Students examine President Bush's July 2007, decision to commute the 30-month sentence of former White House official, I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby by reading a New York Times article. They scan editorial sources on various sides of the...

Middle schoolers read and analyze the novel, "Journey to Jo'burg " by Beverly Naidoo to assess a deeper insight to the history of South Africa and how it has impacted world events today. As they think more on a global level, they begin...

Students analyze the 2008 presidential primaries by reading and discussing the New York Times Upfront article "Primary Matters." They complete a KWL chart, complete a handout, read the article and answer comprehension questions, and...

Students read and analyze The New York Times news article "An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran." They answer comprehension questions, evaluate both sides of the debate, and write a one page report on the article.

Students reflect on the dynamics of human flight and how objects fall through the air and how science principles are used in flight. They create a How-It-Works poster diagramming the science behind one method of flying. In addition,...

Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of self-improvement while reading an article to create the context of discovery. They read about life lists and then use the samples in order to create one's own list.

Learners research the life of the first family. In this U.S. Government lesson, students take a White House quiz, read an article about the first family and write in their journals about a typical day in their lives versus what a day...

Students create a tree model. In this parts of a tree lesson, students read A Tree is a Plant, then discuss what trees are used for. Students use various materials to build and label their own tree.

Students investigate global warming. In this global warming instructional activity, students watch movies about global warming, discuss problems in their local community and see how communities have changed over time. Students realize...

Sixth graders write a paper. For this writing and retelling lesson, 6th graders read the book The Black Snowman and answer comprehension questions. Students learn how to write good paragraphs and how to retell a story. Students write a 3...

Students identify colors and use descriptive words to create a book about a bear. In this lesson on using descriptive language, students listen to a story and help the teacher explain what happened. Students then participate in...

Students participate in hands-on activities in which they count and match objects to 10 or more using one-to-one correspondence and make a record of objects counted, which be kept in a math portfolio.

Students participate in a series of activities to explore the lives of slaves in 19th century America. They examine the design of slave ships, the hardships endured, and the ways that owners depended on slaves for their economic survival.

Students research endangered animals and plants.  In this biology lesson, students are read Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexandra Wright before they begin searching for information to complete an endangered species...

Learners investigate the incidence of different types of violence that occurs in their schools through reading, discussion and interviews. They question local authorities about the best ways to reduce school violence.

Students read about, discuss and reflect on the life of retired Justice Lewis Powell, investigating major court decisions he influenced and the impact of his 'voice of moderation and civility to an increasingly polarized (Supreme) court.'

Middle schoolers read about the history of Labor Day in a newspaper article. They discuss difficulties American employees of the past had to face, learn about labor rallies, and conduct Internet research. Part of the intention of this...

Students examine their own diets, and then redesign the USDA's Food Pyramid to reflect nutrition experts' latest advice. They read and discuss The Color of Nutrition: Fruits and Vegetables, which is an article imbedded in this plan.

Students investigate ways in which new vision tests and technologies can be used to help detect and correct vision problems. They begin by reading the Times article, Software May Replace the Eye Chart on the Wall. They stage a medical...

Students examine the Cold War roots of the recent debate over the construction of United States and Russian missile defense shields. They begin by reading and discussing the article, Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield.

Students read a New York Times article associated with the issue of the decoding for genomes, the creation of life in scientific laboratories and various genetic engineering topics. They present speeches of the pro's and con's of these...

Students read about one cross-class marriage and create scenes to dramatize interactions among the family members and consider how class shapes relationships. They imagine the issues faced by cross-class couples by writing a short story.

Third graders make predictions about the story "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" based on background knowledge. They read the story, stopping to verify or reject predictions. They write their own opinionated fairytales.