Sometimes it's hard to relate to a new text. Teach kids to use their prior knowledge when reading something new with a comprehension exercise. A short passage tells them how to think of their brains like filing systems, and provides five...

Teams practice decoding and using context strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. After verifying the meanings of words through the use of dictionaries, the Internet, thesauruses, and other sources, learners write the...

Scholars study a historical photograph to make predictions of what happened right after the picture was taken. They research a variety of different topics and use primary sources to answer questions about common food, fashion trends, and...

Clever clues provide an entertaining way to help learners memorize the location of each letter and symbol on a keyboard. No computers, keyboards, or charts are needed, yet this game reinforces keyboarding skills. Your class will beg to...

Students create tables in a word processing program which helps them organize their text clues when reading a mystery story. They develop reading comprehension strategies while using a computer based graphic organizer in order to solve...

When you ask your students to take notes during class, do they really know what you mean? Are they taking the right kind of notes and using their time effectively? Make sure they are by offering this handout, a comprehensive guide...

What is this? What is it for? How does it work? Challenge the class to think about to how to design a new chocolate factory for the Oompa-Loompas to make it easy to use. The activity is the first of a three-part series on...

High school juniors learn how to construct a strong argument by crafting a claim and using neutral language backed by evidence from reliable sources. To do so, they learn to evaluate sources and evidence to support claims. They then...

Students learn how to identify cell addresses, format cell contents, add pop-up comments to a cell, and also apply conditional formatting. They use clues and words to make a geometry crossword puzzle pertaining to geometrical shapes.

Students explore ways to use technology. They create pictures with Kid Pix software to describe something about themselves. They create pictures os something they did over the summer and write sentences to accompany their pictures. They...

Second graders explore technology and its uses. They explore Kid Pix software and create pictures displaying their interests. They review their spelling list words and use Kid Pix to choose tools to demonstrate their words. They write...

Fourth graders use text clues to solve mysteries. In this text clue/mystery solving lesson, 4th graders access a teacher assigned web site, Cyberkids.com, where they solve a mystery. They read chapters of, Encyclopedia Brown, and work...

Prepare students on how to use the library's card catalog system as well as the online version. Author, card catalog, the Dewey system, and so much more is addressed. This would be a great tool to use in the classroom or library.

Review content, fill a few minutes of time, hold a competition between several teams of students, and more. It all starts with asking pupils to hold tablets or smartphones up to their foreheads! From there, your class will head straight...

Promote the most positive reading test-taking strategies to your third graders. A six-question practice test suggests using context clues, underlining words, rereading, and using process of elimination to choose the best answer when...

Students study the criteria for evaluating web sites and use information found in authoritative web sites to create questions for a game of Jeopardy. They evaluate three different web sites, some with minor errors and some with major...

Pupils of all ages work in pairs to find information about themselves and record a digital "Who am I?" They observe and measure each other, write clues, and illustrate before having others guess who is described.

Useful for literary analysis, citing textual evidence, or summary skills, this lesson about the Kumeyaay Indians would be a good addition to your language arts class. Middle schoolers read novels and summarize the literature in their own...

First graders read "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and use Kid Pix to identify characters from the story. In this character identification instructional activity, 1st graders first hear several versions of the classic tale,...

Students use an internet dictionary to produce a glossary of words related to a particular subject area being studied. They choose the correct meaning of the word for their glossary, based on it's relationship to the subject matter being...

What information needs to be cited? Give your growing writers some clues into plagiarism and how to avoid it. If they know when to cite information, they'll be far less likely to plagiarize! Several examples are available here to study...

Digital footprints leave a lot of clues behind! Pupils discuss the positives and negatives of having a digital footprint and what it means. Then, using a handout, scholars learn ways to protect their online privacy. 

Focus on research skills, specifically identifying key words and concepts on a specific topic and evaluating information for relevance and authority. This is part of a multi-step lesson on Ancient Rome; however, it is useful for any...

Students use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.