“All the world’s a stage…” What do Leonardo DiCaprio, Heath Ledger, and Kenneth Branagh have in common? They have all starred in modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. After viewing a series clips from modern Shakespeare videos,...

It's no myth: this packet on Greek mythology is an excellent addition to your social studies curriculum. With writing activities, such as short answer responses and biopoems, and reading activities, which include creation stories and...

Students investigate what is the same and what is different in the daily lives of children around the world. In this citizenship lesson, students develop compassion for others through understanding how their lives are the same and...

High schoolers examine the conditions in France and Spain during the Middle Ages and the Discovery of America. In groups, they compare and contrast the political situations in both countries and what effect they had on the New World. ...

Students combine prefixes and suffixes to form nonsense words and sentences in the style of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky."  In this "Jabberwocky" lesson, students brainstorm ways to decode an unfamiliar word and apply these skills...

Students apply their knowledge of world history to research major influences on the language that has become the English we speak today; develop timeline of events in Britain and explain contributions of various invading groups to the...

High schoolers research and analyze the Tuareg and other groups as well, including their own, and examine the impact culture has on environment.

Students investigate the 1507 word map. In this world geography lesson plan, students examine the details of each section of the map and then draw conclusions about how the people of 1507 understood the world. Students are evalated on...

Young scholars illustrate pages of a book.  In this famous historical icon instructional activity, students are read a story about Mohandas Gandhi, illustrate the pages in small groups, assemble a class book to read to younger young...

Fifth graders, exploring all the ins and outs of using a computer, publish their own mammal papers with the use of word searches, thesaurus and spell checks. While in the computer lab, they research their mammal and country on the...

Students participate in a fluency game.  In this irregular word lesson, students read words the fastest to become champion of a game.  Students read the word in pairs, the winner of each round moves on.

Students complete monthly acts of kindness using the given instructions. For this acts of kindness lesson, students follow the directions for each month to create and give an act of kindness to their classmates or other individual.

Students read and discuss a film review of the animated movie Antz and then write a monologue from the perspective of a non-human organism.

Learners explore ways to notice when others are sad, happy, calm, or angry. They act out feelings and have others try to identify them. The listen to The Brand New Kid, focusing on plot, characterization, and illustrations. They create a...

Students research water pollution and create a class guide to raise the public's awareness about this issue. They write papers analyzing the effectiveness of the guide after it is read by members of the community.

Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  In this WWII lesson, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.

Learners read "Soccer Until Dusk". As a class, they discuss the various settings and actions in the poem and discuss the life in Guatemala and compare it with the United States. To end the activity, they complete a journal reflection...

Young scholars explore historical perspectives. In this contemporary history lesson, students listen to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," discuss they lyrics, and add  a new verse to the song for the years 2002, 2003, 2004,...

Students explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson plan, students view the diary...

How did the expansion of the Roman Empire during the first century contribute to its downfall? Using a map of the Roman Empire in 44 BC and one of the Roman Empire in 116 AD as references, class member use critical reading skills to...

The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...

Exposing young children to the wonders of world cultures is very important. Here is a sweet instructional activity which does just that! In it, learners listen to music, and stories from cultures around the world. They learn greetings in...

How did the women in France feel about their country’s involvement in World War II? Class groups are assigned a country involved in WWII, and individuals within the group adopt the point of view of leaders, laborers, businessmen, women,...

Elementary schoolers and language learners will shine with a series of games and activities that feature weather words. The exercises can be adapted for pairs, small groups, or whole class participation.