Students practice calculating the perimeter of different sized rectangles. Individually, they identify the derivations of a function that can show the perimeter and determine how to minimize the perimeter within a fixed area. They use...

Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of perimeter. As a class, they listen to a lecture describing the derivations of a function that describes perimeter. They calculate the minimum perimeter of a rectangle and determine the...

Seventh graders explore the concept of angles. In this angles instructional activity, 7th graders use protractors to measure angles. Students sing an angle song. Students discuss attributes of angles using a two-color plate manipulative.

Students write essays to persuade their families to use a particular long-distance phone plan. They compare a 10-10 plan to a regular long-distance plan.

Force the plane through the air. The lesson introduces the force on an airplane that makes it go forward. Pupils learn how Newton's laws of motion apply to flight in the eighth segment of a 22-part unit on flight.

Eleventh graders research American culture of the Great Depression. In this role-playing instructional activity, groups of students develop "talking points" for their assigned topic and condense them into a Powerpoint or Hyper Studio...

Learners build a scaled model of the solar system. In this space science instructional activity, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and relative...

Whose home is it anyway? Design teams plan a housing development in which they must also protect a native species. The teams consist of a project manager, civil engineer, environmental engineer, and graphic designer. Teams present their...

How high did the ball go? Engineering teams build a working pneumatic system that launches a ball into the air. The teams vary the amount of pressure and determine the accompanying height of the ball. An extension of building a device to...

An internet investigation leads learners to discover whether or not weather and light house location are related to the locations of shipwrecks on The Great Lakes. They work in cooperative groups to plot the locations of light houses and...

Taconite is a rock that is used as a source of iron. Earth science explorers examine a piece up-close and discuss whether they think it is more cost effective to ship it by boat or by truck. They write letters to their state...

Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They identify the three types of stress, conduct a simulation by breaking bars of soap using only their hands, and complete a worksheet.

First graders study the postal system and letter writing. They exchange class letters with another class in a different area and become pen pals with residents in a local nursing home.

Students study food chains by creating their own slide show using KidPix. They compare information after sharing their slide shows as a whole group. As the children are watching the slide shows of their peers, they tally every time...

Students work in small groups to redesign the packaging of several common items. They attempt to reach the goal of 25% reduction in packaging materials currently used and explore the impact of various materials and designs in landfills...

Sixth graders participate in a lesson plan that is about investigating the different layers of the earth and defining how the plates move over the mantle. They engage in a variety of activities and use mathematics to create projects to...

Students investigate the concept of building materials and how they are used to create different things. They focus upon the availability, cost, flexibility, and strength of different building materials. This is done by taking part in a...

  Students take a survey that is asking them about their feelings or experiences about bullying.  In this tolerance lesson, students discuss what responses would be to the survey.   

Third graders explore forms of matter through reading, hands-on science activities, and research using the Internet. Students create a booklet, directions given, that they title and decorate, to later serve as a review visualization...

Students describe migrations and life cycle pattersn of a key alfalfa pest, the Porato Leafhopper. They define the Economic Inquiry Level and Economic Threshold. Students evaluate data in relation to profit as it applies to IPM. They...

Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.

Middle schoolers discover scales for both the solar bodies' relative sizes and their distances from the sun. They find equatorial circumference and volumes of their solar bodies. Students apply estimation strategies and proportioanl...