Are video games sports? Pupils investigate this question as well as various nonfiction selections to learn more about claims and the support that defines them. All of the selections mimic the rigor on state tests and encourage close...

Students research the topics Boat People: A Refugee Crisis, Dr. Henry Morgentaler: Fighting Canada's Abortion Laws, and CANDU: The Canadian Nuclear Reactor on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site.

Identify the main idea and the supporting details of a story in a literacy resource from Discovery Education. Complete with procedures, vocabulary, and assessment activities, this is a great way for pupils to practice their outlining...

Set up your writers for writing strong introductions with a formula for putting together supported thesis statements. This reference page breaks the process down and provides an example of how to compose a thesis statement, develop a...

The skill set required of readers of informational text includes the ability to identify an article’s thesis or main idea, as well as the supporting points. Learners can practice these skills by analyzing an essay about the treatment of...

Learners tackle a wide range of intimidating topics in this comprehensive unit that spans piecewise functions, absolute value of functions, and inverse functions (among other topics). Investigative group work alternates with more...

Going through puberty isn't easy, or for the faint of heart. Prepare middle schoolers for the challenges of the changes with activities that ask them to assume the role of a reporter for the Human Body Olympics. Writers craft a news...

Pupils learn about both male and female anatomy before understanding how they work together to make a baby. Scholars discover new vocabulary, create a presentation on fertilization, and discuss related topics.

Suicide prevention—a heavy topic but an important one. Over two lessons, pupils gain knowledge about suicide, particularly in teens, and how to advocate for a friend who feels suicidal or depressed. After researching the topic, scholars...

Scratching your head when it comes to engaging writing prompts? Check out a list of prompts designed for middle school classes, which includes topics for persuasive writing, expository writing, how-to essays, personal narratives, and...

How does an input affect an output? Assess your learners' ability to answer this question using this pre-test. Scholars answer questions about the basics of a function. Topics include determining if a table or statement represents a...

A reading of Kevin Lamb's short story "Lost in the Woods" launches a study of how writers use elements such as foreshadowing, mood, character development, setting, and conflict to engage readers. Class members then demonstrate what they...

Here is a nice set of activities and discussion questions to accompany your class reading of No Pretty Pictures, a memoir of a young girl's experiences and struggle for survival during the Holocaust.

Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...

Watch as matrices break networks down into rows and columns! Individuals learn how a network can be represented as a matrix. They also identify the notation of matrices.

Can some plants make their own animal repellents? Science sleuths examine the properties of cinnamamide in pear trees using an case study about computational chemistry. The resource discusses how vital computers are to research, how...

Imagine a tool that magically engages readers in the classroom. A handbook for Indiana educators doesn't guarantee success, but it does offer a variety of strategies for teachers to try. The handbook opens with research-based theory...

The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...

The big idea in the last lesson in the Health Smart series is that individuals must practice emotional first aid, that just as we take care of physical injuries, we must take care of emotional injuries. Scholars watch a short video and...

Peers discuss the importance of conflict resolution and share their thoughts with the rest of the class. The same partners then role-play a Peace Talk using a script. Finally, an exhilarating game of Sharks and Minnows allows scholars to...

All sources are pretty much the same, right? If this is how your class views the sources they use for writing or research projects, present them with a media literacy lesson on smart source evaluation. Groups examine several articles,...

Second graders create their own writing pieces. In this narrative lesson, 2nd graders use a graphic organizer to come up with ideas and details. They practice writing topic sentences.

Young scholars identify a problem, the process by which it is solved, and the solution in a piece of literature.  In this problem solving lesson, students read a nonfiction passage and use a think-pair-share strategy to...

Nine lessons in a grammar and usage unit provide endless opportunities for drill and practice. Topics include the four types of sentences, subject and predicates, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs and prepositions, conjunctions...