Words carry baggage. Class members are asked to consider the weight of words in an exercise that contrasts the word choices in two versions of the same event. Consider following the exercise with an activity in which pairs craft positive...

Talking in front of others can be intimidating, especially when you aren't speaking in your native language. Put your English language learners at ease before a class presentation. They can follow these tips to give relaxed and effective...

After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.

Hosseini Khaled's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are the anchor texts in a semester-long course that explores Afghani culture and traditions.

Get your writers started on their personal essay with a worksheet that gently guides them into formulating some ideas they might use. Strengths, weaknesses, major experiences, influential individuals, all offer something that can be a...

A unit plan uses short texts to teach literary elements such as theme and characterization. Included are passages by authors such as Walter Dean Myers and Sandra Cisneros. Activities include quick writes, filling in graphic organizers,...

What does the author believe about his topic? Why did he write in the first place? Challenge your class to figure out the answers to these questions as they read through informational texts. The resource provides a breakdown of the...

Students evaluate the messages in music. In this communication through music lesson, students listen to various musical selections and determine the message being conveyed in the song. Then, students create their own message as they...

Students practice using proper communication and cooperation skills.

Middle schoolers discuss the meaning of the sentence, The student asked to go to the office." Ask the class if the sentence gives the reader any information about the student. Can they visualize the way the student asked the question?...

Students examine how artists use color to create a sense of depth in a two-dimensional space. They view and analyze prints, complete worksheets, and write a paragraph on how color is used to draw the viewer's eye to a central figure.

Students explore traits of honest communication. In this character development and communication instructional activity, students are given 6 simple statements and work as a group to alter the meaning of each statement through body...

Seventh graders examine the setting in pieces of fiction.  In this story analysis instructional activity, 7th graders investigate the setting in fictional stories and the importance it has.  Students discover new vocabulary...

Students edit and critique essays. In this editing and critiquing lesson, students examine a sample essay and edit it. Students read the essay aloud to determine the areas that need to be revised. Students then write their own essay for...

This lesson enables students to gain a broader awareness of the basic blues scale and the harmonic structure of the standard blues progression. Students will be given introductory exercises on blues improvisation and will also...

Students investigate various facets of Venezuelan culture, politics, history and current events to develop an introductory chapter of a guidebook to the country.

Learners form groups to help each other read, analyze, and conduct research on important background information about Jews and their assimilation into modern American society. They write their own stories of assimilation.

Students demonstrate the ability to draw vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines, recognize the difference between inside and outside, and create a picture of themselves.

Students research the ideas that people had of African people during Shakespearean times and examine Othello's descriptions of himself as written by Shakespeare.

Students utilize self-advocacy procedures during the IEP conference. They explore how the "IPARS" are designed to prompt a self-instructional process when getting ready for IEP conferences. The teacher models the steps of the strategy...

Students discover the United Nations through the use of musical examples and performance. This two day instructional activity requires two forty-five minute sections and delivers information about different cultures around the world. ...

Students practice tools of observation and action to become a more effective leaders and facilitators. They engage in group exercises, one-on-one, and journal writing. In addition, they create base groups that to experience group...

Students experience leading and facilitating in a group setting and to observe what roles they play in a group. They apply tools tools for observation and action to help them to be a more effective leaders and facilitators.

Students view images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site, and list the objects and figures in the image. They discuss the way their eyes move around the canvas and take note of where their eyes fall, follow and finish. Students...