Not all the women in the late Middle Ages (1400-1510) lived lives of quiet desperation. Young historians study images and read primary source documents to gain an understanding of what life was like for the elite class of medieval women.

Young historians research the connections between their personal histories and the histories of our country to gain a deeper understanding of who they are. To begin, class members write about an object that they consider significant to...

Introduce fourth graders to poetry with a three-week unit that has them examine the structural elements of poetry, analyze poems, and craft their own original poems rich in sensory details and other poetic devices. Young scholars study...

Names come with all sorts of nuances and can influence how we see ourselves and how others see us. To gain insight into the power of names, class members journal about their names and then read a short essay about a girl and her feelings...

Your land is my land! Young historians investigate the concept of Manifest Destiny used by the United States government to justify western expansion. Jigsaw groups read primary source documents to gain an understanding of the movement...

The 2018 film Anna, One Woman's Quest for Freedom in Early Washington, D.C., offers high schoolers an opportunity to examine the sacrifices one woman endured to gain her freedom from slavery.

Childbirth has never been easy and is not without risk, even in the 21st century. Young historians gain insight into the travails of 18th-century childbirth as they read letters between Abigail Adams and her husband about their loss of a...

Help your learners gain meaningful understanding of dividing fractions using fraction models. The activity includes nine problems which are sequenced to show how the fraction division algorithm evolves. Have students use graph paper or...

How closely are animals related? Check their phylogenetic trees! The use of DNA sequencing altered our understanding of these relationships. Individuals explore and gain a better understanding of how scientists sort, align, and determine...

Roy John Britten easily earned a PhD in nuclear physics—but he found painting with water colors too difficult. Young scientists learn about Britten's life, career, and research with an online interactive. They read a biography, view...

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...

Working in pairs, class members use the provided narrative writing rubric to assess the effectiveness of dialogue, pacing, and description in two model paragraphs with similar content. Writers then use the insights they have gained from...

Learners solve complex radical equations. Solutions vary from one, two, and none, allowing pupils to gain experience solving a variety of problems.

Sample pennies to gain an understanding of their ages. The 16th installment of a 25-part series requires groups to collect samples from a jar of pennies. Pupils compare the distribution of their samples with the distribution of the...

Class members continue examining how writers develop and support their ideas by comparing two texts about globalization. Alongside chapters from Sugar Changed the World, young scholars read an article by the World Bank entitled...

Help readers go deeper and gain an understanding of purpose and justification while analyzing a letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr. Literature lovers discuss the letter in a variety of settings, including in pairs, groups, and...

Readers take all the information they gained from the last 19 lessons and complete an essay describing how King develops his purpose and claim in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Pupils use a rubric and checklist to help guide their...

Science over humanity? Scholars analyze an excerpt from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. They must consider if the experimentation of Henrietta's cells without her consent was worth the information gained about cancer. They discuss...

Have you had a change of heart? Scholars consider whether their views change after gaining new information about tissue ownership. They read John Moore's court hearings and respond to a quick write prompt, noting if the new information...

Is that your final answer? As part of the last instructional activity, scholars finalize their research portfolios. They review all of their claim tools and gain the perspective of others as they discuss their work with a group. To...

Can budding writers accept constructive criticism? Learners work with their peers to gain feedback about their argumentative essay drafts. Peers give one another constructive criticism to revise their work better. Using a Peer Review...

Leave the past in the past. Scholars read paragraph 12 of the chapter "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" to analyze Du Bois's development of gaining liberty and leaving the ideas of the past. Pupils then carry out a three to five-minute...

Time for intermission! Scholars take an intermission break from learning in the unit to work on a mid-unit assessment independently. Readers answer questions about Lyndon Johnson's Speech "The Great Society" to demonstrate the knowledge...

This is just the beginning. Learners take the first step toward their end-of-unit assessments of Unbroken. They use their tools and knowledge gained from the unit to create first drafts of their informational essays. Writers then respond...