Poets write love letters, but how often do the objects of their love write back? Compare Christopher Marlowe's "A Passionate Shepard to His Love" to Sir Walter Raleigh's response, "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd," with an engaging...

Can colors help to convey a mood in writing? Explore this question with your class using the songs "Grey Street" by the Dave Matthews Band and "Blu is a Mood" by Blu Cantrell. After analyzing the effect of the color words in these songs...

If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college? Middle and high schoolers study the Constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies...

Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is the focus of an 11-page packet that includes three lesson plans, three worksheets, and a homework assignment. The first lesson introduces readers to the historical context of the novel. At the same time,...

Oedipus' lack of literal and figurative vision does not mean he cannot see his guilt in the terrible fates of Laius, Jocasta, and all the lives touched by prophecy. Conclude a literary analysis unit on Sophocles' Oedipus the King with a...

Elementary learners make a collage after learning about Kwanzaa. They discuss the concept of unity and make a collage of pictures that they feel exemplify unity.

Solving for x is a classic algebra scenario. Now, solve for x when the other terms in the equation are variables. Isolate the correct variable and practice writing the equation first before solving. 

Is copper found as a raw material? Science sleuths manipulate the reactants and products found in the copper extraction process in a series of fun puzzles. The interactive engages learners in pairing formulas with their names while using...

Continue a thoughtful analysis of Sophocles' Oedipus the King by discussing the importance of dialogue within the play's structure. Ninth graders examine how Oedipus speaks about himself to his subjects and Creon before recording their...

Use this economic activity to focus on writing summaries of informational text. First, middle schoolers define common economic terms used to describe news about the economy. They closely read news about the federal budget deficit and...

Is it a line, line segment, ray, or angle? Identifying geometric figures is the focus. In addition to identification, learners recognize right angles or tell if an angle is less than or greater than a right angle. They tell if lines are...

Practice writing one and two nouns with a series of grammar activities. English learners read the instructions and list nouns, write sentences, and focus on irregular endings.

Prepare for the end-of-unit assessment in a unit focused on Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." As your class continues gathering evidence to support or argue against the success of Claudette's adaptation into...

The second module in a series for high school seniors focuses on tracking the central idea of a text across genres and from multiple author and character perspectives. Twelfth graders read a speech by Benazir Bhutto entitled "Ideas Live...

Does identity come from within, or do external forces shape it? Explore the complex identity concept with a two-unit module for 12th-grade language arts. The first unit uses A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and "A Daily Joy...

Even for one of the most accomplished men in American history, there was room for improvement. Challenge high schoolers to use Benjamin Franklin's Project for Moral Perfection to analyze text, make inferences, connect to historical...

Students explore strategies to help focus on writing a personal narrative. In this personal narrative writing lesson plan, students read a book and discuss how the author lets readers know how they feel. Students find a moment in their...

Rather than focus on punitive actions and consequences for mistakes, make a safe and inspiring learning environment the rule of your classroom. 

How many days will it take Louis to save enough money for school supplies and new pair of shoes? Focus on Common Core math standards with a two-part task that involves a word problem and counting manipulatives.

There's more to music than a memorable tune. The songs of those who were enslaved reveal the harsh realities of their lives. Using both songs and slave narratives, historians uncover this hidden history. The lesson plan incorporates a...

Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...

You can't spell alphabet without the letter T! Focus on this letter with an activity in which pupils determine which images are of items that begin with the letter T. They then cut out the pictures, paste them onto the worksheet, and...

Everyone experiences negative self-talk from time to time, but how can youngsters learn to take it easy on themselves? Use an activity that focuses on talking positively to oneself, including giving yourself compliments and spending...