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The Story of Red and Blue: Art
Middle schoolers identify art history by examining a list of images on-line. In this painting lesson, students identify the work of Keith Haring by researching the Internet and discuss his style of artwork. Middle schoolers utilize...
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Ideas that Lead to Probability
Students explore the concept of probability. In this probability lesson, students use random number generators to determine probabilities of events. Students discuss if certain probable events are fair. Students determine fair ways to...
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Book Trailers
Students develop a list of criteria for a book trailer. In this book trailer lesson, students review book trailers, create storyboards and use Photo Story 3 to create book trailers. Students create a mini-webquest to review copyrights.
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The Rise and Fall of the Jim Crow Era
Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. For this Civil Rights lesson, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated. Students write a...
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Buoyant Boats
Students design and construct a boat out of aluminum foil and a few other simple materials. The boats then be tested by floating them in water, then adding mass until they sink. They explore the various shapes of boat construction.
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One Room Many Minds
Learners study the ways in which one room schoolhouses were an integral part of Canadian society. They explore the economic, geographic, and cultural contributions to their establishment and speculate about and compare education...
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Architecture: Homes All Around
Students listen to a book, "This is My House" and sing a song to the tune of Home on the Range. They use the internet to view examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. Students take pictures of architectural details of their homes...
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Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Learners examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
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Design Project: Audio Tone Control
In this electrical circuit worksheet, students answer a series of 4 open-ended questions with schematics about audio control in stereos. This worksheet can be printed and the answers are available on-line.
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Beaver, or not?
Students study the role of the beaver in Illinois during the 1800's and how overtrapping cause the near extinction of the beaver colonies in Illinois by 1900. Students role play various people in 1945 who have an opinion about the...
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Laurence Yep's, Dragonwings
Students discuss vocabulary words and compare definitions. They read chapters 6-9 of the novel, Dragonwings, and discuss point of view, and complete a plot diagram. Then they review the four types of conflict and identify the conflicts...
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Biotechnology and The Chocolate Milk Cow
Young scholars discuss new discoveries that have resulted from the use of recombinant DNA technology and otehr biotechnology. In groups, they create a transgenic cow capable of producing chocolate-flavored milk.
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Every Day Is Presidents' Day at the White House
Students explore the history of the White House and the role of the president. They explore the White House Historical Association website, answer questions, create a drawing of the Oval Office, and take an online quiz.
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Snail Car
Students design and create robotic cars using Legos and the Robolab program. They hold a "snail race" where the slowest car that can be determined to be actually moving is the winner.
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A Moment in Time
Eighth graders study poems to see how punctuation, line length, rhythm and word choice can be used to create a memorable moment. They read and discuss poems by Shel Silverstein.
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Rosa Parks Refused to Do What?
First graders listen to two books about Rosa Parks. They contribute factual information for a web. They listen to an interview with Rosa Parks on the internet, adding more information to the web. They write and illustrate a book using...
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Snowman Lesson Plans
Snow and snowmen lesson plans can be studied no matter where you reside.
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Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales
Learners gain insight into the unusual, solitary world of Beatrix Potter's Victorian childhood and can compare/contrast it with their own world to explain why Potter wrote such simple stories and why she wrote about animals rather than...
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Personify This
Eighth graders study personification in published works of poetry, then create their own through the use of diamante or cinquain poetry. They read and discuss poetry by Shel Silverstein, William Jay Smith, and Elinor Wylie.
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I'm A Poet and Now I Know It
Eighth graders gather ideas generated from other poems and their own inspiration, to create original poetry. A celebration is included as students bind and submit poems for publication.
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Bodaciously Beautiful Butterflies Take Flight
Students complete study on butterflies using real caterpillars, keep individual daily journals of observations, and complete timeline for their caterpillar/butterfly.
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Hieroglyphs and Communication
Students compare modern day text messaging with the use of hieroglyphs as forms of communication. They translate hieroglyphic messages written by classmates and check for accuracy.
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Life size figures - Moveable Murals
Learners create life-size human figures and decorate them in a collage style with torn colored pieces of pictures from magazines. They display them around the school, creating life-size murals.