Students compare hurricanes and tornadoes. They write a paragraph explaining how to prepare for a storm. Students give an oral report. They use weather facts to practice math skills. Students record observations of a storm.

Introduce your middle schoolers to a performance and movement activity that uses their favorite stories from fairytales and folklore. They practice basic acting skills, create dialogues with a partner, and then as guided practice,...

Here is a poetry lesson that begins with a free-association activity focused on the word voice. Learners each sit alone for a moment and make sounds that express how they are currently feeling, and then turn to their partners to share...

Invite your class to reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as vehicles for citizens to voice their opinions. Using an article to gain factual info. about gov't strategies in dealing with current events in Kosovo, students...

Students analyze how Emily Dickinson perceived herself as a poet. Students read correspondence between Dickinson and her preceptor, Mr. Higginson to determine the depths of their relationship. Students interpret several of her poems.

These activities center around acting out a play to help create fluent readers who use expression and emotion. As readers work through the play the first time, they also practice decoding strategies. In small groups of four, they then...

After reading Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (and possibly shedding a few tears), middle schoolers work on their own sixteen-word poems with a Six Trait writing activity. They focus on word choice in this activity to capture an...

Using Keynote, pupils will collaborate with their peers to create a tall tale. Each person in the group will participate by creating slides, adding text, and recording their voice. Tip: Have each group present their tall tales to the...

Harmony is the focus of this band lesson. Upper graders play the Star Spangled Banner, while focusing on harmony, chords, and musical voice. This lesson includes several suggested cross-curricular activities.

Mix it up and engage learners in a lesson on music and physical science. Using cups, strings, guitars, and voice, the class will experiment with sound vibration and frequency. They'll use each instrument and fill out a worksheet that...

Having social skills and being able to assert yourself in a positive way is so important. Learners with mild to moderate disabilities engage in a series of activities to practice assertive communication and social skills. Perfect for a...

Discover, document and share the knowledge of family food and ways special occasions are treated. Your class will explore the context in which food traditions are created and adapted in their families and communities. Each student also...

Engaging in topical discussions can be a great way to teach kids how to build strong arguments and support their opinions with concrete evidence. High schoolers choose a controversial topic, build an argument for or against that topic,...

Use Sabine R. Ulibarri's stories to conduct three different activities focused on learner interaction. In the first two, classmates will assume a character and conduct a role-play building conflict resolution skills. In the final...

Know safe spots. Tell a parent. Stay with a buddy. Youngsters learn the fundamentals of personal safety and what to do in an emergency through discussion, worksheet activities, and collaborative learning.

Show youngsters how objects can tell a story! Here your class will learn about Cuban salsa dancer Celia Cruz by analyzing pictures of her dress, her shoes, and her marriage certificate. After describing Cruz's items and imagining what...

Take a stand! Even the most reluctant speakers find their voices if the topics are engaging. Use pictures, photos, or word prompts (I think pizza is the best lunch on the school menu. What do you think?) to stir responses. Encourage...

Help your class create collective poetry following a simple, engaging model from Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org). Each young poet writes five things on an index card: sayings from others, favorite sound, favorite place, favorite...

The simple instructional techniques described in this plan will help young readers learn and practice basic reading skills and strategies. Before reading, introduce your readers to the meaning of main character, setting, and plot. Then...

Discuss with the class the reasons for identifying and defining the term material culture as refering to a vast array of objects and activities that people make and do traditionally. Your class can identify diverse crafts and decorative...

Students advocate for clean water.  For this water pollution lesson, students play the Peace Corps Challenge Game, discuss the effects of polluted water and write a letter to the mayor of Wanzuzu highlighting the situation of the...

Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...

Students practice reading for comprehension and understanding. In groups, students read, out loud, using a conversation voice. They predict and discuss the story as it unfolds.

Fourth graders read the book together and imagine what it was like to come through Ellis Island as an immigrant to the United States. They write a story describing the process at Ellis Island from a first person perspective. They share...