Learners reflect on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, explore the needs of the cities and citizens of New York City and Washington, D.C. and develop an action plan for a community service outreach project that they can...

Students document weather patterns associated with the region where they live. They collect weather data about severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, and create safety preparation charts for each.

Students explore importance of accuracy in reporting, focusing particularly on articles documenting scientific discoveries, and practice scientific method by conducting experiments to test and report on scientific hypotheses.

Young scholars take a classroom "gallery walk" memorializing 9/11. As a class, they read and discuss the article "A Day to Clear the View, and Remember." Then, they write letters focusing on events that have made them want to alter their...

Students investigate the special landmarks of their county. In this geography lesson, students view a Powerpoint presentation about counties. Students create a Powerpoint presentation of their own county and use a digital camera to take...

Eighth graders compare objects to large numbers. In this algebra lesson, 8th graders compare large numbers to daily objects. Relate large numbers to the real world by discussing the Holocaust and the number of people who lost their lives.

Students confront fear through literature. In this literary elements lesson plan, students discuss fear and what they know about the horror genre of literature. Students then examine the painting "The Scream," by Edvard Munch and listen...

Dive into journalism with your high schoolers! The resources provided here will help your learners write unbiased, clear, and succinct newspaper articles. First they spend time sifting through stacks of articles, filling out a graphic...

Explore the elements of newspaper from the view of the front page. Young analysts create a front page of a newspaper geared toward teen readers. They use their inference skills to determine why some front pages are more eye-catching than...

Dissect the parts of an advertisement with your class. Middle schoolers discuss advertisements and locate the hook in them. Then, they create an advertisement for a business, in which they include the name of the business, an...

Students examine the many steps involved in the electoral process. They examine past president's campaigns and write an announcement speech for the candidate of their choice.

Study word choice and connotation in advertising. Readers examine campaign ads, both negative and positive, from the 2006 mid-term election before discussing an article and analyze a campaign of any candidate they choose. Finally,...

Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...

Imagine being forced against your will behind barbed wire for doing nothing but being yourself. Scholars investigate the impact Japanese-American internment camps had during World War II. Through video and archival evidence, they create...

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher helps bring difficult, but important, topics such as suicide and bullying into the classroom. An educator's guide for the novel provides activities and discussion questions to help teens explore the...

Paper mache projects are great for using up paper from the recycle bin. Give your class the chance to create a three-dimensional globe out of paper mache. They'll work to make their globes as accurate as possible, adding proper colors...

Put economics and currency exchange rates into a real-world application kids can understand. They'll compare bus fares from various cities around the world. Each child selects three international cities to research. They determine the...

In this reading worksheet, learners answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "What happened to the very first edition of the Laundry News?"

Provide parents with the tools they need to bridge the summer learning gap with this collection of fun activities. Whether it's creating an alphabet poster with illustrations for each letter, playing a game of sight word concentration,...

Election years provide the opportunity to evaluate news media as well as the next prospective president. High schoolers read about the same event in several different news sources, varying in type, origin, and political leaning,...

Students evaluate a video about Nellie Bly, a famous reporter from the 19th century. They consider what makes a high-interest news article, write an essay in pairs and present it a literary tea.

Inspire critical thinking with this activity, which prompts students to compare lesbian, gat, bisexual, and transgender rights with the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By collecting topical articles about...

Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...

Fourth graders read "Starting a Business" and answer the question: "How could you design an ad to let the community know about the business described in the story?" Then, they illustrate a written ad that could be posted in the...