Ninth graders investigate the concept of probability. They use a clear objective that is a visual cue for what is required for the activity. They apply the basic practices of probability to real life like situations.

Students identify which of the five senses is being used at a given time. They read "Brave Little Monster" by Ken Baker and then read the story again as they match student-made cards depicting the five senses to moments in the story.

Introduce young learners to line dancing. Here are some simple movement patterns to teach them. First teach, repeat, and repeat again without music. Then when they have a pretty good grasp of the movement patterns, add music and practice...

Students gain an understanding of how systems and organs in the human body work. They create their own fictional account of a trip through the human body, and describe one response the body makes to stimuli.

Youngsters listen to the story of Gregory the Terrible Eater and write a similar story using the same pattern. In the new book, Herman is requested to eat things that are nouns. They must supply the correct part of speech for the class...

Do your class members’ questions lack depth? “Sigh no more . . .sigh no more.” Use a questioning strategy based on Bloom’s taxonomy to encourage readers to create questions that probe the themes of any text. The model discussion...

Reciting poetry is a great way to build oral language skills and build classroom community. Pupils look at the text elements of poetry and choose a poem to read aloud. They focus on rhythm, fluency, and expression. This is a great way to...

Drama and movement are wonderful ways to cover story elements such as setting, character, and descriptive writing. Little ones listen to a poem about imaginary creatures. As they listen, they shape their bodies into what they think the...

Check out this clear description of how and when to use accent marks and special characters. The information, necessary to truly understand the purpose of special characters and accent marks would make a great reference material for...

Get youngsters moving by teaching them some basic dance moves. This dance can be done in a circle, a line, or scattered around the gym. There are four movement combinations that are taught to the song "Purple People Eater" by Sheb...

Examine the way water moves, drips, and splashes with an expressive dance. Learners discuss the ways in which water moves, then create dance sequences that show or describe water. There are several suggestions to adapt this lesson to...

Here are three lessons that work together to engage learners in a cultural and musical exploration. In lesson one the listen to the Mexican folk song, "La Raspa" and discuss cultural context. In lesson two they dance along to both "La...

Learning to cook, follow directions, and presenting information are skills every body needs to know. Learners complete a recipe-in-a-jar activity to hone these life skills. They follow the directions, choose and use correct measurement...

Staying clean is a big part of staying healthy and looking good in the community. Personal hygiene and napkin use are the focus of this activity. Your class will eat a messy food, look in a mirror to see if their face is messy, then...

Nails can get really dirty really fast. Prepare your special education class for life on their own by introducing them to a regular nail care routine. They discuss why it is important to care for your nails and practice washing,...

An informative one-page resource details the 16 Habits of Mind. Habits encourage positive problem-solving, self-awareness, creativity, and dedication—lifelong skills that can be used in both academic and social settings. 

Learners participate in static and dynamic activities to develop muscle strength and balance. Free weights are used to work on shoulder, bicep, and tricep muscles. Locomotor skills of hopping, jumping, leaping, skipping, and galloping...

Young scholars practice aiming with the underhand hit in striking with short-handled implements to introduce them to a underhand hit in volleyball. They encounter the manipulatives of tape, hula hoops and a variety of balls to assist...

Students investigate forces, loads, materials and shapes as they relate to science. In this science instructional activity, students differentiate between the basic definitions required to perform a scientific experiment. They answer...

Students discuss the different stages of mitosis. For this biology lesson, students work in pairs as they draw and diagram the stages of cell division. They discuss reproduction using pro, meta, ana and telophase.

Learners explore the limits of the Bill of Rights. The student and teacher roll play a situation where speech is limited.

Middle schoolers research endangered species and create and publish books to present their findings. Designed to use Inspiration software, this resource could be adapted if you don't have access to the program. Contains handy website...

Here is a great lesson that incorporates movement into academic learning. Students improve addition subtraction skills by using number lines and locomotor movement.