Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing lesson. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The lesson includes several options to complete...

Have your class participate in an interview activity using an informational text about the Amazon. After reading a Cultural Connections story about a person from the Amazon, middle schoolers write interview questions based on the text....

Provide your class with an opportunity to investigate an important historical document. Without identifying the document, distribute copies of the original Bill of Rights, as transcribed by John Beckley, Clerk of the House of...

Logan’s Lament, a speech delivered by Mingo Chief Logan in 1774, provides pupils with an opportunity to not only study the historical events surrounding the battle between Native Americans and the Europeans for the West Virginia...

Students relate the national debt to the economy. In this algebra lesson, students discuss what the national debt is, create a national budget based on priority and what the government should spend money on. They analyze their findings...

Practice sequencing with your 2nd graders via Patricia Polacco's Civil War book Pink and Say. Begin with a blindfold and a bag of mystery items. Connect their use of clues to identify what they can't see with the skill of making...

Students play the role of a Ranger with the Department of Forestry.  In this forest fires activity, students examine data on biomes and images to determine high risk areas for forest fires to develop.  

Students examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature.  In this investigative lesson plan students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph. 

To help learners better comprehend informational texts, they work through a series of activities. They discuss strategies, make predictions, skim passages, focus on key words, and practice taking notes. This lesson focuses on what to do...

Young investigators conduct an experiment using the scientific method. They see how many drops of water fit on a coin; have them conduct several different trials. This involves making a hypothesis, looking at controls, and introducing...

First graders analyze historical materials and create questions about Dwight D. Eisenhower.  In this question writing lesson, 1st graders ask and answer questions about the life of Eisenhower. Students write about photographs they...

Students explore environmental care by participating in a litter identification activity. In this food trash lesson, students discuss the destruction litter causes in our environment and ways we can avoid littering ourselves. Students...

Expectant earth scientists examine the bottom side of a leaf and learn the role of the stomata. They consider the gas exchange that occurs through these structures and relate how the climate is changing to its impact on food crops. This...

Delve in the creation of the Great Lakes in Michigan. After listening to stories about the formation of the lakes in this area, pupils perform experiments to investigate how this occurred. This provides a great way for learners to...

While this lesson focuses on the birds and fish found on the Hudson River, it could be adapted for use in any classroom. Using a vocabulary list, learners explore the meaning of words like adaptation, habitat, barbel, and more. Then,...

The class will make observations to determine how environment has shaped the way particular birds and fish eat. They will view a series of photographs, read two short articles, and then consider how food availability has determined how...

This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the instructional activity itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their...

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...

Incorporate technological fluency with a search for examples of active and passive voice in online resources. Discuss how use of active or passive voice influences mood or tone and contributes to author's purpose. List of...

Students estimate and measure triangles. In this geometry lesson plan, students identify the relationship between three sides and a triangle. They use the inequality theorem to decide if a triangle will be formed or not.

Students examine the laws, food, clothing, and shelter of early American Indian cultures. They conduct research, answer questions, and plan and map out an early American Indian village.

Seventh graders examine a teacher-created database and identify specific variables and develop hypothesis statements as to their possible effect. They create a summary statement either proving or disproving their hypothesis.

Young scholars input data about the colors of their serving of M&M candies onto a spreadsheet. They create charts and graphs based on this information.

Students apply the scientific method in order to determine the probability of specific colors in a bag of M&M's. They determine the definition of probability and how it can be used. They make a hypothesis and conduct an experiment to...