Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics activity, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by Peggy...

How can opinions slant facts? Workshop participants learn how to examine primary and secondary sources and identify the author's point of view. They also examine how visual art impacts the meaning and rhetoric of sources. Full of...

Learners are introduced to an image of Freedom Tower, then read a news article about the construction of this building that will be completed in 2011. In this current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with an...

Students explore seasons.  In this cross curriculum weather and seasons lesson, students identify characteristics of the four seasons and sequence related pictures. Students listen to poems and stories about trees in different...

After examining a piece of art, scholars discuss what they see, paying close attention to details and space. A read-aloud introduces the topic of family traditions. Pupils interview their family members about a tradition in preparation...

Eighth graders explore the battles of the Civil War through journaling exercises. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders write journals from the perspective of teens accompanying the troops into various battles.

Students read the story By the Dawn's Early Light, sing the Star Spangled Banner, put the words together in sentence strips, make a list of American qualities, and more. Through learning with music in this American Patriotism lesson...

What is the sharecropping system? What role did it play in the post-Civil War economy of the South? Who were the sharecroppers? Who employed them? How were they paid? To answer these questions, kids examine a series of sharecropper...

Second graders practice asking the 5 W questions by reading a Boxcar Children book.  For this journalism lesson, 2nd graders read a single story from the Boxcar Children series and answer the 5 W's about each specific chapter....

Students react to statements about the moon, then read a news article about NASA's plans to build a permanent base on the moon. In this space science and current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a...

Emerging orators distinguish between effective and ineffective public speaking strategies. They read a text that fits in with a Native Americans unit and speak about the text with both ineffective and effective volume, tone, phrasing,...

Youngsters practice retelling a part of their favorite Native American tale to a small group of their peers. Peer partners assess each others performances. To keep comments positive and constructive, consider giving your class sentence...

It's hard to believe the abolition movement was once seen as scandalous. Help learners understand how the US Constitution changed everything. A variety of activities such as corresponding reading activities, group work ideas, and...

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy provides the text for a study of the Chicago fire of 1871. The plan is designed as a close reading activity so that all learners have the same background information require for writing. Richly detailed, the...

A lesson on the holiday known as Boxing Day is here for you. In it, middle schoolers read a passage about the history of the holiday, then complete some reading comprehension worksheets embedded in the plan to reinforce what they have...

Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...

Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...

Review the paleolithic and neolithic time periods using this creative lesson. After a unit on Mesopotamia and the Stone Age, learners fill out a Venn diagram comparing the paleolithic and neolithic period, and write a paragraph...

Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system.  In this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...

Learners explore economics by creating a budget. In this financial goal setting lesson, students investigate their use of time by completing a worksheet. Learners identify financial goals they would like to achieve in the next several...

The class analyzes a series of documents intended to show the events that lead to women gaining the right to vote. They play a Tic-Tac-Toe style game, make a time line with sequencing cards, and review the 4 steps of social change....

Students analyze the media products and advertising techniques used in political campaigns. For this elections lesson, students view political debates and then work in groups to find examples of types of advertising techniques used in...

Students explore food and grocery stores. In this lesson on foods, students are introduced to the food pyramid and healthy eating through a variety of center activities. Students have to opportunity to role-play working at a grocery store.

Eighth graders examine the history of South Carolina's mental institutions. In this South Carolina history lesson, 8th graders discover details about asylums built in the state in the 1800's. Students analyze primary sources about mental...