Pupils research insects that act as pests during the summer months. They investigate how to protect themselves and their homes from these pests. They study the life cycle of the cicada.

Students discuss the seasons and what the weather is like during each. In this seasons and weather instructional activity, students discuss what activities take place during each season. Next, students learn the song What Shall We Do...

From Cinco de Mayo to Endangered Species day to National Hamburger Month, May is full of ideas to write about. Give young writers prompts that have everything to do with the month of May. Topics include writing a story, conducting...

High schoolers explore the overall strategies pursued by the Japanese and the Allies in the initial months of World War II. What each side hoped to accomplish what what actually happened forms the basis of a comparison made in this...

Why is it important to know an author's purpose? After reviewing the three main purposes of writing, seventh graders write a persuasive letter to convince why summer school is better than taking the summer off. They can then join in a...

Is much required of those to whom much is given? That's the central question asked of middle schoolers in this lesson. Scholars consider the actions of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Colin Kaepernick, Lady Gaga, and others who have taken...

Students explore reasons for the length of the school year in the United States. The pros and cons for extensions of the year are researched and discussed.

Jazz and the City, Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz and Gender, Jazz and Literature, Jazz and the Arts, Jazz and Film. Here's a packet of unit plans organized around themes that reflect American culture. Each unit examines how...

Third graders write about a summer event they participated in. In this paragraph writing lesson, the teacher models how to write about a place they have visited. Students then write their own paragraphs.  Students will point out on...

Learners research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.

Eighth graders identify key components of an autobiography. They plan and draft an outline of a summer school mini-autobiography and employ peer evaluation in revision step of writing process. They explain difference between revision...

Students brainstorm a list of personal information based on a variety of categories. After writing positive comments on their classmates, they spilt into two groups with one entering the information into a database and the other...

Young scholars participate in discussions and role-play to learn the hardships of baby Green Sea Turtles. They explore the low survival rate due to natural predators and man.

Students explore marine turtle habitats. Students research one species of marine turtle found in the Gulf of Mexico. They identify plants and animals in the habitat. They create a model or replica using information gathered through their...

Students create a personal experience by writing and illustrating. They make a writing connection to family (or other thematic unit) and use descriptive words in writing. They write using a different perspective.

Middle schoolers explore the capital of Slovak.  In this World History lesson, students read an article that describes specific details about Bratislava, Slovak, then complete numerous activities that are centered around the...

Learn about polar bears and the Arctic circle with a lesson about the countries and conditions of the region. After examining how the area differs from Antarctica, kids explore climates, animals, and geographical position...

Students enter and experience the world of Sherlock Holmes and hard-boiled detectives in this unit on mysteries. They review and analyze the ""Whodunit Requirements" and the "Mystery Contract" that accompany this lesson. Each student...

Students examine the history of Japanese farming and current international farming issues. They conduct Internet research, create a chart to illustrate the history of farm products in Japan, and simulate a WTO meeting.

Engage in an activity that focuses on the concepts of formal and informal language use. Middle and high schoolers compare and contrast each style by using a Venn diagram that includes some examples. They read and hear a passage of lyrics...

Are you looking for a way to teach sequence of events in your narrative writing unit? Bring this instructional activity to your middle school class, as it prompts young writers to create a narrative sequence map of events that have...

What defines a woman as empowered, and how does this definition compare to the ideas and actions of a group of Muslim women in Syria? After watching a series of video clips from a documentary film about a school for girls in Damascus,...

Students consider the effectiveness of backburning operations. In this current events lesson, students analyze a photograph of firemen fighting bush fires in efforts to determine what was taking place when the photograph was taken....

Students calculate the rates of feeding for the average baleen whale, and compare the energy requirements of whales with humans.