Students study how British surnames were derived from locations. They observe that some of the more common names are still prevalent today.

Mostly discussion, this lesson explores the importance and methods of hand washing. A few true stories of community illnesses spread by the neglect of washing hands serve as an anticipatory set. The activity is most memorable if you are...

Use demonstrations to enlighten learners on oxygen's role in combustion. Use potatoes and hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen concentration in a jar, then stick a glowing splint and a burning wad of steel wool into the newly formed...

Celebrate the circle of life with this fun hands-on activity. After cutting out, gluing together, and assembling this visual model, students are able to spin through and observe the life cycle of penguins.

Priming and shaping, two teaching strategies used to prepare kids for upcoming activities, are detailed in this resource that models how to prepare kids for a trip to the supermarket. Activities include creating a shopping list,...

Milk does a body good ... unless, of course, someone is lactose intolerant. Pupils play the role of pharmaceutical scientists in a guided inquiry lab about lactase. Lab groups collaborate to learn more about lactose intolerance, how...

Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...

Students examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth as it...

Young scholars explore movement in dance routines. They observe movements and transform everyday gestures into choregraphy. Through activities, students develop improvisational skills. They evaluate and critique work.

Demonstrate an ability to make informed choices about the prevention of injury with your class and others. Through class discussion, observational studies, simulation, and the creation of a handbook, high schoolers will understand the...

Students imagine they are animals in the Palace Facade painting. In this Palace Facade lesson plan, students observe and discuss the geometric and organic shapes in the painting shown to them.

If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...

Students examine different poems from Emily Dickinson. They practice listening for meter in the poems and make connections between the texts. They also practice their own creative writing skills.

Using 2-liter bottles, junior ecologists create composting tubes in which they place nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. They observe what changes occur over two weeks' time. Provide more specific direction to your class as to what...

Students explore water and ice. In this physical science activity, students participate in a science inquiry and observe the characteristics of ice and water. Students compare the differences between a solid and liquid and record their...

Learners examine cell division and the process of mitosis.  In this cell reproduction lesson students grow yeast and observe the results, and learn about the career of scientific illustration. 

Skill in using Excel and increasing proficiency in manipulating data are challenged with this data analysis work.  A web link supplies data and step-by-step instructions help learners create a graph.  There are many extension...

Does watching TV increase one's blood pressure? Assess student understanding of how study design dictates whether a conclusion of causation is warranted. Use this as a prompt for a small group or whole class discussion, or as a part of a...

Students explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this extinction instructional activity, students watch dinosaur video clips or complete a puppet finger play about dinosaurs. Students may then complete a dinosaur...

Middle schoolers study the Pythagorean Theorem. They describe what it means to square a number. Pupilsuse the Pythagorean Theorem to prove the sides of given triangles, and use geometric pieces of paper to create a right triangle and...

To observe preservation techniques firsthand, learners dry a flower in sand and compare cucumber slices soaked in salt water for a week with slices left out to dry in the open air. Video resources (not attached) include one about mummies...

Fourth graders sort seeds and predict what conditions are needed for them to germinate. They keep the seeds moist, observe and measure their growth and graph the results. As the seeds start to grow students compare and contrast the each...

For this fraction lesson, students manipulate paper by folding it to create different shapes and sizes, they explore the concept of fractions, and discuss their observations as a class. This is a great lesson for getting students...

First drafted in the year 996, The Pillow Book contains reflections of those met by a lady-in-waiting in the Japanese court. A brief summary, historical context, and discussion questions are provided on the first two pages. Then, two...