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Descriptive Writing: Using Art to Inspire description
Write with the senses! Try using art to inspire writers to consider all of the senses. Here, the class is divided in half. Each group looks at one of two images, imagines the senses that would be engaged, and records answers to five...
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Social Studies Wonders: An Exploration
Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....
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Things Fall Apart: Research, Writing & Presentation Project
A great resource for your unit on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Small groups conduct research about related topics (list included), write papers, present PowerPoint slide shows, and take a student-created test. Fill in a few gaps to...
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Our Nation's Natural Disasters
Sixth graders classify their regions' natural disaster(s). Within this lesson students enhance their research skills by utilizing different resources, as well as their writing skills by composing short research papers.
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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Exploring Arizona's Biotic Communities Lesson 3: A Day in the Life
Junior ecologists examine Arizona's biotic communities and research an animal or plant that is found in this community. In this lesson, learnerss write a narrative essay about their assigned animal or plant. They research online and in...
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Don't Let the Earth Down
Writing a persuasive argument starts with a clear thesis. Using this resource, your class will write a persuasive paper on a conservation issue. They will then transform their argument into a 30-second public service announcement. If...
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Analyzing Sonnets
Model for your class how to craft an analysis of a sonnet by examining the literary techniques used, the background of the poet, and critical reviews of the poem. As guided practice, learners are assigned a sonnet, complete a preliminary...
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Environmental Limitations
Seventh graders study the environmental factors that affect population growth. In this biology lesson, 7th graders create a city following certain criteria. They present their posters in class.
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Harvesting of Trees: Library Media Center Resources
Young scholars research harvesting of trees in the United States and write a summary. In this informative instructional activity students state whether they agree or disagree with an article and write a summary on why.
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A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD
Eighth graders study the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. For this World History lesson, 8th graders analyze and compare primary and secondary sources. Students discuss as a class the accomplishments of Columbus.
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A Geography and Ecology Lesson for Grades 4-7
Students explore many of the unusual geographical features of the Amazon River region, and explain the importance of preserving the tropical rainforest.
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Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching
A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...
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Child Labor during the Industrial Revolution and Now
Fifth graders research topic of child labor by studying Industrial Revolution, read about child labor laws, and examine countries where child labor still exists today. They then choose single question to research from list, and create...
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Ellis Island/Angel Island
Fourth graders research Ellis Island and Angel Island. In this library media lesson, 4th graders use resources from the library to locate facts about Ellis Island and Angel Island. Students construct a Venn diagram to compare and...
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Le Tour de France
Young scholars explore French geography, history and culture. They imagine that they are a tour company that is trying to promote the trip to prospective customers. In addition, they make travel arrangements in French, practice computer...
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The Three Branches of Government
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
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Regions of the United States
Fifth graders collect data about regions of the United States using the Internet, library books, and encyclopedias. They write an essay persuading people to visit their state.
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Animating a Historic Event
Research a historic event using textbooks, primary source documents, the Internet, and other library and media resources. Young historians will take the research they have gathered and write an attention-grabbing, historically accurate...
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Reference Resources: Being a Good Detective
Students explore a variety of reference resources while seeking information. atlases, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and online search engines as well as library card catalogs are utilized in this lesson.
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If These Walls Could Speak...
Students examine the relationship between history, the use of a given space, and its design. They research the relationship between technology and design while exploring a variety of sources. They study what scale models are and how to...
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Hurricane Katrina: You Be the Reporter
Students work in a small group to create news stories, feature stories and editorials/letters to the editor and organize them in a podcast, video-based program, or newspaper/magazine focused on Hurricane Katrina.
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Summer Reading and Writing Assignment: Fahrenheit 451
Twelfth graders explore Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. For this reading and writing lesson, 12th graders read the book and think of five books to save from the fire. Students write an essay explaining why they'd save them. The essay...
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HEALTH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
Students create a three part poster entitled, "Learning Disabilities". The first two parts are two paragraph reports on any two of the learning disabilities featured in the discussion. The final part of the poster is a two paragraph essay.