Do words change or add meaning or interest to a work of art? The final lesson in a four-part series on the beautiful brain as a work of art focuses on art analysis. Scholars write a story about exploring art from the inside. Reflections...

When you think of one topic, related ideas and details invariably follow. That's concept mapping! Jot down ideas with a straightforward graphic organizer that works both electronically and as a printed resource.

It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...

What better way to learn about plant life than by creating a class garden? Young botanists start with a brief discussion about radishes before planting seeds and watching them grow. To determine the importance of water,...

Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 

To understand the controversy surrounding the US 2000 presidential election, class members investigate the rationale behind the Electoral Collage, the intimidation involved in the election of 1876, and the 2004 American League...

How are Pandyas different than Chispas? Explore cultural norms and societal behaviors with an engaging role-play activity. Split into groups of two hypothetical cultural groups, the formal Pandyas and the sociable Chispas, and another...

Study the chemistry of mining! Through nine lessons in the unit, learners explore different concepts related to mining. Their study ranges from rock and mineral analysis to the environmental impact of dynamite and the chemical reaction...

Examine the behavior of energy as water freezes and melts. An engaging activity provides a hands-on experience to learners. Collaborative groups collect data and analyze the graphs of the temperature of water as it freezes and then...

Students practice reading with expression and improved fluency. After discussing how reading with fluency and expression can enhance the text, students listen as their partner reads a story with expression. Individual students read...

Student increase their reading fluency through the use of various strategies. After reviewing strategies for becoming good readers, students complete an initial read of a novel text. Working with a partner, they read complete a timed...

Students listen to stories and identify the cause and effect situations in each. In this cause and effect lesson, students read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and then make cookies and ice cream. Students identify the changes they...

Students practice reading silently. After discussing how reading silently can enhance the reading experience, students discuss decoding strategies. Individual students read selected, level passages during sustained silent reading.

In this Skellig worksheet, students read to understand the works of David Almond and learn about his life. Students read eleven passages and then answer ten questions related to reading for meaning and understanding the author's craft.

Second graders study and experiment with rhythm and sound. In pairs, they practice reading and performing simple melodies from sheet music. Individually, they choose one piece to perform for the class.

Students create homes for fairytale characters. In this early childhood lesson plan, students develop literacy, language, and problem-solving concepts as they create block structures related to specific fairy tales.

Learners discuss whether honesty really is the best policy with a lesson on "The Empty Pot," a Chinese fable about integrity. After reading the story, class members answer several comprehension and reflection questions about what...

Class members participate in a read aloud of an illustrated version of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. They discuss the tale,"A Fisherman and His Wife" to discover how fairy tales can help us think about our own situations. They also...

Students investigate the childhood of one of the greatest philosophers of our time, Gandhi.  In this biography instructional activity, students analyze the upbringing and events that finally shaped Mahatma Gandhi's life....

Eleventh graders study the relationship between economic level and material culture: markers of gentility (architecture, material goods) as demonstrated by a single structure.

Third graders listen to a story read aloud in order to discover the concept of cause and effect. With a partner, they make a cause/effect puzzle from a sentence strip. They then choose and read a story on the internet and make a...

How was your year? Create an individual timeline that document learners' personal history from the previous year. After reading an article about celebrating New Year's in Japan, pairs interview each other to gather information about...

Do you know what a fallacy is? Discuss this term and its meaning with your class. Then, talk about why making generalizations about a large group of people isn't the best thing to do. As a group, study the included letter excerpt. It...