Third graders answer text-dependent questions of the story Nasreen's Secret School both independently and then collaboratively through using the carousel of questions strategy. This plan is the seventh instructional activity in a...

This second lesson in a larger unit is perfect for the beginning of the year because it explicitly teaches 3rd graders how to use close reading skills by identifying unfamiliar words, figuring out the gist, and defining important...

Students build a friendly environment for future students by creating a PowerPoint presentation.  In this middle school introduction instructional activity, students utilize a camera to record important moments throughout the school...

Third graders continue to practice the close reading skills of capturing the gist and reading again for important details in the sixth lesson in a larger unit. This is a great beginning-of-the-year unit for establishing visible thinking...

Writing a paragraph from details found directly in a text is the central focus of this thorough and explicit lesson plan. Using the stories Nasreen's Secret School and Rain School, third graders are lead step-by-step...

In many places in the world, people go to great lengths to get books to read. This beginning-of-the-year activity uses pictures of people reading in extraordinary situations to stimulate effective listening and speaking using the...

This writing pre-assessment has minimal instruction but maximum support and encouragement. It begins with a review of the book, Rain School, through a think-pair-share and small group discussion. The discussion...

A great year-round activity that shows young mathematicians how the math skills they are learning are actually used in the real world. This exercise also helps learners begin to distinguish the difference between weather and climate. As...

Students explore their new science classroom.  In this classroom exploration lesson plan, students observe a floor plan drawing of their new science classroom through a PowerPoint presentation.  Students then get to have a...

Burning off a Big Mac® doesn't seem like a big feat until you calculate the minutes of exercise necessary to break even. Young mathematicians look at different menu items in relation to different body weights and exercises to calculate...

Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...

Students review 18th century New England schoolbooks to explain how changes occurred in early American education.

First graders discuss the importance of traditions in families. In groups, they share their traditions at certain times of the year. As a class, they read "When This Box is Full" and create a box representing the different seasons. ...

How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis lesson, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times article (linked)...

Young sociologists analyze the needs of white and black students. They discuss how Central and Dunbar High Schools are alike and different before 1957. They write an essay comparing the two schools.

Students experiment with the visocosity of corn syrup, mineral oil, vegetable oil, water, and honey. They research viscosity before beginning. Pupils draw the conclusion that the marble sinks more slowly in the liquids with greater...

Puzzle your way through to a new understanding of area. Scholars learn about the area of polygons through equidecomposability, the idea that polygons that can be decomposed into the same set of pieces have the same area. By using...

Students identify significant events that helped shaped 2006. Completing a news quiz, they discuss the importance and impact of each event mentioned. They create their own news quizzes to be used as a class. They create a poster...

Students observ the cooling and warming of room temperature, hot, and ice cold cans of water by measuring the change in temperature over time. They then attempt to develop explanations for the observations made and apply their findings...

Students prepare for school and relieve anxiety they might be experiencing in regards to beginning school. In this Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten lesson plan, students develop listening skills, produce rhyming words, and...

Seventh graders begin this instructional activity by viewing various maps of the Ancient World. As a class, they take notes on the changes of different areas in Europe and Asia as their teacher lectures to them. They answer questions...

Learners in an ESL classroom are introduced to new vocabulary before reading a story in their native language. In groups, they discuss how the tradition of writing stories down became a tradition and answer comprehension questions. To...

Students understand how ground water can be recycled to maximize its usage and begin to think about ways conservation can help Kansas preserve its natural resources in other areas - soil, minerals, and clean air.

Students analyze themselves as members of the community. They choose a name to describe themselves and explain why they choose the name they did. They identify activities they perform in and out of school to help the community.