A carefully crafted three-day lesson plan integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson plan...

Fourth graders research three topics from the book, either Village Life, Sea Life, or San Nicholas Island. They research independently and meet in a jigsaw format to share what they learned. As group they create a poster for class...

What is considered news vs. propaganda? Learners will discuss objectivity and press responsibility while exploring these two concepts. They work in small groups to explore the article in-depth, guided by reading comprehension and...

Beware the bugs! Two activities engage high schoolers in the study of germs, what they are, what they do to the body, and what can be done to prevent them from spreading. After reading a series of related articles, groups create a...

According to Henry David Thoreau, every citizen must object to unjust laws. The teacher's guide to Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" begins with a detailed essay synopsis to help readers understand Thoreau's rationale in the challenging...

Students investigate Imperial Japan. In this Japanese history lesson, students listen to a lecture about Imperial Japan and then complete jigsaw reading activities about the country during the 20th century. Students write essays that...

Hands-on experience with valves and water flow supports young researchers' understanding of valve operation. Attached resources for learners are text-dense; I'd break up the text into smaller pieces for groups to read and present...

Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.    

Here's a lesson designed to help learners develop their digital verification skills. First, expert groups study specific digital verification skills, and in a jigsaw activity, share what they have learned with classmates. The jigsaw...

Students research literary elements of fables. In this literature lesson, students analyze literary elements of fables. Students work collaboratively using a jigsaw strategy to analyze literary elements.

It's so interesting to see kids respond to articles about education. To start the day, prompt learners to discuss the words colorblindness and diversity. Then, split your class in two and have one side read an article from 2007 and...

Students examine media messages. In this media awareness lesson, students analyze online messages about heroism as they complete a jigsaw reading activity.

Young scholars identify how the Great Depression affected various American social groups. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students read assigned textbook pages about women, African Americans, Mexican immigrants, and Native...

Students demonstrate the jigsaw strategy by individually reading different selections of a text, and then coming together to share what they have learned.

How do discerning readers determine bias and credibility? Ask small groups to figure it out! First, each group is provided with either articles or videos that contain bias. They examine the resources, respond to included questions, and...

Middle schoolers summarize a one to two page article of informational text. They compose a summary according to the guidelines on the "Five Rules for Writing a Summary" chart. They take turns reading their summary to the group, and...

Can't travel to Richmond for your Civil War unit? This plan creates an authentic experience, using primary sources and the essential question: Over What Was the Civil War Fought? Historians examine the Appomattox Marker, the site of Gen....

Sixth graders are introduced to the jigsaw method of summarizing text. In groups, they create their own summary and work together as a class to create just one class summary. To end the lesson, they read the class summary and review the...

Students study the history of Bonfire Night in the UK which commemorates the Gunpowder Plot in which Guy Fawkes and his men attempted to detonate the Houses of Parliament in London. They complete a variety of activities including jigsaw...

Students investigate the Nebraska Golden Sower Award and nominated titles for the current year. They explore the Nebraska Golden Sower website, read a chapter from a Golden Sower book using the jigsaw method, and create a concept map and...

Build on high schoolers' awareness of what's wrong with society. Here they examine Jimmy Carter's extensive involvement in volunteer action in the local, national, and global arenas. Define and explore concepts -- philanthropy, citizen,...

Students read portions of biographies about human rights activists before participating in a jigsaw activity in which they report out on what they read. They made a timeline of one of the human rights activist's lives. They write a...

Students examine the various roles Virginians played during the Revolutionary War era. They participate in a jigsaw activity, reading an article and presenting information to their group. Students then complete a Venn diagram comparing...

Students examine the image of the cowboy that is presented in popular culture. Students read about Native American, African American, Mexican, and Canadian Cowboys. For homework, they analyze a classroom textbook's depiction of cowboys.