Overcoming Obstacles
Adapting to Change
Peter Pan doesn't want to grow up and doesn't want to change. Many middle schoolers feel the same way. The first lesson plan in the "Looking to the Future" module underscores the concept that change is a natural part of life and that a...
K20 LEARN
Baking Cupcakes!: Fractions
Following an engaging video, mathematicians solve a word problem about baking cupcakes using fractions. Scholars practice different problem-solving strategies, then find different ingredient amounts for their recipes. Pupils solve a...
Anti-Defamation League
Stereotypes of Girls and Women in the Media
A two-part lesson has scholars researching the stereotypes in portraying women and girls in the media and the impact of these representations. To conclude the lesson, participants write a letter of praise to sources that present positive...
Anti-Defamation League
Why are Children’s and Young Adult Books Challenged and Banned?
September's "Banned Books Week" brings attention to the number of books that are challenged, censored, or banned each year. After watching a video about banned book week, reading articles about the history of book banning, and examining...
K20 LEARN
A Way With Words: Copy Editing And The Writing Process
Learning to edit copy using correct grammar and mechanics is an essential skill in school—where scholars are called upon to edit their peers' writing—and in business. Class members practice this skill by first editing a provided article...
K20 LEARN
Allow Me To Introduce Myself: Writing A Letter Of Introduction
"Who am I?" is not only a great philosophical question that requires a lot of reflection but is also at the heart of a letter of introduction. The challenge, of course, is figuring out where to start. Middle schoolers get a little help...
Penguin Books
Teacher's Guide: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
It's the American Dream! A house of your own, a better life, freedom to be who you want. But what happens when the dream withers? Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning drama, A Raisin in the Sun, offers some powerful answers to these...
K20 LEARN
Active Or Passive?—"The Monkey's Paw": Grammar/Language Usage
Don't you wish you could use passive voice? Be careful what you wish for! "The Monkey's Paw" is the focus of a grammar and language usage lesson about active and passive voice. Readers identify examples of active and passive voice in...
K20 LEARN
(Not Quite) Breaking All The Rules: Poetry And Grammar
FANBOYS will enjoy breaking grammar rules, but they will have to use coordinating conjunctions, gerunds, compound sentences, compound-complex sentences, and even predicates as they craft poems like Shel Silverstein.
K20 LEARN
Alienstock: Analyzing Information, Media, And Validity
One only has to watch MSMBC and FOX News to realize that media can present the same story in very different ways. Middle schoolers have an opportunity to test their ability to determine the validity and trustworthiness of information by...
K20 LEARN
Chicken Truck: Writing Algebraic Expressions
How did the chicken travel down the road? Given a picture of a chicken truck, class members brainstorm what information they need to determine the total number of chickens on the truck. Pupils research for the information and devise a...
K20 LEARN
You’re The Network: Data Analysis
How do you rate? Young scholars use graphical data to analyze ratings of different television episodes. Their analyses include best-fit lines, mean, median, mode, and range.
K20 LEARN
A Visual Exploration Of Theme: Picture The Theme
"What is the theme of this story?" Now there's a question that can strike fear in the hearts of learners. Here's a lesson that uses photographs to introduce the concept of theme. Scholars examine six photographs and then attach a theme...
Overcoming Obstacles
Defining Problems Big and Small
Problems come in all shapes and sizes, but the first step in solving a problem is to identify just what the problem is. Through a series of games and activities, middle schoolers learn first to identify a problem, decide on a solution,...
K20 LEARN
Analyzing Literary Figures: Analyzing Literature
The author study gets an update in a research project designed for high schoolers. Scholars search for information about literary figures that connects them to their times, their works, their themes, and other writers. Researchers also...
K20 LEARN
But What About Me?: Teaching Perspective In The Social Studies Classroom
How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...
K20 LEARN
A Multimodal Approach To Edgar Allan Poe Using Drawing To Understand An Author's Style
True! Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" makes readers nervous. But how? Young scholars create a drawing while listening to a reading of Poe's eerie tale to understand how writers create the mood of their stories and what their writing style...
Overcoming Obstacles
Resolving Conflicts
The final lesson in the Resolving Conflicts module asks participants to summarize what they have learned about resolving conflicts. Groups then apply what they learned to a conflict described in a provided scenario.
Overcoming Obstacles
Creating a Win-Win Situation
Win-lose? Lose-lose? or Win-win? The activities and games in the fifth lesson plan in the Resolving Conflicts module teach middle schoolers how they might use their problem-solving skills to transform a conflict into a win-win solution.
Overcoming Obstacles
Using Communication Skills Effectively
Miscommunication is often the basis of conflict. To improve their communication skills, pupils first review what they learned about assertive (as opposed to aggressive or passive) communication, role-play several scenarios, and then...
Overcoming Obstacles
Controlling Emotions in Conflicts
"Stop! Think! and Cool Down!" Participants in the third lesson in the Resolving Conflicts module learn how to pause and reflect in stressful situations rather than react. The class generates a list of strategies that could help control...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Emotions in Conflicts
The takeaway from the second lesson plan in the Resolving Conflicts module is that "conflict is like an iceberg" in that we only see a small portion of what's involved in conflicts. Participants learn to identify the many unseen feelings...
Overcoming Obstacles
Understanding Conflicts
The Resolving Conflicts module begins with a lesson about tolerance and learning to appreciate differences among people. Through a series of activities and games, middle schoolers learn that conflicts arise when people have opposing...
Overcoming Obstacles
Learning How You Learn Best
Scholars think of a special place, then represent that place through pictures or written words— a poem, song, or short story. Peers show off their organizational skills by reviewing their binders and notebooks, comparing strategies, and...