Challenge young minds to build a better world with genetic engineering. Biologists learn potential solutions for environmental issues using genome editing while interacting with three case studies. Scholars read articles and view...

Stretch one's mind about viscoelastic materials. Future engineers learn about viscoelastic materials and how they differ from solids and fluids. They discover how the molecular structures of the materials relate to their properties,...

What's in a word? Scholars look at a sentence written on the board about snacks. They discuss unfamiliar terms and then record the new words by drawing a picture, writing a synonym, writing a translation, or creating a mind map. Pupils...

When considering the possible hot spots of jazz in the United States, Oklahoma isn't the state that first comes to mind. However, it is the birthplace of several jazz musicians that influenced the evolution of the genre and Oklahoma City...

RESPECT! High schoolers learn what it means, how to earn it, who deserves it, and why in the first of five lessons in this section of the Overcoming Obstacles course. After brainstorming a list of people they think to deserve respect and...

A study of The Taming of the Shrew proves to be problematic in contemporary classrooms. Is Shakespeare following Elizabethan conventions or being ironic? What are readers supposed to make of all the hunting imagery? Of Katherine's...

Villains populate literature. These dastardly characters serve as a contrast to the hero who they set out to destroy. Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, certainly rates as one of the most despicable. Motivated by...

A lesson about resolving conflicts guides young scholars through the process of identifying emotions and reflecting on the situation, all before taking action. The lesson encourages class members to stay open-minded and listen to...

The final instructional activity in the High School and Beyond Module focuses on stress management. The big idea here is that situations themselves are not stressful, but how one perceives stress is the issue. With that point in mind,...

Fridays can be a challenge with learners already dreaming about their weekends. Here's a routine that will bring their minds back to the classroom. Read aloud the beginning of a story, sure to engage your listeners.

Scholars become detectives in a lesson that focuses on primary sources. Learners practice their observational skills by examining the teacher's artifact and visiting the Show and Tell Museum that highlihgts items from peers and...

Picture this! The first interactive in a set of 13 shows learners how writers use imagery and sensory details to create mental pictures in readers' minds.

Hello? Hello? Scholars investigate the impact Alexander Graham Bell's telephone had on the American landscape. Using drawings, video clips, and primary sources, the mind of the inventor comes to light as pupils dream of new inventions to...

Students make a mind web to describe their favorite soda. They then make thumbnail sketches of their labels. Tehy create a unique font with which to write the mane of their soda.

Show, don't tell! Pairs work together to change a list of telling sentences into showing sentences using picture words that create vivid pictures in the readers’ minds.

Sixth graders explore how their food choices can have an impact on the rain forests. They examine coffee farming and how their techniques can harm birds in the rain forest. Students design two farms with sustainability of bird habits in...

Good readers visualize. And in our image-rich culture it is imperative that children are provided with opportunities to practice this important skill. A selection from Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends and Bridge to Terabithia,...

Fourth graders read a poem or short paragraph and have students picture it in their minds. They relate the topic to something in their experience and illustrate, 4th graders generate questions with a graphic organizer, use Prewriting2...

In this mind mapping worksheet, students list the colors of cars seen while driving, then list all items they can think of that are that color. Students then write the number of ways possible to make numbers seen on speed limit signs.

Model for young writers how to create pictures in the minds of readers with a series of slides that demonstrate how sensory appeals enliven writing. The presentation includes opportunities for viewers to practice showing writing.

Idioms are really confusing, but learning them will help your readers deepen their understanding of a variety of texts. This 11-slide presentation offers several examples (like "break a leg" and "mind your manners") to help readers use...

A guided imagery exercise about a favorite person prepares class members for the introduction of Holden Caulfield's brother, in chapter five of J.D. Salinger's famous novel. This focus on Allie emphasizes for readers his importance to...

The ideas present for analyzing Don Q are tried and true, and the beginner to the novel will find the information helpful. The most productive activity on this resource would be the mind map (link available) that gives readers and...

Students read and discuss twin studies to explore the debate of nature vs. nurture. They create a list of characteristics and then look for evidence of whether it is primarily a genetic or environmental characteristic. All of the...