Young historians study the Angel Island Immigration Station with activities examining primary and secondary source materials, maps, and websites. The unit begins with individuals creating a map of Angel Island, labeling sites on the...

In Module 4, sixth-graders research the question of whether the benefits of DDT outweigh its harmful consequences. Unit 1 challenges investigators to read a novel, informational text, and watch videos to gather evidence about DDT’s uses,...

The study of the benefits and harmful effects of using DDT ends in Module 4, with class members drafting, revising, editing, and publishing a research-based position paper in which they use the evidence they have collected to support...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the anchor text in a three-unit module that has eighth graders examine how Shakespeare develops the theme of control. Young scholars look at why and how the characters seek control and the results of...

Eighth-graders develop their ability to read and understand a complex text as they consider the plight of refugees. The first unit uses Thanhha Lai’s novel, Inside Out & Back Again, as well as informational text, to build background...

Module 4A examines the effects of entertainment screen time has on the adolescent brain. In Unit 1, seventh-graders build background knowledge by reading texts about brain development, centering around the prefrontal cortex, the limbic...

The three units in Module 2A present seventh-graders with literary and informational texts—Katherine Paterson’s novel Lyddie and a speech by Cesar Chavez—that examine historical and present-day working conditions. Pupils learn how to...

As the culmination of their study of the Second Civil War in Southern Sudan, seventh-graders draw from what they learned reading Linda Sue Park’s novel, A Long Walk to Water, and from informational texts to create a two-voice poem...

Rick Riordan’s, The Lightning Thief is the anchor text in a three-unit module that explores the archetypal storyline of the hero’s journey. Sixth graders examine the many mythical illusions in Riordan’s tale. Additionally, they read...

Were things really harder back in the day? That is the question sixth graders research in a three-unit module. They read information articles and literature about the adversities of medieval life, and then draft an essay in which they...

The 13 lessons in the first unit of Module 2B has pupils engage in a guided research project. Sixth- graders develop their reading skills as they examine informational texts about medieval times. They practice summarizing, analyze a...

Unit 3 of the ELA Module 2A focuses on how to craft an informative essay. Using what they learned reading Bud, Not Buddy, a Steve Jobs speech, and “If,” sixth-graders craft an essay based on one of their own personal rules for which to...

Good writing prompts are hard to find, especially those for informative writing such as research reports, how-to instructions, and letters. The colorfully illustrated templates in a seven-prompt collection include lines to write on, as...

The 20 lessons in Unit 2, Module 1 collection, continue the study of mythology using The Lightning Thief as the anchor text. Six graders also read multiple myths, as well as informational text about the elements and themes found in...

Module 4a, Unit 3 is all about research. Over the course of the10 lessons  in the collection, seventh graders plan a research-based position paper. After examining a model, writers consider the claims and counterclaims to include in...

A 10-video collection introduces learners to the skills they need to learn. Topics include note taking, preparing for tests, how to avoid procrastination, and how to control anxiety. Along the way, viewers will also learn about how the...

Unit 3 of Module 3 collection of eleven lessons has seventh graders crafting their own children’s picture book. Patterned after Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery, the illustrated children's book they read in Unit 2, writers...

The 20 lessons that make up the Module 2a Unit 1 collection focus on building background knowledge of working conditions in American factories during the industrial era. Using their knowledge of these conditions, Class members read...

To conclude their study of A Midsummer Night's Dream, eighth-graders assume the voice of one of the characters in Shakespeare's play and craft a narrative in which the character explains their attempt to control or manipulate another...

The third and final unit in Module 1 asks students to craft two research-based, free verse, narrative poems that capture the experiences of refugees from a specific culture. Poets draw inspiration from their reading of Thanhha Lai's...

Introduce freshmen to the writing process with a unit that shows them how to craft an informative, expository paper that addresses a research question. They learn how to develop a central claim, an engaging introduction, how to avoid...

Using Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as an anchor text, writers use the information they researched in the last unit to craft an argument essay in which they make a claim as to whether or not they believe it is...

Transform drafting into crafting with a collection of materials designed to enrich your seventh grade writing unit. Each resource addresses one or more Common Core standards for persuasive writing, informational writing, and narrative...

Check out these detailed lessons using popular music across genres to explain songwriting concepts such as figurative language, elaboration, and tone. Learners examine lyrics to the songs from different musical genres and practice...