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...

Practice persuasive writing skills in this thorough lesson. After selecting issues and discovering viewpoints, middle schoolers write letters or brochures created to express the individual's perspective. The ideas are presented to the...

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.

The first of a three-part series on bullying, this plan has class members present skits about bullying, write and sign an anti-bullying pledge, and complete a service project. For the skit, learners use information from previous lessons...

Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette.  In this creating writing lesson, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette.  Students...

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

Discover a world too small to see. In the lesson, young scientists learn about nanotechnology and brainstorm ideas for new applications of it. They perform an activity to determine how surface area changes when objects are made smaller...

Students connect with new creative ways to brainstorm ideas. Students encounter role playing with this lesson. Students predict future brainstorming topics. Students are encouraged to work with others in small group sessions.

Figurative language is the focus in the book Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. After reading Peggy Parish's book, class members dramatize idioms from the text, using dramatic strategies such as characterization, exaggeration, and...

Students define the characteristics of a hero by creating their own fictional superhero.  In this film making lesson plan, students write the background of a superhero character and storyboard scenes from a movie they would like to...

Students brainstorm ideas for different kinds of jobs. From this list of ideas, each student chooses one job or career to research further. They use written resources, read a variety of texts in making their choice.

Students consider the impact of vehicle use in their family and brainstorm viable alternatives to this use. They calculate the total emissions for their family cars during the week, then compare those totals with Hybrid car totals.

As your class members begin to apply for colleges, scholarships, or jobs, it would be valuable for them to be given an introduction as to what they might encounter in an interview. While the title might lead you to believe this...

Students view video excerpts from, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and discuss them to brainstorm how to write a bill. They divide into two groups representing senate committees to participate in a mark-up session where they read and...

Fourth graders discover time keeping by analyzing technological advances in history.  In this time lesson, 4th graders create and complete a KWL chart based on their research of a famous timekeeping invention, such as a sundial....

Students are exposed to literature and create an Academy award for their piece of literature. They play an author or a character and present themselves, a category, and each of the nominees in that category to gain awareness of...

Students investigate Chinese culture by reading their folk tales.  In this creative writing lesson plan, students practice identifying the different elements in a folk tale and examine the related vocabulary.  Students organize...

Explore film adaptation of literature with this lesson, which focuses on the world of film advertisements. Middle schoolers discuss various films (including The Lord of the Rings) and create advertisements for a pretend film based on a...

Young sociologists explore how local, state, and federal governments work. This very impressive and ambitious lesson requires pupils to contact government officials who represent them and their families. They research elections, and hold...

Second graders discuss the non-verbal ways to communicate. They word process letters to their teachers expressing five of their favorite things to do after school. They set up e-mail and send their letters to an e-pal.

Students write about main characters. In this dramatic writing lesson plan, students brainstorm character ideas. Students create actions and give the character a voice. Students act out the scene in groups and create a final draft.

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States..." Scholars investigate the nomination process of Supreme Court justices when assuming office. Through examination of primary and secondary...

Give learners the support they need to take action in their communities when it comes to sexual and reproductive rights. A resource teaches the class about global issues surrounding gender inequality, including both readings and...

Fifth graders complete a unit of lessons on the definition of dance. They view videos of various dances, compare/contrast the dances viewed, categorize a list of words about dance on a handout, write journal responses, and perform dance...