Class members select a science fiction novel for independent study. To verify they have completed the reading, they write a summary, a critique, and an outline of the plot for a sequel or prequel. They then deliver a five-minute...

Students explain how individual elements (e.g., plot, theme, character, conflict, etc.) comprise the structure of a play. They write an original one-act play with developed characters, specific setting, conflict, and resolution.

What are the pros and cons of prolonging life? Incorporate real-world issues into the study of literature using Dr. Heidegger's Experiment. Through the exploration of pre-determined websites, scholars consider several related...

Students practice their reading comprehension skills. In this reading skills lesson, students use the R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. model to identify story elements in books that students elect to read independently.

Learners discuss books they read via web 2.0. and create a wiki and podcast that will present the audience with their select a book by a popular teen author and write a short script about the book. Students and type the critic of...

Learners use flip video cameras to film a speech about the 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this poetry and speech lesson, students listen to the speech from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Learners memorize part of the speech.

Students work as partners to study Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this African American history instructional activity, students work with their cross-grade partner to study, understand, and memorize the speech....

Eighth graders analyze lyrics from songs from a variety of genres. In this musical analysis instructional activity, 8th graders write an essay about their life plans in which they discuss the lyrics of U2's song, "One." They tell how the...

Tenth graders examine the contributions of Harriet Tubman to the history of Canada. They read a handout, complete a handout in small groups, and write a speech evaluating how Harriet Tubman changed history.

Students analyze "The Road Not Taken" and discuss examples of "roads traveled" by their own age group.  In this poetry lesson, students read and discuss the meaning of the poem.  Students choose another poem and review it for...

Fifth graders learn map skills by showing the routes they travel from home to school and using that data to practice map reading and interpreting geographical information.

“It was a miracle.” Basil Heatter’s “The Long Night of the Little Boats,” which details the miraculous rescue of the British army from the shores of Dunkirk in 1940, is featured in a series of exercises that ask class members to read,...

Whether or not your class includes kids with significant disabilities, teaching the alphabet to emergent readers and writers can be a challenge. Here's an activity packet designed for all learners.

Have your high schoolers practice their public speaking skills by writing an either/or speech. Individually, they complete an outline on what they want to discuss and give their speech to the class. To end the lesson, they complete a...

Students use discussion and writing to express their views about the causes, circumstances and impact of the shooting of a six year old girl by a classmate.

Students evaluate the Kennedy Administration's involvement in the civil rights movement. In this Civil rights lesson, students read and take notes from speeches connected to the historic March on Washington from the National Archives in...

Students are required to critically read two poems, answer factual questions concerning the pieces, and then discuss the different uses of breath as a metaphor. They use the samples as a starting point for their own creative efforts.

Students become both mystery readers and writers. They utilize the Internet to understand the elements of this classic genre; employ critical thinking skills when reading various stories in both print and electronic formats; form groups...

Students develop critical reading comprehension skills while learning how to be prepared for earthquakes, and list at least three things they can do to prepare for an earthquake.

Students read and act out myths. In this world mythology lesson, students read and analyze myths from various cultures and then recognize their attributes as they prepare presentations of myths that explain natural phenomena.

Students utilize shapes and spatial relationships in a practical context by creating maps and writing a critical essay.

A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...

Young scholars read and analyze selections of Tennessee Williams' work. They write journal responses, conduct Internet research, perform various scenes from one of Williams' dramas, and create a presentation.

Students determine the story elements of typical mystery stories including characters and plot structure. They look at vocabulary that is common to mystery stories before reading and responding to mystery chapter books. Working in guided...