Excerpts from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and from John Fante's Ask the Dust, as well as a variety of primary source documents provide the background for an examination of the migrant experience from 1920-1945.

Evaluate global temperature anomalies using real-world data from NASA! Climatologists analyze a data set using a literacy cube and differentiated question sheets. Team members evaluate global temperature anomaly data with basic...

What can one learn about a planet based on a small surface sample? Learners will explore artifacts from a mystery planet and see what they can determine about the planet based on the evidence in front of them. 

Continue working through Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan, by looking into language choices and discussing text-dependent questions. Pupils converse in small groups and as a class about plot, setting, and figurative language. Using...

Determining a theme or central idea is greatly emphasized in the Common Core standards. Target that skill though big metaphors and central symbols in Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising. Help your class reach the standard through...

Now that your class has read all of Esperanza Rising, take the time to tackle big metaphors and themes. Pupils will participate in an activity called Chalk Talk, in which they circulate around the room in small groups and add...

Eyes on the finish line. Serving as the first part of the end of unit assessment, learners answer questions based on a text about how to write a graphic novel. Using what they've learned, they then create a storyboard about the invention...

Third graders view a demonstration of a teeter totter as a basis for assessing pre-knowledge of a lever. They create a KwL chart. Students work in small groups to conduct a variety of experiments. The first requires students to tie books...

Eighth graders research about their chosen ecosystem. In this life science lesson, 8th graders play the role of travel agents and create a travel brochure. They share this in class.

Pupils explore mixtures and solutions. In this chemistry lesson plan, students will add different ingredients to jars in order to classify them as mixtures or solutions. There is also a nail balancing activity that can be done at home.

Fourth graders brainstorm the differences between the fossil fuels that people use in their transportation now and what they could use to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. They use a variety of techniques from webquests to writing...

Students practice the 4 question strategy to form more questions and develop further experiments. The four questions are engage, explore, explain, and elaborate. They use the 4 question strategy on an investigation involving the mass...

Middle schoolers are assigned to groups, and determine each member's role in the group. They will design an experiment to determine a way to produce the three primary and five secondary colors. Students discuss color and mood. They...

Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...

Eighth graders implement plot summary organizers to identify essential elements such as conflict and resolution in literature. In pairs, they retell fairy tales to each other and complete plot summaries about them. As students read new...

Seventh graders learn about John Kellerman, a youngster who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. They learn how alcohol and pregnancy doesn't mix.

Investigate letters to the editor and their persuasive qualities. Break your class into reading groups and give each one a different article. As they read, they complete a graphic organizer to record their thoughts and opinions. There is...

Acquaint mathematicians to the concept of probability with a discussion about the results of a game. Then have them play a dice, card, spinner, or coin game and recording the number of wins vs. the number of tries on an interactive web...

Middle and high schoolers explore the concept of probability. In this probability lesson, learners conduct an experiment with a bag of marbles. Pupils draw marbles from a bag and determine the probability of drawing a particular color...

Ninth graders design and conduct an experiment. They evaluate other's experiments. Students describe relationships between biological systems and the environmental contaminants. They work as a team to solve a problem.

Students investigate the history of peoples in the western United States. To accomplish this Students use photographs as images that capture the context of different cultures. Then they write reflections about each culture.

In order to learn more about energy conservation, pupils work to promote energy efficiency by participating in a school-wide science fair with an emphasis on energy conservation. In addition to displaying their projects, learners invite...

Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to...

Your class explores weather proverbs and superstitions from around the country and writes their own proverb about weather. They interview community elders to learn proverbs about Alaska and its weather. Then they discuss several example...