Don't use an average resource ... use this one. As a middle school assessment task, learners first determine mean, median, and mode of salaries given in a frequency table. They then investigate how a change in one value changes the...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" serves as an exemplar for a mini-lesson on semicolons. Working alone or in small groups, class members first circle all the semicolons in the letter, and then consider how this...

How should a cashier stock a cash register with coins? Learners use mathematical modeling and expected value to determine how many rolls of coins of each type they should place in a cash register.

Bring the concept of conditional probability alive by allowing your classes to explore different probability scenarios. Many tasks have multiple solutions that encourage students to continue exploring their problems even after a solution...

The matrix — it's not just a movie. The lesson introduces the concept of 2 x 2 matrix multiplication as a way to represent linear transformations. Class members determine when a linear transformation represented as matrix...

Third graders investigate two mathematic scenarios and determine which is correct. They compare adding columns and places (such as the tens place, hundreds place, and so on) and familiarize themselves with how to add larger numbers.

Eighth graders research, write, edit and publish a class newspaper focusing on topics related to first aid. They research how to care for injuries and write informative articles for the paper. Students compile the articles to produce a...

Students, in groups, investigate and demonstrate the science behind the development and characteristics of winter storms by creating a weather report.

Young scholars study topographic maps and contour lines and construct a simple three-dimensional model of Mount St. Helens before the May 18, 1980, eruption. They use topographic map skills to interpret the impact of the May 18, 1980,...

Young writers work backward to analyze persuasive techniques. As a class, work through the provided persuasive letter: a plea to an imaginary city council to lift a city-wide ban on fast food restaurants and discount stores. Start by...

There is often more to data than meets the eye. Scholars learn that they need to analyze data before making conclusions as they look at data that describes the number of candy bars boys and girls eat. They disprove a given conclusion and...

The calculator has an interesting way of displaying numbers in scientific notation, but don't let that confuse your pupils! A lesson designed to give learners practice with scientific notation and calculators provides several practice...

Here's an engaging, meaningful, and clever lesson on map skills for elementary schoolers. Pupils combine story writing with mapping skills to create an original piece of work. They utilize a worksheet embedded in the plan to guide them...

Students propose a theme for an upcoming program on the History Channel, select a historical theme for the investigation, resarch topics that support the theme, and write a proposal to the producers of a television program.

Fourth graders use fraction strips to compare and order fractions. Identify various ways a figure can be divided. Find equivalent fractions. Recognize and order fractions with the denominators 2,3,4,5,6,8,10, and 12.

Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...

In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...

Test your pupils' skills with indoor decorating while finding out how well they understand prepositions of place. After practicing living room vocabulary, pairs furnish a room by drawing in items. They then present their room to the...

Students examine and read about Pomp, the infant son of Sacagawea. They research the Lewis and Clark expedition, create a storyboard presenting important events, and design a Powerpoint presentation.

Third graders create reports in the fashion of small books. They write brief descriptions for a variety of topics and answering a variety of questions. They create a picture book for their individual animals. They utilize basic computer...

Learners create poems and sound compositions using instruments, sounds, and pictograph notation. After listening Debussy's Children's corner suite, they brainstorm a list of snow vocabulary words. Students write poems and in groups...

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...

The Learning Network is featuring an article about First Lady Michelle Obama and her quest to help reduce childhood obesity in America. The article talks about how she has talked with the top three suppliers of school lunches and has...

Help your primary learners develop an understanding of the concept of one more and one less using two sets of number cards. The first set of cards, all in one color, is the "one less" deck. The second set, again all in one specific...