Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...

Young engineers are instructed to design and build their own solar water heaters. Then, they calculate the efficiency and cost and compare them to commercially available models. This is a full unit for pupils to apply their knowledge.

Students begin by completing a survey asking them to rank their concerns about commercially prepared foods. They develop a definition of relative risk, and complete the "Pro or Con" worksheet. Students work in groups to make a study of...

Hold a discussion in your class about the increase in mercury being found in fish that are caught commercially as food for humans. Given a worksheet, learners then calculate how much fish a person can safely eat each month to remain...

Students analyze a variety of curves that describe the power extracted from the wind by a variety of commercially produced wind turbines. They utilize site specific topographic maps and political boundary data to evaluate and make...

Learners predict the required stress to break a candy bar. They examine how a various substances break and infer a cause for the type of break. Students relate the candy bar experiment to the importance of nanotech laboratory work and...

Students design and build full-size boats made out of two-liter plastic bottles, chicken wire, and plywood. Then they race the boats, with the boat's designers "manning the hull", in the school's swimming pool.

How does the dirt get out of your drinking water? A hands-on activity introduces the use of flocculants to help clear solid particles out of water. The plan walks learners through the process of setting up an experiment that...

A parabolic mirror toy demonstrates how concave mirrors objects reflect light and produce a realistic image at their focal point. This resource probably doesn't explain any more than the printed insert that accompanies such an apparatus...

Now you have a new excuse not to do your homework. A long-term experiment has learners explore cellulose-digesting enzymes. They simulate how paper breaks down in a compost bin. There's no need to blame your dog for eating your homework...

Students develop an awareness of mathematics in a diverse number of careers, then describe three duties of a pilot that require mathematical skills. They increase understanding of interpreting data relationships presented in table format.

Map maker, map maker, make me a map! Your class can sing this tune as they work to create their own regional maps by taping paper to the wall, projecting an overhead transparency image, and tracing. Where this lesson plan intends for the...

Students use mutant corn ears to investigate inheritance patterns. In this inheritance lesson plan, students count the number of corn kernels of each phenotype in mutant and wild type ears of corn. Students calculate the ratio of...

Students study the life cycle of a coral reef. They then participate in a simulated village meeting in which they roleplay various characters who must review proposed legislation dealing with reef management.

Students explore the world of nanotechnology by synthesizing ferrofluids in a series of chemical reactions. In small groups, they follow the procedure to create the ferrofluids using precise measuring techniques. They test the resulting...

Students investigate the movement of balls and use different materials to make balls. In this bouncing balls lesson, students explore the movement of balls, they investigate the inside of balls and they design and make their own balls...

Students discuss, develop, invent, and implement a plan for making informed personal economic decisions about renewable resources.

Students research information using various internet resources. In this chemistry lesson, students demonstrate their ability to navigate websites and gather necessary information. They evaluate the potential usefulness of the databases...

Students explore their role as food preparation specialists in the prevention of foodborne illness.

Third graders use base-ten blocks to find products of two-digits by one-digit by making a model of the problem. They complete a worksheet by multiplying 2-digits by 1-digit with regrouping. They may use the base-ten blocks if needed.

Students count candy by color and then calculate mean, median, and mode. They count candy and use the data to calculate mean, median, and mode (by color) and apply their learning to another collection of data.

Students use addition to determine values of coin combinations. They play a game where they come up with possible trades: two nickels for a dime and complete a tally worksheet. There are other lessons in this unit.

Students explain what genetically modified foods are and how they are created. Students use appropriate vocabulary to describe and effectively discuss the benefits of, and potential risks of, genetically modified foods.

Students visit their school library to read a variety of folktales. While they read, they identify the trickster or hero in each and discuss how the character represents the chaos in the real world. In groups, they write their own...