Present the water cycle to your middle schoolers with this instructional activity. After an anticipatory set, they participate in a Q & A session about the terms associated with the water cycle: evaporation, transpiration,...

Pupils gain a better understanding of the population of the region they live in by comparing U.S. census data on the internet.

Learners explore the interdependence of the animals and plants in tropical rainforests. They explore the importance of conserving biodiversity and tropical food chains. They create a tropical forest food chain and identify species that...

Rock exploration, so exciting! After reading the book Everybody Needs a Rock, the class makes sandwiches to better understand that the Earth is made in layers. They then use a description of the 3 types of rock to conduct an observation...

Students examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.

Students compare and constrast a wide variety of minerals and rocks. They test them for streak, luster, color and other characteristics. They view an exhibit and compare their answers to them.

Young scholars are introduced to the various types of dinosaurs and write in their journals about their favorite one. After listening to a story and watching a filmstrip, they color a few pages in their Dinosaur Friends Book. They also...

Young scholars research farm animals and write a story based on the research.

Sixth graders examine the prairie food chain while designing a rescue strategy for an endangered species. They compare their strategy to that of a professional conservation expert.

Seventh graders investigate what pesticides are and why people use them. They examine the effect of pesticides on prairie grasses and what alternatives can be used.

Students watch a video prior to developing a family emergency preparedness plan and kit. They decide with their families what local media sources they would use to get information during an emergency situation.

Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.

Students investigate how to draw topographic contours and read topographic maps.They examine the topography of San Francisco and contrast the elevation of different points within San Francisco.

Complete a comparison of the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana. Using various research methods, gather data on the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana, the animals, conditions, etc. Data is used to create a brief report on...

Seventh graders construct a large mural of a praire showing plants, and animals that would live there.

Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. In this fossil fuel instructional activity, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct...

Students complete a project where they label the parts of a coral polyp and discuss the differences between plants and animals. Students use marshmallows, sprinkles, toothpicks, and more to label their coral polyp.

Students fill out a worksheet after researching green buildings by taking a virtual tour. For this green buildings lesson plan, students use Google Earth to research green buildings.

Fifth graders brainstorm a list of animals that live on the prairie, and classify them as predators and prey. They conduct interviews where they ask the animals what they need to look out for to sustain life on the prairie.

Sixth graders simulate the creation of impact craters on Mars.Through the creation of model surfaces, the effects of an impacting object's mass, velocity and size are determined, and the features of the resulting crater are identified.

Students explore resource management, specifically farming. After reviewing vocabulary words, groups of students explore what is conserved by each practice. They compare and contrast responses. Students describe farming procedures which...

Pupils review the garbage/landfill graphs included with the lesson. They discuss the information on the graphs and discuss which garbage products come from their homes. Students collect examples of over packaging to share with class...

Young scholars perform inquiry into the ancient art of Kirigami. The research provides a context for the lesson and how it is related to History. Pupils also appreciate the art for the sake of its contribution to culture.

Students engage in a lesson that differentiates between right and wrong types of observations. In order to conduct the experiment they are provided with leaves and nameless objects with different designs. The two are compared and...