Young thespians can try their hand at writing a script and acting out a scene, while gaining a deeper understanding of the universal topics presented in Shakespeare's wide array of plays. Begin the lesson by conducting a compare and...

What is a signal word? Recognizing these words is an important step in both reading and writing formal text. Review a list of signal words (provided and organized into specific categories), and then have your class play a game to...

Students explore the importance of using transitional phrases in their writing. They discuss why transitions are important to their writing and various types of transitions that they can use. Students practice using transitions in their...

Students examine how migration waves impacted Native American history. They listen to a lecture and take notes, read and discuss handouts in small groups, and create a group table that illustrates the differences and similarities between...

Students tour colonial homes in Connecticut and compare their features.  In this colonial homes lesson plan, students create a diorama after returning from a field trip to homes. Students use their observations and comparisons to...

Learners explore "The Rocking Horse Winner" and "The Horse Dealer's Daughter" by D. H. Lawrence. For this literature lesson, students read these short stories. Learners write an essay comparing the two stories according to themes,...

In this comparison instructional activity, students examine three items sitting on a shelf: a basket, a cup, and squeeze bottle. They draw a line to the three pictures that are exactly the same as those on the shelf, and cross out the...

Young scholars explore "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, "The Magic Barrel" by Bernard Malamud, and "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver. In this shorty story analysis instructional activity, students write down facts about each of the main...

In this seasons worksheet, students cut and paste 12 pictures into seasonal order. Students compare pictures from Massachusetts, Canada, and the Arctic Circle.

Students explore the differences between man-made and natural objects. In this lesson plan designed to compare properties of objects, students differentiate between natural and man-made objects and complete an activity designed to show...

Students identify the key characteristics that comprise American literary naturalism in Jack London's "To Build a Fire" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat." In this naturalism analysis lesson, students identify characteristics of the...

Learners analyze poems about death. In this poetry analysis lesson plan, students read poems from both Dylan Thomas and A.E. Housman and analyze them in groups for common poetic devices. Learners present their analysis and complete a...

Cozy up and listen to a recording of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Three Little Javelinas. Then, lead your class in a compare and contrast of the two stories by creating a Venn diagram.

A practical guide to transition words and phrases, this handout could be a useful addition to any pupil's notebook or binder. Transition words are placed in a chart and labeled by type. For example, words that show comparison are grouped...

Create to learn! Your class can create posters of transitional words and phrases to help them compose an explanatory text. They work in groups and focus on one type of transition (time, place, importance, etc.). They also create a poster...

Give examples of transitions and why they are necessary in writing. A bit verbose, this handout is very thorough and provides many examples. The second page lists plenty of transitional phrases in a convenient chart.

What's in a name? Pupils create a data set based on the number of letters in classmates' names. Each group then uses the data to create a visual representation, such as a histogram, circle graph, or stem-and-leaf plot.

Students read and discuss "Claire and the Friendly Snakes" by Lindsey Tate. They use their imaginations to design and create unique serpent masks. Students practice the skills of observation, comparison, and contrasting.

Examine short number sequences to help scholars explore value comparisons. They look at various given numbers (both two-digit and three-digit) and write in values that are less or more by specific one-digit numbers (i.e. three less, two...

Translate transition words for your class with this handout and brief exercise. Fairly straightforward and informative, it includes sample sentences and a working link to a more complete list of transition words. There are two different...

In this rational numbers worksheet, students solve and complete 8 different problems that include applying the comparison property and density property for rational numbers. First, they replace each blank with the correct symbol to make...

The impressive story of Benjamin Franklin, including his rise from a printer’s apprentice to a statesman, color upper-level scholars’ understanding of the possibilities of life in colonial Philadelphia. But not everyone had the...

Learners use NASA satellite data to compare water vapor over the United States.  In this data analysis lesson students use an Excel spreadsheet to map their data. 

Many birds look alike until you focus on their specific characteristics—so let's do a little bird watching! Young scientists build their own binoculars to take on a hike. They then use them to locate and identify different species of birds.