Sometimes close enough is appropriate. A curriculum document for AP® Calculus examines the importance of providing approximation questions throughout the course. It looks at approximating derivative values, approximating definite...

It's important to make sure houses can withstand winds. A hands-on activity has learners create a structure out of household materials. They use a fan to simulate hurricane-force winds to see if their structures can withstand the...

Bank on your ability to write equivalent expressions. Scholars use an interactive to create expressions using coins. They then convert these to algebraic expressions and figure out how to evaluate them. A game with various difficulty...

Young meteorologists explore different aspects of the weather while learning about measurement devices. They build instruments and then set up a weather station outside and measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and...

You have the power! Scholars learn that they have power of the pen in their writing. After reading and viewing various sources about standardized testing, they express their own opinions about the testing by writing letters to the...

Scholars read newspaper articles relating to a longer school day and complete note-taking organizers as they read. They then form opinions and complete outlines before writing essays supporting their point of view. 

Look carefully. Scholars practice observing and recording the natural world around them by looking out a window or viewing an image. Learners discuss how their experience compares to that of Meg Lowman in The Most Beautiful Roof in the...

In other words. Scholars practice using paraphrasing and quotes. They partner in pairs to write a paraphrase for an information text strip. Individuals then use their skills to paraphrase information from the text Fire Ants.

Let me draw you a picture. Scholars read a quote from Roger Tory Peterson and discuss his views on drawings. They then create their own drawings of an ant or butterfly to add to their science journals. 

Make those microbes warm up water. Pupils first investigate water pumps, then design a water circulation system that uses solar energy. A bioreactor in the system takes energy from compost and helps heat water.

Here's a new twist in the egg drop competition. Using only six inches of tape, four straws, and 2 pieces of newspaper, teams build a structure that keeps an egg from breaking when dropped. What's different about this project is that the...

Three lessons and one at-home connection explore 12 professions. In the first lesson, scholars examine an online map that displays all 12 careers alongside a video. Lesson two challenges class members to choose two of those careers to...

In a lesson designed to prepare scholars for taking tests, they begin with a review of how to plan and review notes. They Identify ways to prepare for upcoming tests and strategies for studying and memorizing information. Class...

In the post-pandemic classroom, it's more important than ever to begin the school year by building a strong sense of trust and community. Using the Make Meaning and Big Paper teaching techniques, groups develop a definition of community...

Wouldn't it be lovely if we all had a space where we were seen, heard, and valued? As part of creating a safe, respectful classroom community, participants envision such a space and then generate a classroom contract that will establish...

In this idioms activity, students read a list of idioms that start with the letter L and their definitions, and then answer questions by giving advice with the idioms. Students complete 6 questions.

This series of investigations lead pupils to have a greater understanding of the pumpkin and give them a chance to experience scientific study.

Students practice the practical skill of telephone communication. They perform a series of role plays to give them practical experience in the proper way to speak and respond while on the telephone.

Fourth graders create more complex sentences by adding specified parts. They play a game where they be making sentences sound better by adding new words or phrases. They use worksheets imbedded in this lesson to give them lots of ideas.

Students work in cooperative pairs to research information and give oral presentations about African American men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history.

Students study cross sections of trees or tree "cookies" to discover how the rings on tree sections give clues to the climate during the time the ring was produced. They study simulated cross sections of trees to determine the climate...

Students use a Hersey bar to help them practice with fractions. The teacher gives a fraction and they are to create it with the chocolate bars.

Students examine different examples of Mycenaean masks. They discuss the history of the masks and why they might have been made. They give their opinions and their responses are recorded.

Students brainstorm the names of Shakespeare's plays and read an article about a new theatre. They complete worksheets about the plays. In groups, they play a game where they give clues about films or plays and others try to guess the...