A unique writing lesson, this plan begins with learners talking about multiculturalism in small groups. Each learner will choose a picture from a newspaper, describe it to their small group, and think about how it relates to...

Seventh graders give examples of local sources of pollution and postulate reasons as to why local sources of pollution can harm the ecosystem. They address the following question in short answer form: "Why is litter/chemical pollution...

There's no need to run around trying to plan a unit for the book Maniac Magee, the work has already been done for you. Through a series of whole class, small group, and independent lessons and activities, students practice...

Students come up with questions that they may ask an expert in a particular field. They contact those experts and ask their questions.

What is a community? Explore the idea of community by investigating countries that have experienced severe damage. Learners discuss the horrible aftermath the 2011 earthquake had on Japan's infrastructure after the tsunami it caused....

Although the methods are all scientific, forensic science was started by police officers rather than scientists, who relied on observation and common sense. Young detectives use many tools to solve crimes around the school in a...

Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...

Debt is a topic that affects everybody: the community, the nation, and the entire globe. Kids take charge of debt by designing a project that informs those in their community about good financial choices, keeps personal debt low, and...

Young historians explore US culture by investigating the US flag. They will use their textbooks, prior knowledge, and sources provided by the teacher to research the history of the American flag. They will design and create a trading...

Poe goes high tech with a lesson that asks high schoolers to use the internet and various apps as they read and analyze "The Masque of the Red Death." In addition to responding to comprehension questions in Quizlet, they use Minecraft to...

Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional...

Help learners identify initial consonant sounds and letters that represent that sound. They indicate awareness of consonant sounds and letters by responding with a physical movement. They also sing using "Sing Your Way Through Phonics"...

Who says getting to know your neighbors has to be difficult? The first resource in a three-part series creates an engaging project that teaches your scholars about Canadian culture. A question-and-answer format takes place via e-mail and...

Students characterize various traditional conceptions of teaching and apply these to authentic teaching situations. Teaching art, math and grading systems are analyzed in this lesson.

Learners investigate polynomials.  In this ninth or tenth grade mathetmatics lesson, students teach their peers the steps to adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and factoring polynomials.  Learners create a PowerPoint...

Young scholars define the meaning of the word heroes. In this personal heroes instructional activity, students complete a worksheet answering questions about their personal heroes.

Students identify stereotypes, especially those applied to American Indians.  In this teaching tolerance lesson, students read an essay entitled " I Hated Tonto (Still Do)" and discuss the negative impact that stereotypes may have...

Students study unequal resources and their effects on education. In this educational disparities lesson, students participate in a coloring activity with quality and low-quality resources. Students then discuss the disparity in the...

A reading of a New York Times review of the movie Beloved launches research into how the Civil War affected the lives of people living during this period. Creative thinkers select a person from an included list of historical figures and...

Who is Aimee Mann? Read the New York Times article "P.S. I Loved You," included here, and have your readers answer a series of reading comprehension questions. Afterward, encourage your class to brainstorm ways in which they...

Here is a nicely designed instructional activity on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their...

Students explore various state laws concerning capital punishment and conduct a mock meeting of the United States Congress to set standards for the death penalty.

Examine the evolution of various species of hominids from their earliest existence approximately 4.5 million years ago to today. In small groups, learners research one of the ten stages of hominid evolution and then create a poster and...

Who is Herman Melville? Read and discuss "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Then, discuss the film adaptations of Melville's work and translate a passage of the text into modern-day English. Discussion questions are...