The narrative works of Frederick Douglass engage learners in the topic of slavery. They will experience American history in a new way, a Douglass expresses his thoughts in his own words. Pupils then interpret this literary work.   

If your pupils have difficulty producing the appropriate voice volume in various settings or respecting personal space, refer to this "control-o-meter" device. This resource includes materials to create three meters for you to clearly...

Learn how to make videos with this video tutorial! Jennifer and Rich walk you through how to get started with Videolicious and how to use this app in your classroom. You and your pupils will be creating and editing films in no time!

Analyze magazines as a class, looking carefully for the target audience, advertisements, and topics presented. Small groups then work as a publication team and receive a magazine that they have to "sell." Each individual has a different...

Identify the unique personal attributes of your class members. Begin by viewing the Visual Thesaurus and discussing displayed attributes associated with famous American leaders. Using these identity maps as models, pupils generate nouns...

Third graders choose a book, read, and report what they read. Using the three R's, they will watch a video of an author giving a book talk. Then, they discuss the video as a class. Next, they organize information from their chosen book...

Discuss bullying, folk tales, and more using this resource. Learners read the story The Lion and the Mouse by Toni and Slade Morrison, engage in cause and effect activities, make predictions, and discuss bullying. This is a motivating...

Explore birds! Youngsters color bird pictures and choose one type to research. Using books and the Internet, they compile information and write paragraphs in a PowerPoint slide, including a picture of their bird. Then, they voice record...

New ReviewA discussion about interrupting others sets the stage for a lesson all about respecting others when speaking. Scholars listen to the story, My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook, then brainstorm ways an individual can keep from...

Four conversational levels set the mark for target speaking skills among young scholars. Designed to take place throughout every school day, peers are encouraged to hold an on-topic conversation using appropriate turn-taking and follow...

An entomologist named Geroge Vernon Hudson is credited with proposing Daylight Saving Time (DST) so he could better study his insects. Using the informative website, scholars read a brief introduction to the topic and then explore the...

Don't just read a poem, recite a poem! Add speaking skills to a poetry unit with an activity that promotes successful poem recitation. Scholars choose a poem then recite it with the help of several tips and videos. 

Scholars take part in a philosophical discussion about truth, thoughts, and feelings following a reading of Tiger-Tiger is it True? by Byron Katie and Hans Wilhelm. 

Did I hear you right? You need a great lesson plan on active listening? Through large- and small-group activities, learners differentiate between poor and excellent listening skills. The resource, 7th in a series of 15, focuses on active...

Is it ever ok to stand up to a bully? A great character-building lesson focuses on standing up for one's self and communicating needs. Middle school pupils observe a clip from the movie Hoot and discuss the art of effective speaking and...

Our technology-rich world often keeps young people from knowing how to communicate without a screen. Help them with these essential skills in an activity that prompts conversation partners to pay attention, ask questions, and show...

Encourage social skills including listening, speaking, and taking turns with a card game that challenges scholars to discuss topics and summarize in groups of four. 

Begin each day with a warm-up that has ELLs focusing their minds on a skill that will be taught that day. Focusing on verbs, each daily lesson reinforces study and self-management skills, helps learners become proficient in working with...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech "I Have A Dream" is hailed as one of the most eloquent and moving speeches of the 20th century. But what makes his words hit his listeners' ears in just the right ways? Young orators study Dr. King's...