Who knew determining author's purpose could be turned into a game? Four teams compete to correctly identify the author's purpose for writing a series of passages.

Second graders consider the author's purpose for writing a text. For this author's purpose lesson, 2nd graders discuss reasons why author's write a book and how it can often be for entertainment. Students read a book, provide two...

Most teachers and scholars look for a way to simplify information. Informational how-to slides simplify the process of technical writing into a step-by-step process. Learners gather information on what to do, as well as what to avoid....

The New York Times article “Online Diary,” launches this study of websites and how to assess them. Richly detailed, the instructional activity includes warm-up activities, procedures, journal prompts, discussion questions, and links to...

Applying photography basics they learn for this project, first graders take pictures of an adult at work focusing on the tools used, the work site, and job responsibilities. After making a career book that includes photos and...

Students complete job applications. In this written communication lesson, students discuss the purpose of job applications and then complete job applications in their field. 

Seventh graders word process business letters using proper tab settings, spell checking, grammar and punctuation. They use the Internet to search for names and addresses.

Wow! Here is a most-impressive series of lessons and activities that revolve around the classic story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The purpose of the lessons are to provide an agricultural theme in the reading, writing, and science...

The topic of this lesson focuses on whether or not Obama was able to convincingly defend his choice of choosing Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. This is considered a controversial or hot topic because it...

High schoolers deconstruct advertising messages by analyzing parody ads and exploring the purpose of satire. Then they create their own parodies based on real ads discussed in class. A creative activity to extend any study of media,...

Trying to write your end-of-year exam while encouraging scholars to begin reviewing? Do both using this study-skills strategy, which has scholars writing their own test! Although this lesson is intended for AP classes, it is applicable...

Seventh graders see the relationship of math and the real world application by manufacturing a product for making a profit. They create a food product from a recipe, record their sales and analyze and report their gross profit.

Students examine the effects of pests on other organisms, crops, and the environment. they construct an insect observation chamber and discover how some insects can be pests in some situations and beneficial in others. They write "pest...

Students bring in a tool that represents the work their parents do. They present and discuss the tool and write a story about how the tool might be used. They discuss what they would like to do when they grow up.

Students investigate how to create a vegetable garden and complete related activities. In this vegetable garden instructional activity, students receive agriculture notebooks to complete vocabulary for the gardening instructional...

Students, in groups, make chocolate chip cookies following a recipe.

Students discover film making by participating in a music performance.  In this performance arts lesson, students perform music and physical acting to convey an already written script for their peers.  Students collaborate with...

Students study tourism and conservation. In this coral development lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and write a report. 

Young scholars conduct research on four fast food restaurants to determine where they might apply for a job. They conduct research on hourly rate, working conditions, and benefits, construct a spreadsheet with a graph, and present their...

Over 3 or 4 class periods your young designers will create a wearable garment that provides some sort of protection from a danger in everyday life. In this fashion design instructional activity, students investigate fear in our society...

Whether you are viewing a landscape painting of a farm, examining a still-life portrait of a bowl of fruit, or reading a descriptive poem about cultivating food, you can't deny that agriculture plays a major role in visual and language...

Fourth graders read "Starting a Business" and answer the question: "How could you design an ad to let the community know about the business described in the story?" Then, they illustrate a written ad that could be posted in the...

Students use the internet to research the location of their summer vacation trip. Given the demographics, they plot the location on a world map. They create a brochure using the information they collected. Using PowerPoint, they develop...

High schoolers research, investigate and develop an individual career plan. They analyze all their career options and goals. Each student fine tunes their interviewing and written skills as they prepare to seek certain jobs out in the...