Should college loan debt be easier to discharge in bankruptcy? Scholars sort through the top three pros and cons to decide for themselves in preparation for a class debate or discussion. Learners may also participate in an online poll to...

After reading Elvira Woodruff's George Washington's Socks, young readers and writers embark upon writing their own historically based story, with a focus on developing ideas and details throughout the piece. In small groups, class...

Read a designated chapter of the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and discuss the chapter summary in small groups. Groups present their summaries and answer questions specific to their chapter.

Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...

Go surfing for the facts. Scholars continue their work using their Digital Resources on DDT sheet to find information by searching websites. After collecting information, they mix and mingle to hear information discovered by classmates.

Sixth graders complete lesson 5 of 15 about the book Esperanza Rising. In this Esperanza Rising lesson, 6th graders build on work done in the previous lesson. They complete response logs, and vocabulary posters. They investigate how...

Laura Ingalls Wilder memorialized life in the American West with her Little House on the Prairie series. Readers explore the first book in the series using a novel study guide. Along with standard text-based questions, scholars...

Students use web technology to access American history and the Asian-American experience. They evaluate journals as historical artifacts, especially the concept of firsthand account vs. history text. Students discuss Asian American...

Are you working on an Outsiders unit? Use this list of activities to deepen your middle schoolers' understanding of the novel. After reading S.E. Hinton's novel, young readers work on three required activities, including participating in...

What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and ...

What events led up to the Hundred Years War?  In small groups or pairs the class discusses several critical thinking questions and then writes a fictional dialogue that depicts both an English and a French point of view. 

Students practice multiplication using factors to 5. They discuss the wings of birds and the wings of airplanes and complete activity sheet. Afterwards, they number and draw groups of airplanes.

The intent of this resource is to explore Latin American accomplishments in baseball, recognizing the changes in demographics of players over the last century. Social studies classes begin with a discussion and brainstorm surrounding...

If you want some help with teaching themes and symbols in Animal Farm, this may be beneficial. After a class discussion about possible themes, class members write a paragraph explaining which they believe is the most important. Next,...

Fourth graders focus on fluency by reading the book Charlotte's Web. In this reading strategies lesson, 4th graders partner read, do guided reading, and independent reading to increase fluency. Students use Venn Diagrams, discuss...

Students brainstorm important scientific advancements of the twentieth century. They examine the implications of the completion of the first rough draft of the human genome on society. They research a selected scientific advancement of...

Young scholars discuss the qualities of a good book club. They explore the behaviors that contribute to a good book club discussion. Also, they compare/contrast a response type that could be used any time in their reading logs.

First graders discuss and touch stuffed animals and a real rabbit. They complete a KWL chart about rabbits. They listen to the story The Velveteen Rabbit and discuss it. They research rabbits in the library and make a book.

Students arms are measured with a yardstick and a tape measures. They discuss the many different types of birds. Students are asked to name some birds. They are given the worksheet Horned Lark Display Sheet. Students are told that Horned...

A child lawyer is exactly what people need ... not! With the novel study for John Grisham's Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, pupils use their imaginations to create their own examples of sarcasm. They also research a chosen famous lawyer and...

Third graders seek supporting proof of major conflicts and themes in the novel, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan which has them identify the conflict in each chapter of the book.

Pupils read and discuss how African- Americans are depicted in slave auction announcements. They research how Harriet Beecher Stow responds to the sale of slaves.

Eighth graders investigate the life and contributions of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. They read and discuss an informational handout, define five words from the passage, conduct Internet research, and write a journal entry from the...

Fifth graders read the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." They discuss the various characters in the book, and the different types of conflict that take place within the book. They also research owls and rats to make comparisons...