Review the terms denotation, connotation, diction, and mood in paragraph writing. After defining the terms, middle schoolers practice writing examples of both connotation and denotation. They complete a connotation and denotation...

Study word choice and connotation in advertising. Readers examine campaign ads, both negative and positive, from the 2006 mid-term election before discussing an article and analyze a campaign of any candidate they choose. Finally,...

“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...

By collaborating on producing a product ad and slogan, learning partners demonstrate their understanding of the difference between connotative and denotative language. This week-long activity is designed to be used as an introduction to...

Students explore the influence of the landscape of Ireland on shaping the poetry of William Butler Yeats. They work in groups researching the growth of the Irish Nationalist Movement, Celtic origins, invasions, and the impact on the...

Ninth graders analyze the relationships for pairs of words in analogical statements to infer word meanings. In this word meanings lesson, 9th graders complete an analogy pre-assessment, study a chart for using analogies to improve...

Students share observations on the nuances of meaning in face to face and online interactions with others. After reading an article, they identify the causes and effects of internet flaming. They create their own comic strips...

Students match pictures with words that have specific phonics connotations. In this picture matching lesson plan, students have groups of words with the same phonics sayings.

Young scholars investigate the statue that memorialized Ramses II. For this world monuments lesson, students research national and local monuments to find out if there are any controversies regarding their construction....

What role did women play in pop art during the 1950s and 1960s? The class researches the role of women in mid-century America and how those roles were portrayed through the pop art of the time. They use an excellent set of...

Students explore the world of African masks and storytelling. They create masks that tell stories of their own.

Make a prototype of a game based on cell biology. Researching game design and working in groups to create a game will activate knowledge of cell biology. The review task will help learners learning as they test out the games and their...

Students are introduced to product design. In this social studies and technology lesson plan, students examine the historical role of mass production in the development of American business and industry and then apply their knowledge in...

High schoolers create their own ancient civilizations based off of topographical maps of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. In this social studies lesson, students are assigned one topographical map to use to...

Students explore the different ads used by the military. They use media reports and the internet to research the war effort at home during World War II.

Pupils read and write their own story about an artifact they find in their community.

Students study personification and alliteration in various fiction texts. In this literary devices lesson, students use various texts to identify the literary devices of personification and alliteration. Students use examples of both...

Students define communication and identify its components. In this communication lesson, students read, discuss, and internalize the four pages of communication elements that include charts, vocabulary, and methods.

Fifth graders think of idioms related to laundry as they create a laundry list of idioms.

Students explore the ways science is presented in a children's television show. Students conduct internet research, and then create and design a skit that highlights the problem-solving process.

Young scholars discover dangers to human health by researching what's in our drinking water.  In this water purification instructional activity, students discuss the conditions of water in undeveloped countries and why it is unsafe...

Students design emergency shelters.  In this designing emergency shelters instructional activity, students discuss living conditions of people after a natural disaster.  Students discuss the tsunami that struck East Asia. ...

High schoolers collect newspaper and magazine articles about the environment and construct a scrapbook using construction paper, glue, and scissors. To make it even more environmentally friendly, groups can create an online...

High schoolers explore the concept of triangles.  For this triangles lesson, students are to propose a plan for a ramp at their school.  High schoolers use the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry to determine the length,...