A Six-Trait Writing instructional activity helps your middle schoolers liven up their word choice and shows them how to evaluate their own writing. Class members take a close look at the language used in poems by Shakespeare, Kipling,...

High schoolers examine examples of the qualities of good writing skills and discuss how each of the traits add to the process of good writing. A variety of excerpts from literature provide samples for the exploration.

Young scholars create a chart with two columns. In one column include good and bad character traits of historical figures in biographies and historical fiction. In the second column include good and bad character traits of current famous...

Third graders complete a unit of lessons on the process of six trait writing. They identify good writing traits, read and evaluate poems, literature, and myths, utilize a rubric to evaluate their own writing, and evaluate classmates...

Fourth graders demonstrate and evaluate the six traits of writing. They read and identify good writing and bad writing, utilize a rubric to self-evaluate their own writing, participate in a Reader's Theater, and publish a class book.

Young learners examine how different traits could give one organism an advantage over another. In groups, they view two different organisms in different environments. To end the lesson, they complete a Venn Diagram on the two organisms...

Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain...

Here is a fun resource that your kids will love. While reading the book Because of Winn-Dixie, they analyze the story's main characters by creating an online scrapbook. The purpose is to have them identify character traits and use...

Famous quotations by American Presidents are the focus of this Six Trait writing activity, which could be used in a U.S. History class or in language arts. After reading the picture book Theodore by Frank Keating, have your 7th graders...

Students investigate the study of pedigree designs and human genetics. They construct the pedigree representing two, three, or four generations. They investigate their family members' traits for ear lobe attachment, tongue rolling,...

Young scientists learn the laws of genetics through data collection and research. They use discussions and online resources to develop an understanding of the related vocabulary.

One way to assess improvement in writing is to conduct a district-wide assessment program. This resource details the Wisconsin Dells approach to assessing freshmen 6+1 Traits writing. The format could be adapted to any district or used...

Students explore heredity by examining how traits are passed from parent to offspring. Genetic terminology is examined and examples of inherited traits discussed. calculating genetic probability is also investigated in this lesson.

Young readers write a descriptive paper on the fantasy characters in The Hobbit. They take notes as they read the novel in order to provide descriptions of the character traits of hobbits, dwarfs, trolls, wizards, and goblins. They...

Need an a-maize-ing lesson to show your class how regulatory genes work? If you use the well-written resource, they'll be all ears! Biology scholars discover the gene responsible for the evolution of the modern-day corn plant through a...

Students read literature in order to identify traits that are exemplified by strong characteristics that foster their own success or the success of others. They generate a list of traits that facilitate success, such as tolerance,...

What do Jeep advertisements and Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath have in common? They both employ the art of the extended metaphor! Using the Six-Trait Writing model, learners begin to work on their own extended metaphors. Development...

Young scholars explore human behavior by participating in a class science game. In this human characteristics lesson, students identify different human traits that are passed down by each generation and the purpose each of them have....

Students investigate their own traits and how they are affected by heredity. In this human traits and heredity lesson, students observe, compare, and describe physical differences among themselves. Students read the book 'We're...

Students research character traits of famous women in history, compare those traits to those of his/her mother or guardian, and create Mother's Day cards, on which they list traits their moms share with famous women in history and a...

Students write an essay evaluating split character traits on major characters in Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. In this lesson students are guided through discussion questions, group assignments, and vocabulary work. The lesson...

After creating a list of great American leaders from the last century and researching their lives, pupils will brainstorm aspects of leadership and discuss what traits may be shared by all leaders.

What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...

Young scholars investigate dominant and recessive traits by studying their schoolmates.  In this genetics lesson, students analyze specific traits of other children in school and create a database of information based on whom...