The Industrial Revolution: long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions. An eye-opening activity explores the darker side of industry and exposes the realities of child labor with photos. Scholars view four photos from the famous...

Explore the farm to table experience in a fast-paced lesson on gardening. The activity uses image sequencing to help young scholars understand the process of growing food from seed to harvest. Academics also participate in group...

Get an up-close look at energy transfer. Using a three-part activity, investigators first observe a teacher-led demonstration before building a model marble track to convert potential energy to kinetic energy. Scientists explore six...

Reconstruction amendments: a helping hand or another form of slavery? An inquisitive instructional activity compares the Reconstruction legislation that ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting right for African American...

War: unavoidable or a necessary evil? A thought-provoking activity explores the United States' long involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the aftermath. Scholars research and summarize primary documents and complete online worksheets...

Not all rebellions are led by the people. An intriguing lesson explores the overthrowing of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh by the CIA. Scholars view a series of images and read background information to understand the circumstances...

Cold War tensions led to hostile actions. Scholars use primary sources to understand the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis during President Kennedy's administration. The lesson provides primary sources and a graphic organizer to...

The East LA School walkouts are the focus of a lesson that looks at the importance of an education that honors the culture of all learners. Class members watch videos and read an article on the LA student demands to gather background...

Uncle Sam wants you to integrate the military! The activity uses images and documents to help scholars understand the integration of African Americans into the mainstream military. Academics analyze a series of military photos and...

Find clues to the past with photos! Young historians use a photo from one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful protests to practice photo analysis. Academics look at the image to gain clues about what is happening and why. To finish,...

Heroic civil rights leader Harry T. Moore is murdered! An eye-opening activity delves into the past to understand the murder of prominent civil rights leader and educator Harry Moore and his wife. Academics also read President Truman's...

An illustrative activity explores images of monuments, statues, and memorials in the US to decide whether they should be kept or removed. Scholars place images in a keep or remove pile, then complete a worksheet online. The resource...

Behold, the Great Aztec empire! Scholars use primary sources to understand the impact of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan. Academics complete a worksheet and participate in group discussion to understand how Tenochtitlan was a melting pot for...

After sketching an essential person and reading an article, scholars read the poem "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón. They listen to the poem in English and Spanish and record lines that stand out to them. Small...

A whole-group discussion kicks off a hands-on activity that challenges young engineers to build a sailboat using reusable materials. Participants gather recycled items to assemble their one-of-a-kind sailboat and test its ability to...

"No flies fly into a closed mouth." Pupils consider the proverb's meaning as they read paragraphs 20–22 from the essay "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez. They also engage in small-group discussions about how the author refines her...

How does a soliloquy differ from a monologue? Scholars read the first soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet and compare it to Claudius's monologue. They also engage in a group discussion about Hamlet's character development.

Go figure! Scholars examine the figurative language in the last half of W.E.B. Du Bois's work "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." They pay special attention to his metaphors and develop ideas with group discussion and guided questions....

Go with the flow. Scholars learn how using transition words and phrases helps their scripts flow smoothly. Readers think about connecting each section after determining the sequence for their readers' theater manuscripts from To Kill A...

How much screen time is too much? Scholars explore the question as they consider whether the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) should increase its screen time recommendations. With group discussions, close readings, and a jigsaw...

Put it together piece by piece. Scholars read pages 13-16 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by dividing it into chunks. They analyze each chunk for gist and word meaning. Individuals then create a matching game by writing...

The proof is in the reading. Using the informative resource, scholars read a second article about either Althea Gibson or Roberto Clemente. As they read, they continue adding reasons and evidence to their graphic organizers to show how...

Compute fuel economy and gas mileage. Why? So you can teach rates and ratios, of course! Middle schoolers calculate the rate of miles per gallon for various vehicles. They research each vehicle, its mileage per gallon, and cost per...

Distinguish between textual features of non-fiction in the book The Lewis and Clark Expedition and in the non-fiction story "Ta-Na-e-Ka." Third graders create posters and participate in group discussions to show their...