Use a quick bell-ringer to interest your class in the art of persuasion. They brainstorm where they find examples of persuasion in their lives and identify who is trying to persuade them. Then they either fish through magazines or look...

Review concepts of cloning and genetic engineering and participate in a round-table discussion based on the ethics and potential of cloning with your class. Each learner then writes a formal essay on the topic, stemming from the debate.

Learners investigate politics by writing a formal letter. In this U.S. Government lesson plan, students discuss political issues they would like to address and research their topic using the Internet. Learners locate an appropriate...

Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars?  To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the...

What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," learners write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...

Students address issues important to them by creating a PowerPoint presentation.  In this persuasive writing lesson, students discuss issues with their classmates that they wish to address through a persuasive essay they will write....

What is the missing link? Provide your class with this incomplete essay (it's missing transition words), and have writers place words from the transition word bank into the essay. Also, since only three of the five paragraphs are...

Does your class love reading cartoons? Use their talents and interests to examine the process of writing a story they wish to tell through a cartoon. They develop the beginning, middle, and end of a story based on their original...

Whether it's an election year or not, a unit on voting patterns and political campaigns will awaken the civic pride in your high school citizens. Divided into six parts, the curriculum covers various facets of an election, including...

Originally designed for a physical education classroom, this lesson plan asks learners to argue for their school to keep their PE class during budget cuts. Whether your school is facing this challenge or not, it does pose a great...

Scholars review prior knowledge before completing a hands-on simulation of the rock cycle. They write stories or songs summarizing their simulations to demonstrate mastery.

Students examine world history by writing an essay in class. In this World War II lesson, students identify the attack on Pearl Harbor, the response from the U.S and the effect it had on Japanese-Americans. Students define Japanese...

What was it like to fit into a certain class with no choice in the matter? Learners experience the caste system in a role-play activity, work individually on handouts to enhance their learning, and participate in an evaluation activity...

The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...

Students examine the economic benefits, environmental losses and dangers of the shrimp farming industry on the coast of Ecuador. They read a script, role-play people involved in the shrimp business, and write an essay of the pros and cons.

Students choose a short story or book and a student takes on the role of one of the characters in the story. They complete an interview worksheet and then students question each other further about the character they are playing.

Students discover police procedures by filling out crime reports.  In this government lesson, students discuss the benefits of historical reports pertaining to criminals and victims.  Students listen to an officer of the law...

Students investigate U.S. history by reading American Indian stories. In this Cherokee Indian lesson, students identify the cruelty inflicted towards Native Americans by the European settlers and the "trail of tears" that were left....

Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.

Students research and analyze the current political situation of North Korea. They read and discuss an article, conduct research, participate in a simulation of an international round table, and write a response essay.

Fifth graders explore both the causes of and the actual events of the Civil War. They write essays and descriptive paragraphs and explore a variety of websites. They create a series of skits highlighting the key points of the Civil War era.

Students explore ways to promote community pride by creating t-shirts.  For this community lesson, students utilize a digital camera to take photographs of their hometown and transfer them to a t-shirt.  Students complete a...

Students discuss and write about waste management to save the environment. In this environment lesson, students discuss what an alien coming to Earth would notice about the environmental needs of humans for survival. They pretend that...

Students examine historical events. In this instructional activity on the US Constitution, students engage in a theatrical exploration of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also engage in an extensive discussion, complete...