Twelfth graders brainstorm where they think wild things exist. Then using the same strategy they discuss natural surroundings from using prior life experience. This part of the lesson can also be done with using a nature hike. Students...

Students disassemble click pens in order to determine the function of each piece of the pen and draw a cross-sectional diagram of the pen. They reassemble their pens and take a look at another object.

Students explore about our planet, the earth, the moon, the sun, and stars, and how they move in relation to each other. They participate in three hands-on activities: acting out the paths of the earth and moon, identifying...

Students devlop a model, which they illustrate a water table and allow for the discussion of common terms and illustrate what those terms mean. They comprehend that a flow rates, removal of contaminants, and the amount of water stored...

Students spend the duration of this lesson examining the text of the Endangered Species Act. Individually, they complete a profile to determine where they stand on the bill and read excerpts from it. Some role-play the various members...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this philanthropy lesson, students read an article about Google and its philanthropic endeavors. Students discuss companies that they believe would benefit from a charitable investment...

Students investigate the cause of death of a fictitious school janitor. They develop hypotheses based on information discovered by examining the labels of household chemicals.

Students compare their perceptions of risk to the perceptions of scientists and risk professionals. in small groups, they evaluate risks on a scale of 1 to 10 for the average American on a yearly basis.

See the underwater world through a different pair of eyes! Middle school marine biologists identify deep-sea organisms by examining images taken by an ROV from the Okeanos Explorer. After determining what creatures lie beneath the...

In order to give young scientists experience with critical thinking skills, introduce them to a current controversy and prepare them to debate. Choose a topic, such as genetically modified organisms, and assign groups to represent...

Beginning biologists place a drop of food coloring into water of differing temperatures to observe the effect on the diffusion rate. They remove the shells from raw eggs and then experiment with osmosis over the remaining membranes....

Students investigate the concept of agriculture and how it is part of the ecology and economy of the United States. They participate in a number of different classroom activities intended to raise agricultural awareness. The activities...

Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...

After watching a video of Peter and the Wolf, and identifying the instruments used to represent each character, class members use rhythm instruments to represent the actions in the song, "What Would I do."

Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...

What is the difference between a form of energy and a source of energy? This first activity in a series of 19 lessons uses demonstrations and discussions to introduce energy to the class. Through using hand-generator flashlights,...

Students discuss ecosystems, eliciting their current knowledge of an ecosystem. Students receive an Ecosystems document and look at the picture. Students brainstorm connection between the cover picture and ecosystems. The indicated...

Junior high schoolers learn how to read a water meter, track their family water usage, and discuss the amount in class with other pupils. They will interpret real-world data and graph it. It is ideal for increasing awareness and...

What are the trade-offs when looking to get the most benefit from an energy source? Small groups compare the cost-to-emission levels of several energy sources by looking at the information graphically. The groups utilize this...

Students participate in an activity in which they investigate the scientific method and seed germination as well as practice graphing and metric measuring skills. Students examine toxicity by exposing Wisconsin Fast Plants seeds to toxic...

Students construct models that demonstrate potential sources of contamination. Students select one type of contamination model (septic system, sinkhole, landfill, disposal lagoon, leaky barrels, oil spill, agricultural contamination) to...

Students investigate recycling at several scales, including local, state, national and global. They become aware of recycling, re-use, reduce efforts and policies. Students read the article Where Does Your Garbage Go. They look up where...

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.

Immerse your class in a good story with an extensive resource featuring reader's theater techniques. The worksheets are designed for both teacher and student, and carefully explain how to organize, write, and perform stories in a...