Imagine the surprise when small groups present their Evidence Charts to the class and discover that each group has studied a different version of the Cinderella story. Irish, Ojibwa, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Mexican, and...

Middle and high schoolers work in groups to research tales of King Arthur, using primary sources. They present the major themes and symbols from these stories, and discuss how they still relevant in today's world. Use this lesson to...

There is nothing more frustrating than discussing theme in literature, and now the Common Core requires that your learners determine two or more, and discuss the development of it throughout the text. This is crazy, but manageable with...

Students write an essay comparing The Hobbit to The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. In this The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring lesson plan, students compare the plot, theme, writing styles, and other elements in the two...

Seventh graders examine how economics can empower or disempowers people of a nation. In groups, they analyze how commodities for economic power have changed and the trends that might affect future empowerment. They describe Canada's...

Take a trip to the library! Elementary schoolers visit the library and choose books to read independently. They use the cover-up method of deciphering unknown words and use timed-readings to increase fluency. They discuss characters,...

Provide an overview of setting in a narrative. Learners discuss story elements, focusing on setting. Then, they set the scene for an imaginary world using their five senses. This is a great way to help your class better understand this...

Learners are introduced to the concept of interconnectedness and make connections regarding conflict in their community, country, and the world. In this interconnectedness lesson plan, students define the word conflict and what that word...

Students identify their feelings and learn ways to handle conflict. In this human emotions and conflict lesson plan, students discuss feelings and ways to handle conflict. Students listen to a story about conflict and determine possible...

Students read the novel, Freak the Mighty and describe and illustrate the setting. They create a graphic organizer that demonstrates the major plot elements and character development.

Fifth graders explore the elements of theatre. In this dramatic performances lesson, 5th graders discuss the structural elements of theatre and dramatize "The Origins of the Season," an explanation myth.

Third graders use context clues from the text of the story Rainy Day to determine the setting. For this setting lesson plan, 3rd graders determine the time and place by visualizing.

Students investigate the relationship between temperature and humidity. The graphs of weather data gathered and plotted for for an assigned period of time are analyzed and the interpretations shared with the class.

Fourth graders read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow aloud, make predictions, compare characters, discuss plot and setting, and rewrite the ending to the story.

Students read "Be A Perfect Person in Just three days," and participate in a host of activities. Connected to technology, they use online sources to create word searches and puzzles from vocabulary words. In addition, students create...

Students read a book to discover the importance of sharing. They predict what will happen in the story. Students use manipulatives to model the story problem. Students follow instructions, measure ingredients, and make cookies.

Students investigate Chinese culture by reading their folk tales.  In this creative writing lesson, students practice identifying the different elements in a folk tale and examine the related vocabulary.  Students organize...

Young scholars write a letter to a classmate recommending a favorite book and brainstorm ways in which a person would encourage others to read a book, focusing on specific elements of novels.

A 10-lesson unit takes high schoolers through a novel study of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. To start, students learn about Fitzgerald's background and gain historical context that prepares them for a reading of the book. The...

Kindergartners identify where a story takes place. In this literature lesson, learners take a picture walk and discuss how pictures can provide clues to the location of the story. They then illustrate where a new story of their own takes...

Students explore how the population decreased in native cultures.

Investigate exponential growth and decay. A set of six activities has pupils collecting and researching data in a variety of situations involving exponential relationships. They model these situations with exponential functions and solve...

Under construction, this instructional activity focuses on Canto Familia, a collection of poetry about Gary Soto's experiences growing up in California's Imperial Valley. Representative of the experiences of many Latinos, the poems also...

Second graders observe the teacher model writing a letter to the author of the book, COPS AND ROBBERS. They then compare the story structure of the book to those of FUNNYBONES and identify the setting, characters and theme.