What is a philanthropist? We can all be philanthropists! After assessing the needs of the school and listening to literature about how they can help others, primary learners develop a class project and maintain a journal of their...

Help your writers get started with these hooks! Twenty-five opening lines from the "Lives" column in the New York Times Magazine act as prompts for creative writing. Have your learners choose one prompt and write an original essay....

Celebrate inventions such as lightning rods, bifocals, and stoves with a Ben Franklin Day. Young historians conduct research and write a paragraph about an accomplishment of Benjamin Franklin including an illustration...

A thorough lesson on persuasive writing takes middle schoolers through several activities, including group discussion, collaborative posters, and independent writing. They compare historical speeches and analyze the persuasive techniques...

Discover a world too small to see. In the lesson, young scientists learn about nanotechnology and brainstorm ideas for new applications of it. They perform an activity to determine how surface area changes when objects are made smaller...

Do military recruiters plan to visit your campus? If so, the visit presents an opportunity for class members to engage in a series of action projects. Class members interview recruiters, propose a PTA meeting to discuss the pros and cons...

Middle schoolers work with themes in this lesson, which is based on Fox by Margaret Wild. Because the book has multiple themes, it is a great way to transition into exploring literary analysis and writing stories. A Six Trait writing...

Highlight a unique solar cell with a report and a poster. Scholars complete the ongoing solar cells project by writing an engineering report in the last of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They also create research...

Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette.  In this creating writing instructional activity, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette....

Use this New York Times lesson to research contemporary leaders in the African-American community. After reading the article "Blacks Weigh the Impact of the Post-Jackson Years," middle and high schoolers discuss the varying viewpoints of...

Young scholars create stories using only pictures.  In this visual storytelling lesson, students read Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paola and analyze the wordless story.  Young scholars create new text for the book by...

Students compose a descriptive letter to their families. In this descriptive writing lesson students write a letter as if they have left their family for a new country and will try to convince their families to join them.  They...

Can a negative perception of a president's foreign policy harm his or her historical legacy? A project that winds the clock back to the date of Theodore Roosevelt's death puts students at the editorial desk of a fictional newspaper....

Supporting characters need detail and characteristics just like a main character. Keep your budding authors entrenched in detail as they write their novels. This lesson plan focuses on developing supporting characters using personal...

Define and understand what stereotypes are by reading an article with stereotyping in it. Students will locate how it shows stereotyping and answer questions about the stereotypes. Finally, they will write their own pieces of original work.

Introduce young writers to the process of writing a book. Start by reading a book of your choice and discussing the essential elements of any book such as the cover, story, and illustrations as well as who is responsible for each...

Every child is an author with this engaging reading activity. First the class reviews the various parts of a book such as the title, author, dedication, and author-biography. Then each individual will choose a story of their...

Financial literacy is generally focused on personal spending and saving, but consider an opportunity to talk to your pupils about how charitable giving can also factor into money management and how it can enhance life for both...

Students write a descriptive writing piece. In this writing activity, students use a visualization exercise to add more descriptions to their writing.

Young scholars create friendly letters and surveys to other schools. In this letter writing lesson, students format friendly letters to other school and request a reply. Young scholars chart the replies on a map and share information...

Kids love to pretend. Use this imaginative energy to develop their understanding of characterization. Class members dress up as a character from their novel-writing project and sit for a filmed interview. In responding to questions about...

Students identify and analyze conflicts in plots. In this conflict lesson students recall stories, novels and movies they've read or seen and discuss the conflicts contained therein.  They then complete some written exercises to...

Fifth graders read "Jabberwocky," as an example of revision. They practice revising their own work.

Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre.  Based on what...