Small groups in your physics class collaborate on researching and forming an opinion on whether or not to continue operating the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York. Once the information is gathered and an argument developed,...

First graders take a look at schools of the past and present, and try to conjure an idea of what schools of the future will look like. After taking a walk around their own school and taking note of the buildings and the things that are...

Students research the new Foreign Language Academy and other free summer programs at colleges for teens. They write features stories about the opportunities and interview deans and university officials. Students also interview school...

Learners discuss ways to earn money and why they might need it. Students create crowns to wear all day like in the story. Learners create a play using characters in the story. Students interview "eyewitnesses" at the unveiling of the...

Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...

Students examine the history of African American voting rights. In this voting rights lesson, students listen to a lecture on African American voting rights between the years 1890 and 1965. Students respond to discussion questions...

Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...

This entertaing presentation challenges students to consider several modern myths, such as: alligators live in the sewers underneath New York City, and, if you swallow gum, it stays in your stomach for seven years. They acces a website...

Whether it's the first day of school, or there's a new kid in the class, it's always great to talk about ways we make new friends and be a good friend. Younger learners are presented with several scenarios to discuss and think about....

Introduce your class to ghostwriting while practicing comprehension. From The New York Times' The Learning Network, this article covers the topic of ghostwriting for cookbooks. There are blank spaces and a word bank. Learners can use the...

Looking for a rainy day activity? An article from the New York Times provides a nice topic for discussion. There will be many opinions and lively discussion as to how the class feels about cheerleading being a sport, or not. Ask them to...

Use these festive watermelon number cards as a math manipulative in with your youngsters. Laminate and cut out a set for each student to use throughout the year, or just use one classroom set for math stations. Although there isn't a...

Read Shirley Jackson's "The Possibility of Evil" and complete this word study. You may choose to introduce these seven words before reading the text to front-load the new words. Words include indulgently, rapt, unchecked, degraded,...

Read a tale for your class as they unravel patterns presented in the story using manipulatives. Pause to allow time for discussion and explanation of solutions throughout the story. They write equations or expressions with order of...

Second graders explore what life in the Chicago area was like hundreds of years ago. They discuss how settlers impacted the environment, and why there are no longer herds of buffalo in the Chicago area today. They read an article and...

Students examine customs of rural Mongolia. They read and discuss a letter, discuss families, locate Mongolia on a map, reenact scenes from the letter, and write a prediction of how life change in rural Mongolia during the next 50 years.

Greeting cards can be cute or pretty, and they end up in the trash. Turn your old greeting cards into a functional box. Learners fold, cut, and tape old cards to create small boxes that are perfect for holding paperclips, erasers, or...

Who doesn't love a rainbow? Little ones adore them, so why not make rainbows the subject of your next art project. Your class can use watercolor to paint rainbows. As they do, have them identify the colors in the rainbow, talk about how...

Middle schoolers use a graphic organizer to brainstorm information about their lives. They utilize brainstorming techniques in a writing exercise, and create a graphic organizer describing their lives. They set personal goals for the...

Students discuss the major changes that have taken place in the Hudson Valley over the past 400 years. They use aerial photos to describe major trends in Dutchess County. Students view a PowerPoint presentation. They work in small groups...

Eighth graders implement plot summary organizers to identify essential elements such as conflict and resolution in literature. In pairs, they retell fairy tales to each other and complete plot summaries about them. As students read new...

Lead toxicity is a hot topic these days, especially when it was a common component in household paint for many years. In Taiwan, there was concern that babies were being exposed to toxic levels of lead through breast milk. A study was...

A fun art project, this instructional activity incorporates math and listening skills as young artists play with a new painting technique. First the teacher models how to draw a cat using shapes, an oval for the body, triangles for the...

Teaching the Aeneid this year? Read this quick article to develop some plans and strategies for teaching the epic poem to your advanced learners.