Young readers work on evaluating claims in a piece of informational text with the article "In New York, It's Open Bag or Find Exits" from the New York Times. They analyze current search procedures implemented to fight terrorism...

Looking for an interactive roll playing lesson? Young actors practice reading and rereading decodable texts with expression. They interact with the play, "The Boy Who Wanted the Willies," by Aaron Shepherd within this lesson. An...

Students practice reading with fluency by rereading texts to increase their speed. They listen to the teacher model fluent, smooth, and expressive oral reading. They then work in a small group reading orally and self-assessing their...

Students explore the importance of reading with fluency. They listen as the teacher reads a book pronouncing every word by its phonemes -- choppy and broken up. They then practice reading the book "Arthur's Reading Race." They are...

Third graders listen as their teacher reads them a book. In groups, they are given a story and time to practice a skit. After taking suggestions from their teacher, they perform their skit and receive feedback from the class. They can...

Learners review their knowledge on the First Amendment. After reading an article, they identify specific church and state issues. Using the Internet, they research President Bush's proposal from a specific point of view. They summarize...

Third graders complete book reports. They are given the following jobs; chef, who organizes them into genres; maître d', who calls students to share the menu; and waiters/waitresses, who take orders for books from customers, pass out...

HIgh schoolers respond to a persuasive article on using animal research. In this english lesson, writers listen to a conversation, and discuss the point of arguments. They write a critique on a certain film and share it with their...

Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

Elementary learners identify the main elements of story structure and form questions to summarize their reading. They listen as the teacher reads a story and then write questions to determine (1) main characters, (2) setting, (3)...

Reading Mary Pope Osborne's Civil War on Sunday? Here's a packet crammed with activities, exercises, reading guides, and project suggestions. A must-have for your curriculum library.

Students sing and read the old favorite song Wheels on the Bus, and write new song text for a poster and a class book.

Students explore schools during the Colonial period. In this American history lesson, students participate in a simulation of school days in Colonial America. Students visit a museum and use the schoolhouse as a setting for their...

Students practice one-minute oral readings to increase their speed and fluency. They review several reading strategies, and then they read orally with a partner. The partner times their reading with a stopwatch and tracks their time on...

Students improve their reading fluency through the use of various strategies. After reviewing decoding and rereading strategies, students complete a timed assessment of their words read per minute. Their words per minute are recorded...

Third graders research world geography by creating a class presentation. In this South American lesson, 3rd graders read assigned text regarding the customs and traditions of different Indian communities in South America. Students...

Students take a stand on the concept of changing their appearance. For this changing of ones image lesson, students create a design that would change their image and discuss the age they think they should be to...

After reading Acts III and IV of Othello, give your class a fun, interactive, music-related activity. Begin by asking high schoolers about songs they have heard in movies or plays. Let them look up the lyrics online and ruminate about...

Students read orally to increase their reading speed and fluency in this lesson. They listen to the teacher model expressive and fluent reading. They then practice reading orally with a partner. The partner times their reading with...

Investigate ethical issues surrounding the Decode project in Iceland. Middle and high schoolers take the positions of the Icelandic government, scientific researchers, and citizens and defend or refute the Decode project in a Reykjavik...

Learners review the facts of the court case Brown v. Board of Education. Next, they research recent court cases that uphold contrasting views on the landmark decision. They write opinions about these recent court cases from a 1954...

The class explores and debates, from multiple perspectives, a petition to allow Hopi Indians to take golden eagle hatchlings from a federal wildlife sanctuary for use in a religious ceremony. Pupils defend their personal views on the...

Practice reading and speaking through a simulation activity in which learners role-play as store managers and angry customers. The class also reviews present and past-perfect tenses. Extensions and a print-friendly handout are provided.

Is your class reading Pride and Prejudice? In order to link scenes to the themes in Austen's novel, pairs take on the confrontation between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth (Chapter XIV). After writing their own version of the...