Learners are explained that they are going to use a part of Thomas Paine's 1776 pamplet Common Sense as a starting point for exploring about argumentation, or persuasive writing. They are given a copy of the excerpt. Students discuss...

Learners answer assigned questions as a group, write individual essays, complete a research project, and complete a writing project.

Sometimes you need a map to get to your destination. High schoolers list 10 short and long terms goals and personal assets they have that will help them achieve these goals. They then craft a paragraph in which they reflect on how these...

Your class participates in a variety of shared reading and writing activities related to the book Julian Secret Agent. They complete a class story chart, examine how to use punctuation for dialogue, write an alternative...

Engage in an activity that focuses on the concepts of formal and informal language use. Middle and high schoolers compare and contrast each style by using a Venn diagram that includes some examples. They read and hear a passage of lyrics...

Upper graders play the voting game to help them understand voting patterns, political movements, and build a content specific vocabulary. Each student creats a chart to determine if his or her political view veers liberal or...

Practice your speaking skills! Using a chosen visual aid, pupils present a previously written essay to the class. During the oral presentation, the listeners identify and write down the author's purpose and a question for the author. At...

First graders write facts about the Earth. In this Earth lesson, 1st graders discuss natural resources, recycling, and how to keep the Earth clean. They work in groups to create a small book with 3-5 facts about the Earth's environment.

Students explore holidays by participating in class singing activities. In this Thanksgiving history lesson plan, students discuss the importance of Thanksgiving Day and read several poems which discuss the history of Thanksgiving....

Second graders practice their reading comprehension by analyzing stories they read in class. In this children's literature lesson, 2nd graders are assigned to read a book for 20 minutes each day in class and also reflect on it in their...

Students describe what scientists mean by an "expanding universe" in their own words. They explain how scientists comprehend the universie is expanding. Students comprehend the vast scale of the universe. They comprehend how theory...

Ninth graders discuss the different forms of equations. In this algebra lesson, 9th graders talk about the pros and cons of algebraic equations. They discuss reflection across the x and y axis and write out the equation of the given...

Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...

Learners explore space science by participating in a sky observation activity. In this astronomy instructional activity, students define a list of astronomy vocabulary terms and examine star charts of the four seasons. Learners gather...

Students analyze the forces that shape character development, including the role of historical events. Students contrast the ethos of the Ancient Regime with the new ideals awakened by the French Revolution.

What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...

A person doesn't have to be an adult to make a difference! Scholars examine a speech by a 16-year-old girl. They discuss her word use, answer guided questions, and complete a rhetorical tracking tool. Readers end their analyses by...

Everyone feels sad sometimes—aide in the coping process with two activities. In the first activity, scholars discuss sadness then complete a worksheet detailing ways four peers can identify their feelings and ways to feel better. The...

Instruct your readers to scrounge through the pages of Maniac Magee in search for descriptive passages or words they may use to write poetry. As they look for meaningful, sensory descriptors in Jerry Spinelli's novel, readers...

Young sociologists analyze the needs of white and black students. They discuss how Central and Dunbar High Schools are alike and different before 1957. They write an essay comparing the two schools.

First graders keep a scrapbook of themselves throughout the year and see how they have changed.

Students, working in groups, research and write about one of the trails that were used during US Westward Movement. They create a travel brochure for their trail keeping in mind the era in which the travel took place.

Second graders read WHAT IF? up to the page that ends "Suddenly, across the field they saw..." and discuss how the animals are feeling. They then discuss their feelings and in pairs discuss a possible ending to the story.

Young scholars perform simple and fun experiments to use the scientific method, take careful notes, and write a lab report. They first make and test a hypothesis about how many drops of water they can fit on the face of a penny and then...