Most twenty-first century pupils don't know how to interpret cuneiform. Examining images of cuneiform and papyrus writing and using a chart and Venn diagram, young historians extrapolate what life may have been like for people who lived...

Creative projects are a great way to engage your class and can be a fun way to assess mastery! Learners create brochures and postcards that might have been created by and for travelers to ancient Mayan cities. They read and discuss the...

Writing a persuasive argument starts with a clear thesis. Using this resource, your class will write a persuasive paper on a conservation issue. They will then transform their argument into a 30-second public service announcement. If...

It is so important for English language learners to be able to write for a variety of purposes. Specifically written for an ELD class, this activity provides explicit instruction for teaching learners how to write a poem. First, they...

Students explore several different types of biographies to determine their area of interest, choose one notable person they would like to explore, complete online tutorial on biographies, and use written and Internet resources to...

How many treats do you buy each week? Learners investigate diets and how the media tricks consumers into purchasing unhealthy snacks. They will investigate the designs and logos affiliated with cereal boxes and identify specific phrases...

Don't get caught plagiarizing! Before starting your research unit, use this lesson plan to help your young writers identify plagiarism. The truth is, many kids don't even realize when they're doing it! They practice citing sources when...

Students read The Magic School Bus Gets Baked In A Cake: A Book About Kitchen Chemistry by Joanna Cole. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of kitchen chemistry. Included are reading, art, math,...

Students read The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds by Janna Cole. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of plants and seeds. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...

While just an outline for an exploration of the American Revolution, this lesson could be augmented to provide a richer experience. The activity calls for learners to discuss the Declaration of Independence, study Paul Revere's midnight...

Meet with the school library specialist and work together to plan a visit and presentation on figurative language. After defining and examining examples of targeted terms, the class travels to the library where the SL has collected...

Young researchers work through the research cycle. They question, plan, gather, sort, synthesize, and evaluate the materials they collect at the library. There are web supplements for this lesson. 

Students read folktales from around the world comparing two of them using a computer generated Venn diagram. They create a game based on a folktale and use software to create a listening library of folktales.

Fifth through eighth graders engage in a lesson in which they study working class people during the Great Depression. They work to develop an understanding of the economic developments in Arkansas during the 1930's. Learners access...

Teams of learners integrate reading, writing, math, social studies, and science in this simple, yet effective lesson. They work in groups in order to solve a ten-step problem which requires internet research, the use of a calculator, and...

Young writers use technology and other media to research information on a chosen topic. They explore countries where keypals and e-mail friends are located. Using their writing skills, they correspond with their e-mail friend and...

Fifth graders search and sort prepared databases for information to use in classroom projects, locate, gather, evaluate, organize, and analyze information.

Young scholars study reproductions of prints or murals. They interpret artworks supporting their conclusions with evidence in work and from contextual information. They focus especially on significance of artist's choice of mural or...

Students take ditigal pictures of any subject. Using Photoshop Elements, students organize and save their pictures. They edit the pictures using a Paint Dabs filter. Students discuss their photographs and how photography influenced the...

In order to understand how tax dollars are spent, young economists use given data and graph it on a circle graph. Circle graphs are highly visual and can help individuals describe data. A class discussion follows the initial activity.

Students use their research skills to determine the famous person given in clues. Using a character recently dicussed in their classroom, they discuss how they would create a costume for them. They write sentences to be used as dialogue...

Learn more about the North American Plains Indian tribes and their unusual methods of recording historical events. Learners examine the winter count, a custom by which these groups illustrated information after each winter passed. They...

Fifth graders research information about the US Civil War using the Internet in order to complete a worksheet. They complete the worksheet using accurate research information after studying background information from their textbooks.

Explore nonfiction writing by comparing and contrasting two different texts. After reading two nonfiction books, articles, or magazines, learners utilize a graphic organizer to record their similarities and differences. They answer study...