Students experience profiling first-hand through creation of a Class ID, and daily persecution of a selected group of students. They examine the tension between the concern for national security and for the preservation of civil liberties

Students build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers, themselves...

Students engage in a lesson which serves as an introduction to the ideas and implications of animal tracking. They monitor animal foraging behavior on a spatial scale. The students break into groups and track each other's movements as...

Students discuss and learn about jobs and workers found in their school and then in the world around them. Through the activities presented in the lesson, students will become familiar with various workers and their tools. The describe...

Students explore water density and design a hydrometer to measure density. This activity is part of Ocean World's home site and excellent resources and links are provided.

Middle schoolers investigate the effect of weight on normal friction or the friction due to surface roughness. They tell about the effects of contact area that occurs as a result of molecular attraction by looking at data on line graphs.

Learners explore the ways that engineers study and harness the wind. They study the different kinds of winds and how to measure wind direction. In addition, students learn how air pressure creates winds and how engineers build and test...

Students determine location by using the technique of triangulation. They imagine that they are out in the wilderness and have come to the top of a ridge. How can one identify the ridge on the topo map? How can one figure out where you...

Students examine different types of land use by humans and evaluate the ways land is used in their local community. They also consider the environmental effects of the different types of land use. Students assume the role of community...

Students investigate types and sources of indoor air pollutions both at home and in school. They decide on how to prevent poor indoor air quality. They debate smoking in order to determine how language usage can be an influence in...

Students observe how math is important in navigation and engineering. They study how surveyors use math and science to calcute, count, measure, label, and indicate distances on a map. They estimate specific distances.

Students investigate the properties of force and gravity and their effects on everyday life. In groups, they test various balls by bouncing them on different surfaces and observe the properties. In another activity, they test marbles and...

Students discover the metric system through video clips and Internet activities. In this measurements instructional activity, students practice using the units of measure for the metric system and compare them to the less popular English...

Students identify the various coins and their values through presentations, a rubric, a value pretest, and coin manipulatives. Money is incorporated into various activities whether at home or in school. Students create money webs using...

Students discover the moon's phases and the rarity of eclipses. In this lunar lesson, students view a video titled Spin Around the Solar System: A Moon Dance, which demonstrates the key differences between a lunar and solar eclipse....

Students describe the differences between an estimate and a guess. They create reasonable estimates based on comparison and activities. Students explain how estimation is helpful in showing the relative size on a scale. They also...

Students take a virtual tour of the Capitol Visitors Center in Austin, Texas. In groups, they receive a list of the artifacts and symbols they are to look for during their exploration of the building. To end the lesson, they make a...

Just how big would it really be? Young mathematicians determine if different toys are proportional and if their scale is accurate. They solve problems relating scale along with volume and surface area using manipulatives. The...

Using a Smartboard, learners break apart symbolism found in a political cartoon published in 1902. They work to analyze the cartoon in terms of US Imperialism occurring in the late 1890s. All necessary materials are included in this well...

If you want more pumpkin seeds, you should get a bigger pumpkin—right? Young harvesters use estimation skills to make a hypothesis about how many seeds they will find in a pumpkin before examining the real number inside.

Start kids thinking about point of view and autobiographies by telling them a short story about your morning (first person), and then asking a volunteer to re-tell the story to you (second person). There are tips to help you tie this...

Body decoration has been practiced for years and years, and it is often associated with a culturally significant event. To celebrate Harmony Day, children discuss the Hindu custom of henna or hand painting. They brainstorm ways people...

Players learn how to roll a ball with accuracy and the proper amount of force. They practice using their dominant hand as well as learning how to use their non-dominant hand to roll a ball. Cues are given for rolling a ball and for...

Here are a series of activities to practice catching a rolling ball. There are specific directions and cues that are being scaffolded in this PE lesson. The scaffolding will also allow for a check to see what the players might need to...