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What's the Hold-Up?
Students explore the current plan by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to retain underperforming third graders in public schools. They research and debate social promotion versus retention.
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Dwellings Around the Globe
Students explore dwellings around the globe and conduct collaborative research on cliff dwellings, igloos, longhouses, and yurts. They then explore how different dwellings reflect environmental and cultural conditions, and they create a...
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Nuremberg Remembered: Guilt and Responsibility
Students explore the Nuremberg trials. For this Holocaust lesson, students research the Nuremberg trials. They gather primary sources or documents to support their arguments for the charges against people examined in the trials.
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Writing Persuasive Letters
Students write persuasive business letters to candy companies suggesting ways to change their products to make them more enjoyable and increase sales. Prior to writing their letters, they conduct Internet research about the companies and...
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Writing to Persuade
Middle schoolers discover effective writing techniques to create persuasive essays. For this writing lesson, students investigate ways to express facts and points of view through persuasive essays. Finally, the middle schoolers write...
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Rebels Or Resisters?
Middle schoolers participate in a mock trial on the Whiskey Rebellion that took place in the state of Pennsylvania in 1794. They analyze the perspectives presented by both sides to determine whether the Whiskey "rebels" were guilty of...
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Slavery
Students, in groups, research primary sources and internet sites about different views on slavery. The groups form as either from the point of view of slave owners or those who want to abolish slavery. They write a written argument for...
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Discovering National Parks
Students work to preserve American National Parks. In this environmental activism lesson, students research the history of the national parks and determine why they were created. Students then focus on protecting the land, using it for...
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Uniforms vs. Fashion: Want to Take a Side?
Seventh graders write a draft of a persuasive essay to the principal addressing the issue of whether or not Three Oaks Middle School should adopt uniforms. This lesson get your students motivated to try persuasive writing!
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Product Persuasion
Students examine various products and analyze the marketing strategies used to entice consumers. They bring in a product they like to use, and using persuasive writing, they write their own advertisements for their products.
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I'm Convinced!
Students examine persuasive techniques used to sell products, and create and write an advertisement for peanut butter.
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Recruiting a Few Good Citizens
Students write persuasive speeches to recruit soldiers for a Civil War company. In this Civil War U.S. history and writing lesson, students work in groups to create a recruiting poster and write a speech to persuade soldiers to join...
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Write Persuasively (Grades 3-5)
Students practice persuasive writing. In this writing lesson plan, students understand that there are different ways to write. Students build a list of words that can be used for persuasion. Students develop statements to use for...
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Cloud in the Classroom
Students describe the relationship between animals and humans. For this biology lesson, students research about the history of horses in America. They present a mock news broadcast about their research.
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Argument in an Athenian Jail: Socrates and the Law
Students consider how Socrates might have responded to extenuating circumstances: for example, if his sentence had been imposed by a tyrant rather than in a trial, or if it had been influenced by prejudice.
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The Sculpture of Henry Moore
Eighth graders complete a unit of lessons on the characteristics of Henry Moore's sculpture. They examine and discuss examples of Moore's sculpture, identify the defining characteristics, write an essay, and create a sculpture in the...
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The Fish's Wish
Students complete the fable, "The Fish and the Fisherman" using a tree graph as a brainstorming exercise. The main goal of the lesson is to convince the fisherman to release the fish that he caught.
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The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents
Students listen to the 18th Amendment. After a discussion on Prohibition, the groups determine if it was a success or a failure and present their findings to the class. They view political cartoons of the day and analyze their meaning.
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Write for Change
Students discuss and list injustices experienced in the novel "Hoot". They review the different ways letter writing was a part of the novel "Hoot". They choose one issue that is of concern to them and state their viewpoint on the issue....
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The Hatsiatsia
In this music worksheet, students read an excerpt about the Hatsiatsia, a traditional piece of music from Ghana. They respond to eight short answer questions related to the excerpt read. Students also draw their own picture of the two...
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Black Boxes for Cars Slow to Catch On
Students explore the tracking of teens. For this tracking technology lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Black Boxes for Cars Slow to Catch On", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and...
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Change for the future: Redesigning Maquoketa
Sixth graders research a problem to be solved in their town, develop a rationale as to why they should act on this problem, and present their ideas to the class and their community. In this problem solving lesson plan, 6th graders...
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The Lady of Shalott Questions
In this poetry discussion worksheet, students consider the concept of time conveyed in Tennyson's poem, "The Lady of Shalott," as they respond to and discuss 4 short answer questions. Students consider whether humans are isolated by the...
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Civic/Social Awareness
Develop spoken fluency, persuasive speaking skills, and confidence by having your class practice their public speaking skills. They compose and deliver persuasive speeches as they participate in five different speech tasks. A...