In this activity students build protein bracelets using beads with different colors and shapes that represent the different amino acids.

Seventh grade students will review the tools and mental constructs used by historians and geographers. They will develop an understanding of Ancient World History, Eras 1 – 4. Geography, civics/government, and economics content is integrated throughout the year. As a capstone, the students will conduct investigations about past and present global issues. Using significant content knowledge, research, and inquiry, they will analyze the issue and propose a plan for the future. As part of the inquiry, they compose civic, persuasive essays using reasoned arguments.

Ultimately, why something happened in the past is the question that history is all about. And here’s the fun part (or the hard part!). It’s up to you to answer the why question. You will read about many things that happened in the past and some reasons why people think they happened. People who look at the same facts sometimes come to different conclusions. Answering the other “W” questions will help you answer the question, why: Why did this happen? Answering Why -- that’s what thinking like a historian is about.

Before we can begin to study the first peoples, it is important to establish the concept of time. Historians use timelines to help aid in the understanding of the time frame in which the topic under study has taken place. The first step is to establish how the past is organized into sections of time. The organization of time into Eras is a choice made by historians. The sections of time that are being used in this book are divided by major turning points (big events that change humans forever) in history. This book is organizing the major Eras into the following four categories: Prehistory, Ancient History, Middle Ages, and Modern History.

Location, location, location. You may have heard this phrase before. It is used by realtors to explain that the most important thing in selling a house is its location. With the civilizations you are about to study, location might be the most important thing that determined the success of those civilizations.

What is an empire? How did they grow? What did they do? How did they work? Why do they decline and fall? These are some of the questions that historians have studied and tried to figure out for centuries. In this chapter you will learn about the difference between a civilization and an empire, the characteristics of empires, the impact of geography on civilizations and empires, how trade developed, and how empires were governed. Finally you will look at some examples of empires from this age.

In this chapter you will learn about religion. What is religion? Simply put, religion is the belief in a god or set of gods. Unfortunately, the study of religion is not simply put. Religion is very complex; it is one of the most interesting parts of human existence. Religion is a belief in a god or set of gods and so much more. It is part of a cultural system that includes practice, world views, ethics, and a social organization that connects humans to each other and to a source of existence. A religious belief system is also a way of explaining the mysteries of life.

War, poverty, environmental disasters, lack of resources, the struggle for power, and the quest for freedom and rights have been the common threads throughout history. These issues are still the core of the modern world’s agenda in hopes of improving the lives of all humans. In this unit you are going to identify a significant issue that is still plaguing the world today, research the issue, write a persuasive essay that presents your solution to the problem you investigated, and, finally create a campaign to put your solution into action. Basically, you are going to witness what a positive difference you can make in the world!

This lesson plan highlights two approaches to teaching students about bullying through drama. In this lesson, drama serves as a means to highlight and explore bullying issues, giving pupils the opportunity to try out anti-bullying strategies for themselves.

Students will: determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons for a given element by using the periodic table; construct and draw models and diagrams of atoms; use the concept of the stable octet to predict simple molecular formulas; and distinguish between elements and compounds.

In this lesson, students will determine if they have enough flour needed to bake pies for a festival. They are given the amount needed in pounds and the amount they have in ounces and then determine if they have enough flour to make the pies.

Students will understand the structural importance of the arch shape in bridge design. Students will compare and contrast modern arch bridges to historical arch bridges. Students will design and sketch their own arch bridge design.

Students will understand what a cable-stayed bridge is and its structural importance. Students will identify the different key parts of a cable-stayed bridge. Students will study how the forces of compresion and tension are distributed on this type of bridge. Students will make comparisons between cable stayed bridges and other bridges that they are familiar with. Students will design and construct a scale sketch of their own cable-stayed bridge.

Students will understand how suspension bridges work. Students will identify the main parts of a suspension bridge. Students will know the signifigance of suspension bridges to modern construction. Students will design and draw their own suspension bridge. Students will learn what civil engineers put into consideration when designing a suspention bridge.

Students will learn the geometry and structural importance of a truss which allows it to be used to make bridges. Students will work in pairs to design, build, and test the strength of their own small wooden truss bridge. Students will know the importance of materials used in truss bridges.

This resource provides background information on how a sundial works and includes directions for making a basic paper sundial.

Students will investigate how fast the Greenland ice sheet is melting and what the possible impacts of the change are. This activity is part of "Investigating Your World With My World GIS," a set of activities designed for use with My World GIS software (which can be downloaded at www.natgeoed/myworldgis) to help students learn key content and practice spatial problem solving.

This resource packet is meant to be used with the Cells Alive website (referenced on the worksheet).

Students will be able to: identify specific regions and countries where there was a significant struggle to incorporate Communism and apply their knowledge of the spread of Communism to better understand the current political spread. Students will be awakened to the greater global dimensions of the Cold war, and how it has shaped our world today.When people think of the Cold War they tend to think of Russia and the United states. Yet, some of the greatest effects and areas of fighting was among the Third world nations.

This lesson focuses on John Winthrop's historic "Model of Christian Charity" sermon which is often referred to by its"City on a Hill" metaphor. Through a close reading of this admittedly difficult text, students will learn how it illuminates the beliefs, goals, and programs of the Puritans. The sermon sought to inspire and to motivate the Puritans by pointing out the distance they had to travel between an ideal community and their real-world situation.