Dream or nightmare? Class members craft a synthesis essay with textual to determine to what extent the United States has fulfilled the ideas embodied in the America Dream.

Stop, thief! Do your pupils understand the consequences of plagiarism? Lesson three of six in a series of college and career readiness activities demonstrates the dangers of taking credit for someone else's work. Learners engage in...

What is mightier: the pen or the sword? Scholars learn the power of persuasion through editorial writing. Complete with graphic organizers, rubrics, and an interview with an expert in the field, learners first explore what an editorial...

How can something be true even if it didn't happen? Invite your classes to investigate the truths found in the world of magical realism as they analyze short stories, poems, informational texts, video, and art from this genre.

Which electricity pioneer made the largest contribution to where we are today? Pupils select a scientist or inventor to research and present to the class. From Celcius in 1701 to Ed Hammer in 1976, many scientists contributed to the...

Why did the orchestra director use a copper baton? She heard it makes a great conductor. Scholars select six items to test in a circuit to determine if each is a conductor or an insulator. Clear instructions for using electricity allow...

Schools spend more money on energy than computers and text books combined. Pupils divide into five groups to learn about the energy used by your school. Each group researches a different aspect related to electricity such as appliances,...

After rereading the full text of Walter Mosley's essay "True Crime," groups complete an evidence collection tool worksheet and then class members independently draft a multi-paragraph, evidence-based response that identifies how Mosley...

Who is to blame for Finny's death? To conclude their study of A Separate Peace, class members stage a mock hearing into the death of Finny. Each witness must craft a logical argument, supported with evidence from the text, to support...

On July 20, 1969 humans landed on the moon for the first time. As the culminating assignment in a 19-lesson unit on narrative writing, class members imagine what that experience was like and craft a narrative in the voice of Neil...

Imagine using narrative essays to encourage change. This multi-week unit plan does just that. After reading a series of articles from Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, class members examine the...

After analyzing speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and presidents William J. Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, class members craft their own argumentative essay in which they make a case for the speaker they think makes...

Misplaced modifiers are a common grammar error, but can your learners identify when a modifier can interfere with a reader's understanding? Watch a short and entertaining video from Ted Ed that illustrates misplaced modifiers, as well as...

In his 2013 introduction to Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman states, “Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.” In this extraordinary unit plan, readers "explore the power of written language to educate and influence...

If you're looking to start a unit based around narrative writing, make sure to consider this resource while you're planning. This book covers five topics: writing personal narratives, writing narratives about others, writing narratives...

Sexual harassment and sexual violence are by no means new issues. What has changed is the role of social media in these issues. This powerful and troubling lesson uses a specific rape case to launch research into a discussion of the...

Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...

Key in the struggle to gain the rights of democratic citizenship was the April 1963 arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil disobedience. To deepen their knowledge and understanding of events during the civil rights movement,...

What could be more relevant to teens and preteens than experiencing stress? Use an article from the New York Times website to practice valuable Common Core skills for informational text reading, and also get a discussion going in your...

What comes to mind when learners think about campaign financing? Secondary pupils watch a video about the fundraising climate during the 2012 presidential election and discuss Super PACs and Supreme Court legislation as a group. Focusing...

Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They analyze...

How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis lesson, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times article (linked)...

New ReviewAlliteration created by both the immediate and non-immediate juxtaposition of the initial sounds of words is the subject of a instructional activity that focuses on how speakers use the rhetorical device to engage and persuade their...