Students explore the classic story theme of good versus evil as relayed in folk tales.

Students read Paul Fleischman's Bull Run in Readers Theater format. Next, students examine and interpret primary source images of Civil War era students and reveal their understanding of a child's perspective in a literary portrait.

Students examine various creation myths from around the world. They compare/contrast the myths, write their own creation stories, and present their myths to the class in the form of storytelling, role-playing, dance, or a puppet show.

Students read and translate a 19th-century American ghost tale into a Japanese hanging scroll in this exciting lesson for middle-level Language Art classes. The lesson can be completed in four or five days.

Middle schoolers are introduced to the characteristics of an autobiography. After reading excerpts from "The Diary of Anne Frank", they discuss how two people can see the same event in different ways and write about the event in the...

Students explore the culture of Mexico through folktales. They identify cultural differences and similarities through the reading of folktales. Students create pocket books related to Mexican folklore. They read and discuss literary...

Middle schoolers are introduced to the definition of a fable in that it is a story that has a moral for people to apply in their lives. They then read a fable together so they have a better understanding. Next, students write their own...

Students make cards illustrating things they think they need and want to be healthy and happy. Groups then sort these cards into "wants" and "needs." The whole class discusses what it means when people's basic needs are not met and the...

Learners identify shapes that will tessellate. They construct a tessellation using transformations. Students identify transformations in tessellations. They identify applications of transformations such as tiling and fabric design.

Students discuss how to create a bully free classroom. They share teasing and bullying stories and read books on bullying and teasing. Students buddy read with second grade students in order to create friends at the school. They discuss...

Students are taught that there is more to executive branch of the federal government than the president and cabinet. They identify in pairs the names and fucntions of different departments under the executive branch of federal...

Students study the differences and similarities between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism using a handout containing a diagram. They determine what fundamentalism is and how it is different from the original intentions of different...

Learners view a variety of pictures from September 11, 2001 either online or a slideshow. They discuss how the pictures make them feel and then complete a KWL chart highlighting what they already know about 9/11, and what they would like...

In this personal information worksheet, students fill out this form to give details about their personal history, prior experiences and preferences. This could be used for information gathering or as an icebreaker activity.

Learners research the origination of the expression "The Real McCoy." In this economics research instructional activity, students read the book The Real McCoy. Learners examine Elijah McCoy and his invention of the oil cup and how it...

Students investigate current events. In this current events lesson, students identify current events from newspaper articles and place them on a timeline.

Sixth graders study the cosmos and their thoughts and feelings about the universe.  In this cosmic poetry lesson students create a venue where they can "safely" ask questions and discuss ideas. 

Students examine forms of recreation throughout the last 150 years. In this leisure time instructional activity, students investigate leisure activities in pre- and post-industrial society as they listen to a teacher-led lecture and...

Students explore scientific notation and the structure of the metric system.  In this middle school mathematics instructional activity, students read How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz to introduce students to the need for...

Students explore the human body by analyzing how food is absorbed. In this food digestion instructional activity, students utilize health vocabulary terms by participating in a guessing game activity. Students discuss their own eating...

Students look at ways of encouraging others to read and write a letter to Jacqueline Wilson. Students read a a news article on Jackqueline Wilson. They discuss ways or promoting reading. Students imagine they are an author invited to...

Students learn about Lewis Carroll and the vision of childhood he created in Alice in Wonderland, then compare Carroll's Victorian world of childhood with the world of "Innocence and Experience" portrayed by the Romantic poet William Blake.

Students write their own modern day folktale and compare it with "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In addition, they illustrate a character from the original Irish folktale and how the same character would appear today. Students read...