Let your creativity run wild. Scholars build a sculpture out of basic materials. These sculptures must be able to move in the wind (from an electric fan). However, they must also withstand the wind enough to not fall over—it's quite the...

Ambition, murder, nontraditional gender roles ... some problems just can't be fixed in marriage counseling. Learners discuss the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. As a culminating activity, pupils analyze how the characters'...

How do the Three Witches' interactions with Macbeth advance the plot of Shakespeare's Macbeth? Learners complete a Quick Write to answer the question. They also participate in a whole-class dramatic reading of Act 4.1.

Is it better to be dead than to "dwell in doubtful joy," as Lady Macbeth suggests in Act 3.2 of Shakespeare's Macbeth? Using the resource, scholars work in small groups to discuss how Lady Macbeth and Macbeth begin to unravel following...

Rest in peace, Ophelia! Scholars read about Ophelia's burial in Act 5.1 of Shakespeare's Hamlet. They complete a Quick Write to analyze the characters' reactions to Ophelia's death.

How does Shakespeare develop the character of Claudius in the first Act of Hamlet? Using a helpful resource, pupils complete a Quick Write to answer the question. Readers also work in small groups to discuss the characters of Claudius...

Hamlet has an unusual take on the criminal justice system when he decides to determine his uncle's guilt by staging a play. With the resource, scholars continue analyzing Hamlet's third soliloquy from Act 2.2 of Shakespeare's Hamlet....

What impact does word choice have on character development? Using the resource, scholars read Act 3.1 from Shakespeare's Hamlet, focusing on the development of Ophelia's character. They also complete a Quick Write to analyze the meaning...

Scholars examine how characters try to control one another in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They engage in a read-aloud and class discussion to iron out ideas. They also work in small groups to complete a note-catcher...

A bully, a victim, and a bystander—far from the beginning of a joke, cyberbullying is no laughing matter. Bystander or upstander? As part of the study of cyberbullying, high schoolers first read a series of articles about cyberbullying...

The party is over. Now it's time to get to work! Learners acting as agents for a country during the modern Age of Empires develop proposals to negotiate trade deals between the rising global powers. Using research from previous lessons,...

A tasty treat lends its curious substance to space exploration. Mimicking the discoveries of Albert Einstein, young astronomers beginning by making a batch of Jello-O, then four hours later, scholars place edible objects that act like...

Two lessons take a close look at drug prevention. The first lesson, split into two sessions, challenges learners to gather information from an article, answer questions, then create a poster that encourages others to stay away from...

Let's take a trip to the future. Scholars imagine their future wealthy selves by completing a worksheet based on the year 2025. Then, acting as journalists, they conduct interviews with their classmates to prepare to write an article for...

The Fair Play Act of 2009 came about due to the actions of one woman. Young historians research Lilly Ledbetter and what she went through to get pay equal to that paid to men for the same work at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The...

Scholars examine how Brutus and Mark Antony employ ethos, pathos, and logos in their speeches to persuade the angry crowd in Act 3, scene 2 of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Julius Caesar. To set the stage, groups first identify the...

Students examine the events leading up to and after the Townshend Acts in Boston. In this American History lesson plan, students engage in a class discussion and write an essay about the failure of the British Stamp Act and the Colonial...

Eleventh graders study the American Revolution. In this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze primary sources. Students participate in a simulation on taxes. 

Students explore philanthropy and integrity. In this philanthropy lesson, students define the word "integrity," and role play various scenarios to demonstrate integrity.

Students investigate world news and create a performance from their research.  In this current events lesson, students identify major political or news stories in the media and create a performance based on a character they will...

Students examine primary sources regarding American movement to the west. In this westward expansion lesson, students create broadside posters based on the Homestead Act primary sources they research.

Eleventh graders explore the Native American movement. They study the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Dawes Act of 1887, and the Indian Boarding Schools in 1887. They research each episode and create a Venn diagram poster.

Students read about and discuss the geography and statehood of Utah. In this Homestead Act lesson, students read the Homestead Act and discuss its effects. Students analyze a precipitation map and work in pairs to answer discussion...

Students connect a scene from a play they are reading to events in their own lives. Working in male/female pairs, students act out a scene from "Hamlet." Pairs work to role play a scene as an extension of the one they have read, using...