Examine the differences between totalitarianism and democracy in this writing lesson plan. Using the same format and theme from Great Expectations, young writers work in pairs to compose their own short stories. They follow guidelines...

Do your language arts students love to draw? Use this lesson to reinforce poetic techniques with illustration. After drawing what they think poem would look like with no words, middle and high schoolers work on several different...

Students explore the environment by reading a story in class. In this water formation lesson, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Students read the story A River Ran Wild and discuss the...

What would Edward R. Murrow think of today’s news broadcasts? Learners examine the work of the first public television newscaster and his commitment to researched, accurate reporting. The eight-day study concludes with investigators...

Distinguish between textual features of non-fiction in the book The Lewis and Clark Expedition and in the non-fiction story "Ta-Na-e-Ka." Third graders create posters and participate in group discussions to show their...

This unit introduces book clubs/literature circles to lower elementary classes, but could be adapted to higher grades. It outlines the anticipatory activity that includes a WebQuest, a discussion to clarify questions about the unit,...

Over four sessions, learners survey the production and use of polymers and petroleum products. First, they participate in a kinesthetic activity to demonstrate how polymers act, and review a list of common products made from...

Students identify the five basic food groups. They use their knowledge of the food pyramid to plan a full meal that incorporates at least one serving of food from each group. Pupils classify their ingredients according to the food groups.

How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson plan of...

Students work together in groups to research the various types of landforms found on the Earth and locate them on a map. As a class, they discuss how the landforms affect the way people live in those areas. To end the lesson, they use...

What is philanthropy? To find out learners explore the concept through class discussion. They survey, make decisions, implement, and reflect on a service project intended to benefit their community.

Students investigate water formations by creating a puzzle.  In this water properties lesson, students create a giant river puzzle by drawing on large butcher paper as a class, then dividing the image up into many pieces. ...

Students research the origin of oil and natural gas to gather an understanding of the stages of fossil fuel formation. Then the class creates murals depicting the life cycle of a fossil fuel.

Students explore radio news formats, styles, and sequences, and then write segments for a student-centered news radio program. In small groups, students develop and write news segments for a student-centered radio program.

Kids look at a beautiful work of art to practice grammar, make connections from life to art, and sketching. They identify all the parts of grammar they see in the image, discuss what they see and do on a picnic, and then draw an imaged...

Who would you love to see at your table? Groups research a decade, ranging from the 1840s to the 1960s, read a short story associated with that decade, and plan a dinner party, complete with table set-up and menu. After researching...

First graders make landform maps of the United States. In this landform lessons, 1st graders participate in a discussion of local landforms and make a landform map of the United States. They follow the teacher's directions to add plains,...

Explore the backgrounds, qualifications, and platforms of the presidential candidates for the 2000 election. Though the lesson is outdated, the activities within the informational text could be good practice for your young learners as...

Fabulous! Your 5th graders should love this project. As an ongoing lesson throughout the year students use temperature probes to record outside temperature and then document their data using spreadsheets. They use their weather data and...

Students explore the different kinds of maps and the purpose of each.  In this Geography lesson, students work in small groups to create a map which includes the use of a map key.

A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...

Students explore materials within their science group and figure out what they can be used for. They also contribute in a group discussion about stalactites and stalagmites and create their own stalactite using the materials given to...

Learners research abolitionists, civil rights advocates, and their allies to learn about racism and justice. In this racism and justice activity, students define justice and sing a song about activism. Learners review the biographies...

Get the scoop with a fun, engaging newspaper project. After analyzing the parts of a newspaper, including the headline, subtitles, and pictures or images, young journalists get to work by writing their own stories in a newspaper article...