Primo Levi wrote a collection of short stories comparing his life from Italy to Auschwitz to elements in the periodic table. Pupils read an excerpt from his book and research the characteristics of various elements. Then, they make a...

Students summarize a piece of literature using the technique "mapping" in this lesson. The technique involves 6 main steps: delete unimportant information, delete repeated information, substitute easy terms, add a series of event with...

Practice word processing while writing different types of poems. First, elementary and middle schoolers use Word templates to write poetry. They use rhyming and descriptive words as they work with clipart, text wrapping, and picture...

Students differentiate between positive and negative personal attributes and select a fictional character for nomination who personifies the qualities of a good leader. They use the Internet to learn about the election process and write...

High schoolers analyze then sort a given list of words by selected categories about stereotypes. They complete a list of activities then write their opinion about national stereotypes to present to the class.

Young scholars practice the strategy of summarization in order to comprehend a text. They drill on how to delete unimportant information, repeated information and substitute easy terms for lists of items. Each student receives a copy of...

Explore the five biomes: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland and tundra by using online resources to investigate one of the five biomes and use MediaBlender to create an informational web site for a tour of that biome. Note: Other...

Students discover facts about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. In this compare and contrast lesson, students explore Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Students create an alter to memorialize a family member or friend that has...

Students analyze the features of myths and legends. They read the myths "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Orpheus and Eurydice," identify the myth story elements, evaluate each story for the overall theme, describe the characters, and...

Students observe and demonstrate the process of summarizing text. They read and discuss the steps to summarize text, then in small groups read and summarize an article about frogs from "National Geographic" online. Independently they...

Second graders read the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In this Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs lesson, 2nd graders are given a list of words from the story to write with. Students write their own story with the words, then the...

Students summarize a selected piece of text nonfiction text. After reviewing the process for summarizing, students read a nonfiction article, highlighting important information as they read. They write a summary paragraph using the five...

Students replace nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives in a poem. They identify the parts of speech, and rewrite the poem using their own selection of parts of speech.

Students discuss lists of interesting topics on which to write. They explore those things that interest them, excite them and express themselves freely. They organize the value of their own thoughts and use their individual lists that...

Students use their note-taking skills to write summaries of information. For this writing skills lesson, students use the notes they have taken in another lesson to write adventure stories by implementing the Rule-Based strategy.

Students evaluate human health by participating in an interactive activity. In this food choice lesson, students discuss the decisions they make each day in order to stay healthy with the food they eat. Students utilize the Internet to...

Students utilize different problem-solving strategies and creative writing when dealing with the words from the song, "12 Days of Christmas." They try to problem solve how may presents were given and then explain their sequence in the...

Seventh graders explore how to spice up their work using vivid words and images. Afte a lecture/demo, 7th graders try their hand at writing poetry using a lot of adjectives and vivid verbs.

Students study the role of the teacher in various cultures and societies through in-class discussions, literature investigations, and personal reflection. Lesson extensions include a "Living Portraits" activity and a "Student becomes the...

Students discover and perfect basic construction methods and decorative methods of clay and glaze. They create vases using the pinch method and stamping and impressing methods of decorations. They glaze their pots with pre-made glazes.

Young scholars compare the news angle, information sources and construction of different news reports about the Russian school hostage crisis. Based on what they explore the event and about reporting breaking news, they write an analysis...

Students discuss elements of effective writing in small groups. They work together to critique individual and group writing focusing on including supporting details.

Students practice fluency as well as story-writing skills. They work together to prepare and write their stories. Students are told that they are going to write a story entitled 'A Wonderful Day' and that they are going to be the...

Sixth graders discover idioms. In this idioms lesson, 6th graders evaluate idioms and discover their meaning. Students read Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein and create unique idioms. Assessment rubric is provided.