Lesson Plans

YMI's educational outreach programs tap into popular culture to create a dynamic learning experience. Browse by subject through our library of free study guides and online resources, to find standards-based lesson plans for your grade level and programs for learners outside the classroom.

STEM Skills

Middle and High School

Celebrate World Space Week (October 4-10) and send your students on a real-world space adventure with this science program based on the new Warner Bros….

Penguins

Elementary & Middle school

Introduce your students to the King Penguins of South Georgia Island with this companion study guide to the film Penguins, from world-renowned filmmaker and naturalist…

Elementary & Middle School

Introduce your students to Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity and Three Laws of Motion in a whole new way with FMA Live!, the award-winning interactive…

Elementary (3-5)

This teaching kit, The Science of Safety, is designed to help you bring The Pillowcase Project into your classroom, with standards-based learning activities that provide…

Elementary (3-5)

Give your students the tools to keep their families safe from harmful bacteria in food, including a FREE Picnic Park game app that makes food…

Smokey's Wildfire Prevention Detectives

Middle School

Enlist your students in Smokey Bear’s campaign to use fire responsibly and reduce human-caused wildfires with this standards-based curriculum that takes a forensic science approach…

Value Your Power

Elementary (3-5)

Inspire your students to Value Your Power as they learn how to save energy at home using math and science activities specially designed to meet…

Air Racers

Elementary & Middle School

Fasten your seat belt for a thrilling ride through the history and science of aviation with this study guide to Air Racers, a documentary of…

Elementary & Middle School

Stimulate your students’ “ecomagination” with these environmental science programs designed for classrooms and community youth groups. The classroom teaching kit features simple experiments that explore…

Elementary (2-5)

Is Earth an alien planet? Let your students decide when they blast off with these fun learning activities based on the 3D animated family film,…

Be an Eco-Hero: Tame the Savage Planet

Elementary (2-4)

Let the LEGO Hero Factory team take your students on an ecological adventure to learn about adaptation, conservation, and the role technology plays in protecting…

Wonders of Wireless

Middle & High School

Explore the possibilities of wireless technology with activities that trace the history of wireless communication, gauge the impact that mobile devices have had on society,…

Alpha & Omega

Elementary (1-4)

Join two unlikely friends (who happen to be wolves) on an adventure-filled trek across the great Northwest with this study guide to the film Alpha…

Music Rules!

Elementary & Middle School

Teach your young music fans the rules of digital citizenship with this multi-disciplinary copyright education program. Students calculate the costs of “songlifting,” examine its impact…

Play by the Numbers with NFL Adrenalyn XL

Elementary (2-6)

Give your students hands-on experience working with numbers as they run plays on a special game board using NFL Adrenalyn XL trading cards. Students compare…

Elementary (3-4)

Let the animal stars of the hit comedy Furry Vengeance teach your students how protecting wildlife habitats can help preserve biodiversity and save endangered species…

I'm a Scoops Scholar!

Elementary (1-6)

Here’s a tasty way to review basic math skills like addition, subtraction, fractions, and graphing, plus a chance for students to learn how telling a…

Middle & High School

Turn everyday household problems into “teachable moments” as students discover how versatile products like baking soda, duct tape, and WD-40 can provide innovative solutions for…

Elementary (1-6)

Let the characters from the Ice Age movies lead your students on a science expedition to learn about Earth’s icy past and how we can…

earth

Elementary (3-5)

Take your students on an amazing journey across our planet with this activity guide to the Disneynature documentary earth. Students follow three animal families —…

Elementary (4-5)

Give your students’ math and technology skills a workout with activities that use the player stats on NFL trading cards for lessons in graphing, statistics,…

High School

Give your students a first-hand look into the business world as they step into the shoes of an executive team working to bring a new…

Liquid Engineering: The Castrol Guide to Automotive Lubrication

High School

Introduce new drivers and future auto technicians to the essentials of engine maintenance with these Castrol guides to automotive lubrication — including an online instructional…

Math's No Mystery with Scooby-Doo

Elementary (1-2)

Let Scooby-Doo show your students how to solve all sorts of math mysteries — coin calculations, number patterns, graphing, even measuring inches and centimeters with…

Surf's Up

Elementary (1-6)

Ride the wave to math mastery with these activities featuring the penguin characters from the hit film Surf’s Up. Students use number patterns and sequencing…

Switch It!

Elementary (1-4)

Switch on your students’ energy smarts with hands-on science activities that guide them through a home energy audit and challenge them to make energy saving…

Take Part in the Smokey Patrol

Elementary (4-6)

Help Smokey Bear teach a new generation how to prevent wildfires with these lessons in forest science and resource conservation. Students learn that, while fire…

Planet Earth

Middle School

Take your students on an amazing worldwide journey to explore the diversity of animal life with this study guide to the 11-part documentary series, Planet…

High School

Launch your students on a learning mission with lessons drawn from the popular video game Flight Simulator X. Hands-on activities teach students how to calculate…

Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania

Elementary (3-5)

Dive into ocean science with help from the popular Zoo Tycoon video game series. Students investigate the different kinds of animals that live in the…

Elementary (1-4)

Add some elfin magic to your class plans with the holiday classic, Elf, starring Will Farrell as Buddy, a human raised as an elf who…

Zoo Tycoon: Endangered Species

Elementary (3-5)

Add a unit on endangered wildlife to your environmental science curriculum with help from the popular Zoo Tycoon video game series. Students explore different biomes…

Learning with Zoo Tycoon

Elementary (3-5)

Take a hands-on approach to life science with help from the popular Zoo Tycoon video games. Students explore different biomes around the world, research the…

Building the Great Pyramid

Middle School

Uncover the science behind the greatest wonder of the ancient world with this study guide based on the ground-breking BBC documentary series Building the Great…

Middle School

Explore the ocean environment with this study guide to the 8-part documentary series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. Students conduct hands-on experiments to learn…

The Science of Golf

Middle School

Help your students discover how basic principles of physics translate into majestic drives and impossible putts. Hands-on activities compare a pendulum to a golfer’s swing,…

Middle School

Return to the Mesozoic with this study guide based on the groundbreaking 6-part documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs. Students create a giant timeline of Earth’s…

Smart Cookies Don't Burn

Elementary (1-5)

Teach your students the science behind sun safety with hands-on experiments exploring solar energy and reflected light. Includes separate activity sets for younger and older…