One way to assess improvement in writing is to conduct a district-wide assessment program. This resource details the Wisconsin Dells approach to assessing freshmen 6+1 Traits writing. The format could be adapted to any district or used...

Students explain the steps to making a sandwich to their teacher while he/she completes the steps. After the demonstration, they identify any part of the process that could use clarification. They are introduced to the practice of...

Students interpret possible meanings of works of art by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts

Readers of The Wednesday Wars respond to model "Right There," "Think and Search," "On My Own," and "Author and You" (QAR) questions before crafting their own for class discussion.

Fifth graders read "My Side of the Mountain." They create a pantomime using vocabulary words from the story. Students create three questions about the reading. They discuss the passage they read and act out words to help them better...

Students create newspapers. In this technology skills lesson, students create a newspaper layout using a word processor program. The newspaper features stories regarding the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Young scientists identify erosion, explain the causes of erosion, and name some techniques that can slow the process of erosion. Learners are divided up into groups of four and perform a simulation of soil erosion in class. The...

Making goals is easy, but how do you achieve them? Guide young decision makers into reaching setting and reaching their goals with a step-by-step guide. After answering questions about what they'd wish for or accomplish, learners write...

Scholars learn about the carbon cycle, play a carbon cycle game, and then write a story based on their role as a carbon atom during the game. After the writings, pupils analyze the carbon cycle by leading a class discussion on the material.

Encourage readers of Nightjohn, Gary Paulsen's young adult novel about slavery set shortly before the Civil War, to develop their categorization and organizational skills with a strategy that asks them to list all the words they can...

As part of a study of immigration and the U.S. economy, class members assume the role of newspaper editors to determine which submitted letters to print on their paper's editorial page to present a balanced view of the debate.

Prepare your pupils for the world of work and the dreaded interview by providing class members with a resource packet that includes handy tips. After examining the materials, pairs conduct mock interviews and reflect on the experience....

An Alaskan quarter and a book of fables is what you'll need to start this lesson. Learners will use the image of the bear and the salmon found on the reverse side of the Alaskan quarter as inspiration. They will compose a fable about the...

Everyone has a different opinion about the characters they read about in books. Have your class explore forming an opinion and finding evidence to support it as they read and discuss what they think about a particular character. They...

Foster your high schoolers' creativity - and generosity - with this writing lesson. After reading the article "Homemade Holiday Gifts" by Frances Janisch (from the GALE Student Resource Center - Gold), pupils meet in groups to brainstorm...

How authors address issues of their societies is addressed in this very detailed lesson. After researching Toni Morrison and her work, groups create a dramatization based on a scene from one of Morrison’s novels and act it out. Class...

Students practice color coding in their writing. In this writing lesson, students work on a new technique to help with them with their formation of letters and numbers.

Young scholars explore American values. In this American history lesson plan, students read passages from Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. Young scholars collaborate to conduct research in order to build a timeline of the events...

Third graders name the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders listen to the story The Moon Seems to Change and they discuss the different moon phases. They take oreos and split them apart and look at the cream to see...

Third graders access prior knowledge of the monarch butterfly and discuss what they would like to know.  In this Monarch Butterfly instructional activity,students read Monarch Butterfly and discuss the life cycle of the butterfly....

Tenth graders create and maintain a ledger, write an essay for the process, and learn to keep financial accounts through the ledger. In this ledger lesson, 10th graders define an accounting ledger and create one for the money they've...

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.

Students research the English Renaissance era. In this research lesson, students complete this activity before reading the story The Prince and the Pauper to learn about the history. They pick topics and work in groups to research...

Seventh graders discuss the history of the x-ray machine. In this social science lesson, 7th graders understand how a x-ray machine works. Students recognize that there have been many improvements to the x-ray machine over the...