Have you ever stretched out a Slinkie so much it wouldn't go back to its original shape? Slinkies, like all springs, follow Hooke's Law. A simulation uses springs and masses to demonstrate kinetic, potential, and thermal energy. It...

Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, learners go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...

Students share unique information about themselves, and solve crossword puzzle based on clues that come from the information they shared.

Second graders solve two-digit subtraction problems without trades using counters and by modeling trades with base-ten blocks. They pair in groups and students open the "Counters Open Mat". Students are given a problem, such as: there...

Students list traits that make them unique. They participate in a Bingo-like game, where they try to identify people by their traits.

Do you know why woodpeckers have red heads? Why the possum has no hair on its tail? Why a cat has nine lives? Find out by downloading this resource that uses Zora Neale Hurston's collection Mules and Men as the basis of a study of...

Begin the school year with enthusiasm using the book entitled My Teacher Can Teach Anyone! In this reading for meaning lesson, primary readers listen to the story and discuss what is happening and why the boy in the story might be...

Listen to and analyze a presidential speech in order to explain the principles held by the president and the historical context in which the speech was made. Then hold a campaign and election simulation involving featured presidents.

Looking for a way to review and practice spelling words that's fun and creative? Use this spelling relay activity for any grade level. Using three spelling lists, ranging in difficulty, teams of young spellers choose words from the lists...

Students complete verbal analogies by playing a group game.

How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson plan....

Students determine the story elements of typical mystery stories including characters and plot structure. They look at vocabulary that is common to mystery stories before reading and responding to mystery chapter books. Working in guided...

Students discuss the roles people have and how the people they know act after watching a puppet show. Puppets and teacher lead discussion with class and ask them to provide examples of being responsible , cooperative, respectful, and...

What would your class do if a police officer arrested a student in class? This is exactly the anticipatory set that gets students engaged in a unit on the legal system. The plan is to get the officer to simulate an arrest, and then guest...

Students are introduced to the GIS system. They create a map plotting local sites the Environmental Protection Agency has on its EPA Regulated Sites list. They identify a list of schools that are near potentially hazard sites.

Originally designed for a physical education classroom, this lesson plan asks learners to argue for their school to keep their PE class during budget cuts. Whether your school is facing this challenge or not, it does pose a great...

Students study about the first people that came to the Lansing area. After reading a series of stories students have gained an examineing of how people in the 1800s and 1900s dressed. They design trading cards to portray their settler...

Comparing the more modern film Ten Things I Hate About You to The Taming of the Shrew leads to an understanding of how Shakespearean plots can be applied to modern-day situations and characters. As a culminating activity, groups select a...

Students explore Liverpool England's maritime history and development as an important port from its early days to the present. Through hands-on activities and community based instruction, they simulate sailing experiences and life aboard...

Learners investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his adventure....

Students increase discipline, energy and cohesion within a classroom to take on important group tasks. Students examine ways of how to pick partners within the boundaries of a classroom. Students validate certain ways to choose thru...

Students repeat patterns while listening to music. In this patterning lesson, students listen to a pattern on a tape of music and reproduce it by clapping or stamping their feet. They listen to stories about famous composers.

Students experience demand-pull inflation while gaining insight into three major sources of the '''too many dollars" which chase after the "too few goods and services. Students participate in an auction to experience inflation firsthand.

Students research the Depression Era and how it contributed to the formation of the Works Progress Administration. After research, they create a skit to illustrate life during the Depression and the role of the Works Progress...