A biography writing lesson with a tasty twist! Kids create a "visual biography" in which each pizza slice represents a paragraph, and toppings represent supporting details. They learn research techniques, note-taking skills, and how to...

Celebrate 100 years of women's suffrage by planning a re-enactment of famous women discussing their fight. After learners view a series of interviews with famous women played by actors, including Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and...

Pupils report classroom news. First, they write complete sentences using adjectives and adverbs to describe events. Next, they take turns presenting interesting news to the class using appropriate volume and clarity. As an extension,...

In this clever research lesson, student groups research certain cultural aspects of a foreign country, and fill out a worksheet with notes. In this note taking lesson, 5th graders write about the environment, entertainment, art, and...

Third graders practice identifying the main idea and supporting details when reading informational text. They read text related to waterfalls and practice note taking skills to identify critical details. Students use their notes to...

Students study immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century. In this immigration lesson plan, students participate in activities including creating maps, responding to non fiction text, memorizing and analyzing poetry, and...

Reading, writing, and rings! A lesson from NASA combines space science with authentic reading and writing tasks. Included in this lesson are pre-reading activities, four mini informational booklets on Saturn, a structured...

Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...

You can use these basic instructions to create a book using the accordion fold. This project can be used alongside nearly any other lesson. Have kids fold a book to create a science journal, chapter-by-chapter book summary, to house a...

Here is an exciting way to get small groups teaching each other about different fuels that are used for transportation; have them write a song about a fuel type and sing it for the class! Each group must write a three-line, informative...

There is no such thing as someone who is not artistic when using this app. In fact, this is the type of app that makes you want to go out and buy a tablet computer. Whether you have a creative lesson planned, or just need a place to take...

Students choose an explorer from a given list, create an original song or poem based on the life of their explorer, make puppets to represent their explorer and then present their original piece to the class while students take notes on...

In a mini-lab, the class will prepare Hawaiian Haystacks to eat. A note-taking worksheet is included for learners to use during a PowerPoint presentation about six basic dietary guidelines. Most of the time required for this activity is...

Encourage your young writers to thoughtfully plan and organize their work. First, model how this is done and vocalize your thought process as you work. Next, create a class list of strategies that they can use during independent writing...

Students explore the Navajo culture. In this Navajo Indians instructional activity, students gain information about their weaving and dancing. Students note the patterns in the weaving. Students create a dance that corresponds with the...

Fifth graders travel along exploring the expeditions of John F. Fremont. In this Westward expansion lesson, 5th graders gain understanding of the events that shaped the west through the use of maps. Students use mapping skills to...

The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...

Students effectively gather and use information for research purposes. They comprehend the visual arts in relation to history and culture. Students practice note taking skills, and summarizing skills. They know and compare the...

Learners explore the basic concept of micro-financing. In this economics/literacy lesson, students listen to One Hen by Katie Smith, in which a small loan changes the life of the main character. Learners employ comprehension strategies...

Young scholars play a game in order to memorize any set of facts. In this memorization lesson, students play an adaptation of the game Deal or No Deal to help them review and memorize factual information. Young scholars also work on math...

Your class may not be able to vote yet, but that doesn't mean they can't feel like they're part of the presidential election! The resource creates a symposium where pupils debate about a selected topic in current events during an...

Bring history to life for your young scholars with a Fourth of July lesson series. After a class reading of the Declaration of Independence, students translate this pivotal document into layman's terms before working in small...

Young scientists explore the animal kingdom from the safety of the classroom with this short research project. After first choosing an animal, children use the Internet to discover where it lives, what it eats, and how it...

Sixth graders examine the Scientific Method and define their topic of interest. Students familiarize themselves with how to utilize their resources and create note cards. Students create their written report and display of their...