of their responses to an essential question web about...

Fifth graders research famous Elders. They receive a list of Elders, Historic Figures and Contemporary Tribal Leaders (included with the lesson). They discuss the Essential Question to guide their research. Students take notes based on...

Seventh graders research an assigned poet's life and times and read examples of their poetry. They prepare a word-processed paper analyzing the poems by their poet, and answering the essential question then they give an oral...