Determine the author's purpose in writing a memoir. Eighth graders work in groups  to elicit author's purpose in memoirs, taking care to note how subtle the message can be hidden throughout the work. This lesson is a good way to...

Students read novel, Little House in the Big Woods, explore web sites and other resources devoted to author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, complete Venn Diagram showing ways they and author are alike and different, and create diorama, read...

Examine the power of persuasion and have learners consider how it influences events in their own lives. After reading and analyzing informational texts to understand the author's purpose, class members take a written test and craft a...

The Yukon provides plenty of opportunity for adventure. A study guide for The Call of the Wild by Jack London, also the author of White Fang, helps readers navigate the novel which is set in Yukon, Canada. Chapter summaries give a...

Prompt your class to interact with Jack London's Call of the Wild. By analyzing the events in the novel, middle schoolers discover how human experiences create who a person becomes. They critique and analyze the reading, focusing on...

Students analyze and identify elements of memoirs.  In this literature lesson students explore qualities to listen for while the teacher reads a memoir; they then break into groups and analyze a memoir independently.

Students explore the harsh conditions of Spain's Rio Tinto River and research the microbes that nonetheless manage to thrive there. They synthesize their knowledge by creating a reality television show set in the Rio Tinto with microbes...

Students investigate exotic pets and the ecological and personal risks involved in trading and owning such animals. They synthesize their knowledge by creating advertisements that promote the sale of exotic pets and picket signs that...

Students research about the symptoms of West Nile Virus. In this health lesson, students play the role of scientists investigating mosquito activity in a fictional community. They suggest ways to prevent West Nile virus infection by...

Students explore taxonomy and how birds are classified in this scientific system. They use this knowledge to create entries for a field guide to birds that can be used to identify different species.

Students identify the qualities that contribute to effective verbal and non-verbal communication. They use those qualities as criteria by which to judge an in-class political debate on education.

Students explore allergic reactions; they then synthesize their knowledge by creating informational pamphlets that help new allergy patients research the nature of allergies.

Students explore the causes and effects of marijuana addiction and research how THC affects different areas of the brain. They synthesize their knowledge by creating print advertisements that inform teenagers about the physiologic danger...

Students explore the science and art of taxidermy, and research various biomes that could be depicted in museum displays. They synthesize their knowledge by creating dioramas that depict the diverse life forms typical of these biomes.

Students explore the issues that might arise if humans were to go on an interstellar space mission. They synthesize their understanding of interstellar travel by writing scenes from a science fiction novel that would depict such a mission.

Students consider the idea of the eco-tour, and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the...

Young scholars explore ways in which people are constantly exposed to naturally occurring and man-made sources of radiation. They create and play a board game featuring different hypothetical scenarios of radiation exposure.

Students study about how addiction can have both physiological and behavioral effects. They synthesize their knowledge by creating a sensitivity training session for counselors working with teenagers who are addicted to drugs.

Students study advertisements from the 'H.I.V Stops with Me' Web site and develop similar theme-based advertisements geared specifically toward an H.I.V.-positive teenage audience.

Learners watch demonstrations on how to create a collage out of different materials. Using town paper, they create their self-portrait and view art by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. To end the lesson, they discuss a career in fashion...

Students discover how the public's perceptions of science have changed throughout recent history; then research scientific and technological breakthroughs in a variety of areas. They then create plays that allow scientists to encounter...

Students summarize information from their research on to note-cards. In this technical writing lesson students examine examples of note-cards that contain main ideas from research previously conducted.  They will then compose their...

Students analyze 'Where I'm From' by George Ella Lyon. In this poetry lesson plan students examine the content and structure of the poem and mimic it to create a similar poem of their own.