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Effective Parent/Student/Teacher Communication
Sixth graders engage in a instructional activity which address the concerns and issues around new 6th grade students arriving at middle school. They, parents and teachers use this strategy to effectuate good communication.
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"No News Like Ancient News"
Want to know more about Ancient history? Young historians will read a minimum of two web sites to complete the chart "Residents of Olympus". They choose one Greek god or goddess to research. This could be a small group activity or...
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Water: From Neglect to Respect
The goal of this collection of lessons is to make middle schoolers more aware of the ways in which they are dependent upon water to maintain their standard of living. Learners compare water use in Lesotho to water use in the United...
Incredible Art
Starry Night Interpretation
Young artists are encourage to develop greater imaginative freedom and post their impressions of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night in a series of activities based around the famous painting. Class members watch a film biography of van...
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The Responsibility of Preservation
Upper elementary and middle schoolers study the case of the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that was once-thought to be extinct. Learners explore the responsibility of people to preserve habitats, and take care of the animals who live in...
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Interpreting the Evidence
Young scholars find out about the social changes that caused the collapse of important ancient civilizations in Central America, Mesopotamia, the southwestern United States, and western Africa.
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Art Nouveau
Students study the design elements of Art Nouveau, its sources and development. They create art projects in ceramics and glass that exemplify the focus of Art Nouveau as a decorative style.
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Art of Mexico - Painting
Young scholars create a personal painting of thanks, explain importance of devotional art in Mexico, and critically view art work from another culture. Next, students evaluate self and peer work.
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The Feudal System: Castles at War
Students study the feudal system of the Middle Ages. In this Middle Ages lesson, students watch "The Feudal System at War". Students listen to an instructor-delivered lecture regarding the roles of monarchs, nobles, knights, and...
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Newberry Award Reading Project
Fifth graders complete a project for a Newberry Award winning book. This ambitious lesson outlines the expectations for students regarding their project. Included is a list of possible books and a variety of writing, art, music and...
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Swimmy
Students explore the themes of the book Swimmy by Leo Lionni. In this literacy lesson plan, students dramatize a character from Swimmy and identify common themes such as cooperation and caring. Students create a new ending to the story.
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Sandra Day O'Connor
No unit on important women in history would be complete without a activity on Sandra Day O'Connor. After reading background information about the first female Supreme Court justice, middle schoolers engage in several activities...
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Smoky Night
Second graders compare the neighborhoods they know to those of a different place and time. In this historical perspectives lesson, 2nd graders read Eve Bunting's Smoky Night and discuss the outcome of the story. Students also discuss...
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What Makes a Cat a Cat?
Learners investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them. In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab. Learners review the footage from the cat and other animals and...
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Panther Exam: Writing a Play
Students demonstrate their knowledge of panthers by writing a play on the subject. In this animal life lesson, students view a slide-show on school computers of a veterinary exam of a panther. Students utilize this scenario to write a...
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Go Fish! Fish or other Sea Creature from Recycled Materials
Students brainstorm what a fish looks like determining the parts from schema and research. They create a unique and interesting 3-d sculpture of fish or underwater creature mostly from recycled materials, then examine the aesthetics of...
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Bring Your Character in a Bag - Animal Farm (Middle, Literature)
Ninth graders interpret a chosen character from the novel Animal Farm and represent that character in original symbolic form and present orally to the class.
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Looking at Illuminated Manuscripts: An Illuminated Day Planner
Young scholars examine a book of hours to compare it with a modern day planner. In this illuminated manuscripts lesson, students analyze a book of hours example from the 16th century. Young scholars create their own modern day...
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You've Got Chocolate on my Peanut Butter
Students solve design problems. In this art and design instructional activity, students create a picture by analyzing two others, and make a prototype of a building. The small group activities call for creativity and ingenuity as well as...
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Art Styles - Portrait Triptych
Students select one photos and creates portraits of the photo in three different styles. After making the portraits, they describe the differences between them. They place their finished product on a triptych for viewing and practice...
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The Middle-East; Water and Life
Tenth graders examine the physical and cultural impressions made by water in the Middle East, as well as their own lives, through exercises in reading, writing, geography and art. They explore how water as an economic good drives...
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Exploring Photographs: Methods of Visual Analysis
Students use the methods of description, reflection, and formal analysis for a study of images. In this image analysis activity, students work in teams to interpret and analyze an assigned work of art. Students write responses to the...
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Portraits That Capture Character
Students analyze two of Dorothea Lange's portraits and create their own portraits of classmates. In this portrait analysis lesson, students define portrait and discuss two images of Lange's. Students interview a classmate and use Lange's...
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Mexican Version of The Night Before Christmas (Middle, Language)
Students read a poem aloud called the "Mexican Version of the Night Before Christmas. They enact the scenes of the poem. They discuss variations of this poem both in English and Spanish.