Students study several periods in American history, define the term "greatest American," and brainstorm possible criteria for selecting great Americans. They create a three to five minute persuasive speech along with visual aids to...

Students determine ways to serve the community. In this service learning instructional activity, students list human wants and human needs and repeat the activity for community wants and community needs. Students contact local agencies...

Pupils practice techniques and strategies to assess mastery on the concept of summarization. They read, discuss and summarize the story, "How Goose Got Ready for Winter," by David Wingfield. Each student picks out the most important...

Young scholars create and perform original musical compositions using poetry as a basis for the creative process. This cross-curricular two-day lesson plan can be done in two 45 minute class periods. Students evaluate performances as...

Students develop criteria for 'Kids' Pulitzers,' awards in categories of writing determined by Students. Each student then bestow a 'Kids' Pulitzer' upon a piece of writing which they deem to be distinguished based on the established...

In this rubric for firsthand biography worksheet, students are provided with the assessment criteria for a family folklore/biography assignment.

Fifth graders encounter the TCI History Alive Assessment. Create a rubric together with other students. Use graphic organizers to brainstorm challenges that one would face attending school in a foreign country.

What a great lesson, upper graders are sure to love. They explore costume design and the relationships between theatre, culture, and history. They research three time periods, write a response about two of them, then create a composit...

Most companies have logos to represent them. Ask student teams to come up with their own logos and enter them in a class competition to be screen printed. Groups must include the school initials and the team name and follow a list of...

How does poetry differ from other forms of writing? Class members view two writing samples, decide which one is a poem, and then identify the criteria they used to distinguish between the two samples.  

Students practice for a poetry slam. For this poetry lesson, students select borrowed poems to perform in a poetry slam in order to participate in their own poetry slam competition.

Pupils accurately measure pieces of metal. After reviewing basic math principles, groups of students identify proper and safe use of measuring devices. They discuss the safety procedures for other devices in the classroom. After a...

Poor Cinna, the poet. His dream of “things unlucky” certainly comes true as the mob tears him apart, at first because they mistake him for Cinna, the conspirator, and then continue to “tear him to pieces for his bad verses.” As part of...

Third graders list creative uses for old objects. In this recycling lesson, 3rd graders work in groups to brainstorm creative, new uses for old, everyday items. This is the first lesson in a unit on recycling.

Young scholars practice their poetry presentations. In this poetry slam lesson, students use the provided practice feedback form to prepare for presenting their poems prior to participating in their own poetry slam competition.

Whether at home or in the classroom, each member of a community has certain responsibilities they must tend to. With the help of the children's story Piggybook by Anthony Browne, kids learn how to assign jobs in a fair and safe...

Welcome to the grand finale! Scholars practice reading their speeches to a partner and make last-minute changes based on feedback. Pupils then present their final opinion speeches to their small groups and show off their work in a...

Here's a activity that encourages listeners to pay close attention to a presentation and encourages them to reflect on what they have heard. Participants identify ideas that touched their emotions, new ideas, and ideas they found memorable.

Talk about a quantum shift in educational thinking. The shift in attitudes toward the fundamental purposes, the shifts in the use of assessments, the shift in the response of educators when students don't learn, the shift in the work of...

Young readers continue to strengthen their fluency skills with a text of their choosing. The teacher first engages the class with an audio recording or read-aloud of a short poem, modeling for children how to read fluently. Next it's...

Students apply computer-assisted design programs to develop sketches and technical drawings for a three-bedroom house. Working together, they develop strategies for presenting their designs, investigate building codes, and hone skills...

Selecting a "power book" and engaging in a structured class discussion are the learning targets for this fourth lesson in a larger unit. It is designed as a beginning of the year unit for establishing norms and routines in the classroom....

Following the reading of the book Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle, the ninth lesson plan in this unit involves emerging experts in a science talk about how bullfrogs survive. Looking back through the text, young scholars prepare for the...

Fourth graders view examples of help-wanted ads as they plan and create their own writing in the fourteenth instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. The engagement of the class is captured when the teacher shares an actual...