Students discover the life of Benjamin Franklin by studying his inventions.  In this biography lesson, students identify the inventions of Benjamin Franklin and their impact on society today.  Students create a commercial in an...

Students identify a problem that can be solved with a simple invention. They design an invention.

Students apply the scientific method and create a practical invention. In this science activity, students design an original and practical invention and present the idea to the class. Class role plays the part of a CEO and vote on which...

Here is an ambitious lesson which has learners take a look at which nations came up with the most important scientific inventions/advancements during the 20th century. Focusing on group work, cloning is explored. All of the worksheets...

Students study the impact of the printing press on the Renaissance. They examine how the invention of the printing press continues to influence our lives today. They trace the development of other communication technologies from the...

Middle schoolers discover how to determine the flavor of a jellybean using different key documents.  In this economics lesson, students discuss Virginia economics and begin an activity in which they will help decide on the what...

Explore biology by researching adaptation. First, learners research and define a list of insect vocabulary terms and discuss the benefits of each insect characteristic. They then utilize a worksheet to create their own insect and share...

Students explore inventions that have been created since the nineteenth century.

Wait til your class gets their hands on this! Aspiring engineers design a working robotic arm in the fifth and final installment in a series of ocean exploration lessons. Pupils learn about the use of underwater robots in ocean...

Young scholars identify the innovations that have impacted their lives.  In this inventions lesson students write and present a speech on the greatest innovation of their generation.

While science Jeopardy games are a dime-a-dozen, this one has some pretty unique categories that are still relevant to a middle school physical science curriculum. The topics include: leading nations, famous Americans (who invented...

Sixth graders participate in various activities in which they must complete research. Individually, they draw a human heart and label each part along with its function. They use the internet to research an invention in Mesopotamia was...

Fourth graders construct an invention to the best of their creative ability using the teacher provided resources. They identify four scientific processes during the experiment and log them on the teacher prepared ditto.

Students read about and identify patterns in the invention process. Students discuss and write about information learned from research. Students compile a list of problems, choose one, write a problem statement, and compile a list of at...

Young scholars access the Internet and research simple machines. They locate five different web sites within a simple machines web quest and then create their own simple machine invention using the resources found on the Internet.

What better way for young biologists to learn about invertebrates than by creating their very own? Here, students are assigned a set of invertebrate characteristics and are asked to invent an imaginary ocean animal...

The 1590s saw the invention of the first compound microscope. Scholars learn about how microscopes work and how to properly focus one. The lesson stresses the science fields that use microscopes and the difference between electron...

The Blue Man Group, three bald performance artists painted blue, offer lessons designed to engage, intrigue, and excite the imaginations of all ages of learners. Groups craft a trickster tale, invent melodious mathematical instruments,...

First graders use senses to examine objective or events, then gather and interpret data with instruments. They design invention to support or refute hypothesis, then generate, record, and organize data. They improve environmental...

Students conduct research and present their findings in a persuasive manner. Then they work in groups to enhance the development of cooperative work skills. Students also present their findings through persuasive skills in writing and/or...

Middle schoolers write a proposal for a speech. Students prepare appropriate visuals for use in the proposed speech. Middle schoolers produce one or more graphs that summarize the results from the experimentation. Students deliver an...

Students conduct a series of experiments on electricity. In this physics lesson, students study the work of Alessandro Volta particularly his experiment on the the Voltaic Pail. They build their own Voltaic Pile to recreate his experiment.

Students name the characteristics of animal groups. Students classify the major animal groups such as: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. They identify the elements of specific habitats that each animal needs in...

Students develop awareness of constraints. In the early grades, children may be inclined to go with their first idea with little testing. Therefore, students should be encouraged to reflect on the practicality of their designs. However,...