Your class experiences dozens of messages about beauty every day by reading magazines, watching movies, and listening to the radio. Have them analyze society's view of beauty in groups after discussing several resources, including...

Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...

Students explore why Thanksgiving is celebrated. In this cross-curriculum activity, students listen to the book Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, and complete the sentence frame "I am thankful for ____." Students practice phonemic...

Life is not always fair. Who's heard that before? This same concept moves to a larger scale using prejudice and bias. Pupils discuss where prejudice attitudes derive and how they develop throughout life. Reading comprehension...

Students participate in a collaboration activity. For this My Hero Project lesson, students discover what a hero is to someone halfway around the world and themselves. Over the 16-week session, circles, made up of between 6-9 classes...

Students investigate the Federal Reserve System.  In this Mathematics/Economics activity, students explore the role of the Federal Reserve in promoting a stable economic environment.  In this multi-activity unit of study,...

Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...

Have your older middle schoolers assist young children with writing in this community service and literacy lesson. Middle schoolers become partners with a local elementary school. They assist the grade school children in writing a...

Evidence shows the Vikings likely navigated by using a simple sundial to find their course. Videos, a short story, and discussion help bring this time period to life as they study European history with a hands-on experiment. Scholars...

Have you ever lost someone? Middle and high school learners journal about a time they experienced the loss of someone through death, divorce, moving, or another type of change. They share their responses and discuss an article relating...

Students participate in a unit (all lessons on the same page) to explore the Presidents of the United States. They choose one President to write a mini-book about, create a puppet and an original puppet show to perform about their chosen...

Third graders increase reading strategies while learning about Abigail Adams and her role in history. In this Abigail Adams lesson, 3rd graders read about the American Revolution and Abigail Adams using all the balanced literacy...

Middle schoolers stand up against bullying in a character-building lesson plan. After discussing historical figures who became advocates in times of adversity, they brainstorm ways to end bullying at their own school, and use a formal...

After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...

Students examine what teenagers value most, and discuss the trend of decadent sixteenth birthday parties. They read an article, analyze forms of teen-focused media, and create a visual presentation on their media analysis.

For this English worksheet, students read "Moscow Subway Cars to Have CCTV," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.

Students explore population and come to understand how it changes over time. In this census lesson, students discover what population is and how it changes as they participate in age-appropriate activities.

Bar graphs are used as a way to study voting patterns in the United States. A variety of statistical data is presented in the graphs, and pupils must interpret the data in order to make a report to the class. Three excellent graphs,...

How many times did it take Thomas Edison to invent a successful working lightbulb? Young learners read a short passage about this famous inventor and his determination in getting an idea to work successfully. Then, pupils respond to four...

In this similarities and differences worksheet, students study the Easter pictures in each of the 3 rows. Students circle the Easter picture that is different from the others.

In this patriotic symbols learning exercise, students analyze 4 rows of American symbols, each with three similar pictures. Students circle the one that is different in each row.

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's life and message is just as important today as it was in his lifetime. Introduce elementary learners to the movement for civil rights with a timeline of Dr. King's life, as well as...

Have your class join a blog about whether or not eating meat is good for you. They'll read several passages regarding meat processing and consumption, then they post what they think. There are six critical-thinking prompts to help them...

Students explore map and plotting skills by tracing the movement s of hurricanes through the Earth's systems. a hurricane map is developed from daily media reports.