How do you know what a character's personality is like if an author doesn't tell you? With a focus on character development in Esperanza Rising, pupils complete a jigsaw activity to analyze the actions of Mama, Abuelita, and Miguel. Once...

Help your class transition as the setting in the novel Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan, moves from Mexico to California. Beginning with prior knowledge, and moving into jigsaw research groups, class members add to and create posters...

Are all criminals bad people? Pupils answer this and other compelling questions in an anticipation guide for The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Designed for learners to complete before reading the text, the...

Hands-on experience with valves and water flow supports young researchers' understanding of valve operation. Attached resources for learners are text-dense; I'd break up the text into smaller pieces for groups to read and present...

Explore multiple perspectives through a jigsaw activity that will improve your pupils' understanding of the characters in Esperanza Rising as well as their understanding of strikes and human rights. Tapping into prior knowledge, and...

Should land be redistributed to former slaves after the Civil War? This essential question guides a lesson on the Reconstruction Era, as learners analyze primary sources (linked), recording responses on a worksheet (linked). To model the...

Students participate in a jungle run in which they must group with the same people who hold the same cards with pictures of a tree, mushroom, deer or insect. In these groups, they read the definitions of sustainable development. Using...

Students explore the lifestyles of the Aztecs. In this ancient culture lesson plan, students jigsaw into groups that divide up various aspects of Aztec culture. Students reform as a class in order to discuss and share their findings.

A puzzle isn't about the individual pieces, but how they work together. Scholars assemble a puzzle and discover missing pieces. They write a description of what they expect these pieces to look like, including as many details as...

Students compare and contrast domesticated animals and wild animals. They identify plants and animals that have adapted to different habitats. They discover it is everyone's responsibility to protect the environment.

Students in a teacher education program use a jigsaw method to identify the six areas of language arts to be taught in an early childhood classroom. They describe their vision of a literacy rich environment and practices uses a KWL...

Young scholars define the word genocide and explain the key events in Rwanda history. In groups, they explain the relationship between the Tutsis and Hutus and read the first hand account of a young victim in the genocide. They...

High schoolers are introduced to the history of the Uyghur society. In groups, they read various chapters of their text, they summarize the material, write down any questions they need answered and create an outline. They present...

Students explore communication by participating in a role playing instructional activity. In this media analysis instructional activity, students answer surveys about their own television watching habits and compare them to the rest of...

Students explore the environment by completing environmental problem worksheets. In this pollution lesson, students identify the biggest threats to our environment such as deforestation, global warming, and pollution. Students utilize...

Budding authors research a US President and persuade the National Park Service to add him to Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the persuasive essay, individuals are required to develop a visual presentation using a web-based software that...

What sunk the Sultana? Scholars become investigators to uncover the facts behind the 1865 sinking just after the end of the Civil War. Through group work, videos, and primary documents, they research and analyze why 1,800 men died....

Students, in groups, investigate different cases and draw points of law from them. They also examine quotations and draw points of law from them as well.

Fourth graders examine various aspects of the environment of Utah. In groups, they create four maps of Utah, based on temperature, precipitation and elevation. To end the instructional activity, they are asked a question as a group and...