Abraham Lincoln is responsible for uniting the states during the most tumultuous periods in American history, and for his elegant oratory that kept the Union believing in its cause. Young histoians analyze various speeches by America's...

Invite your class to investigate racism and civil rights by analyzing the great Dr. Martin Luther King's speech. Your learners will read the words from the "I Have a Dream" speech and analyze the political and racial overtones. They will...

Compare real events from Mark Twain's life to events in the story. Middle school readers identify point-of-view, its purpose, and its reliability by citing two examples. They describe the tone of the story using four examples and...

Interpret current events using editorial cartoons and other print media. Middle schoolers explore the meanings of literary and artistic terms such as satire, irony, and caricature. They visit internet sites to develop an understanding of...

Students play Kansas Symbols Bingo. In this Kansas history lesson, students review the 8 state symbols: buffalo, wheat, cottonwood tree, honeybee, meadowlark, salamander, sunflower, and turtle. Students then participate in a game of...

Students examine the freedom of speech. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students analyze primary documents from Texas v. Johnson and discuss the implications of the decision regarding flag burning.

Students identify what makes a country democratic and compare United States and Indian political party symbols. They create their own political party and party symbol. They create a campaign speech, participate in the voting process...

“Ich bin ein Berliner.” Here’s the full text of John F. Kennedy’s famous address delivered to the people of Berlin on June 26, 1963. The resource could be used as part of a study of Kennedy’s presidency, of rhetorical devices, or as...

Students review parts of speech by using Inspiration. They brainstorm vocabulary that fit a Valentines theme. Students watch as the teacher demonstrates the parts of a cinquain poem. Students write their own poem and create a KidPix...

Students identify anecdotes in speeches and the purposes that politicians use the anecdotes for. They create personal anecdotes for the class to hear, and students decide if the anecdote is real or fabricated.

Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...

Sixth graders write descriptive narratives about animals. In this descriptive writing lesson, the teacher models how to write a paragraph with interesting sensory words and exciting verbs. Students choose a picture of an animal they want...

What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...

Tenth graders complete a variety of activities related to the first two chapters of the book The Outsiders. They define metaphor, simile, idiom, and hyperbole, and take a vocabulary pre-quiz. In small groups, they write a character...

"The Masque of the Red Death" provides readers with an opportunity to research and plan a presentation about a topic related to Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story. 

Students explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln activity, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. Students conduct further...

Learners examine the image of George Washington. In this Washington presidency lesson plan, students use the provided analysis handout to analyze the character of Washington conveyed in several pieces of art and speeches. Learners share...

Fourth graders read "The Runaway" by Robert Frost and analyze it for its literal and symbolic meanings. They compare their personal experiences with the poet's suggestions about youthful attitudes and behaviors. Some nice worksheets are...

The second lesson in the series asks groups to analyze an exchange of love letters between Abigail and John Adams. Scholars identify the many allusions and references in the letters and consider what they can infer about the writers.

Students discover the accomplishments of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. In this social justice lesson, students watch "Freedom Fighters," and then read speeches or writings made by each of the men. Students write compare and...

Students examine examples of poems and identify the prepositions in them. They write original poems using prepositional phrases and create illustrations to go with them.

First graders choose a community member, show how to resolve a conflict, and trade writing with a classmate. They match symbols that might represent the community members they have chosen.

Sixth graders study the various landmarks of the world.  In this Geography activity, 6th graders write about these landmarks. 

High schoolers identify the distinction between literal and figurative language with a focus on metaphors. They complete a metaphor analysis chart, then practice expanding metaphors by composing their own comparisons of elements of the...