Fourth graders work in small groups to become experts on different colonial trades in the eighth instructional activity of this unit. Working toward the long-term goal of writing a piece of historical fiction, young scholars read...

Students study the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth Amendments to the US Constitution. They apply different points of view to their research and present their finding to the class.

Fifth through eighth graders think of themselves as newspaper reporters as they listen to a presentation by a guest speaker. As reporters, they take notes during the presentation. Using these notes, they create a rough draft and then a...

Students take effective useful notes from a video documentary, explain and use new vocabulary words, and research and create an oral report about an assigned aspect of the video.

Middle schoolers aren't too young to feel strongly about politics, social issues, consumer rights, or environmental problems. Demonstrate the first steps toward social change with a project about action-oriented writing. Eighth...

Eighth graders consider cross-curricular connections between social studies, singing, and current events. They listen to the song, "I Can't Cry Hard Enough." view scenes from September 11, then create presentations using images, a...

What is a bully? Romeo and Juliet's Act 3 Scene 1 gives eighth and ninth graders the perfect opportunity to explore bullying. After doing some Internet research on bullying characteristics, groups reenact the scene to decide who is...

After completing S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, eighth graders compose a personal letter to their teacher detailing what they liked about the novel and the activities assigned during the course of the unit. A clever way to get feedback,...

Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

Step into the hopeful and tragic world of Anne Frank with this lesson on reading in context. After complete a variety of activities related to the first two scenes of The Diary of Anne Frank, eighth graders participate in a read...

Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...

It's a bird, it's a ... device made to mimic birds. The eighth installment of a nine-part module has pupils read various articles to learn about bird flight. They consider the implications for aeronautical engineering.

After watching West of the West's documentary on Catalina Island, The Magic Isle, class members research how Walt Disney's and William Wrigley's different visions impacted the island.

Students compose their own eight measure melody in a D scale. Using a software program, they enter the half, quarter and eighth notes in the order they prefer. To end the lesson plan, they play their music for the class and critique...

Eighth graders debate United States' involvement in the Holocaust and WWII. They research the United States' role in the Holocaust, views the US held at the time, and how they would have handled the Holocaust if they were in charge...

When we think of ocean exploration, many of us have visions of sunken pirate ships full of treasure or mysterious creatures of the deep. What really motivates deep-sea investigation? The first in a series of diverse six-part lessons...

Students research elements on interactive Internet periodic tables, take notes using Inspiration software, and write descriptive paragraphs with graphics. They create presentations.

Students create a HyperStudio stack and use an LCD projector to share a state report with their class. Eighth grade students collaborate with fourth grade students to create the presentation.

Students use the encyclopedia sources on the computer or in the library to research the historic sites and history of Mexico City. They make notes of what they find to be the most interesting for their visit. They make a large map of...

Students visit the Allen Memorial Art Museum to view Asian works of art and read the story Kogi's Mysterious Journey by Elizabeth Partridge. They discover the history of Gyotaku and its transition into an art form. They then examine the...

Eighth graders conduct research on various careers that are of interest to them. They conduct Internet research on a selected career choice, and create a nine card stack using HyperStudio to describe their career's salary, required...

Integrating technology and music can be a snap with lessons like this one! Kids in a junior high band class took to the Internet to download and practice playing their instrument with a computer generated back up band. They practice...

What are the benefits of a single EU market? Class members conclude their examination of the European Union by focusing on the single market concept designed to bring down barriers, create more jobs, and increase prosperity.

Eighth graders examine the number of slaves in Arkansas in each census period from 1820 to 1860. They graph the data using the proper labeling and write a paragraph summarizing the data from each period making comparisons between slave...