Critical analysis skills can be built in a variety of ways. Using editorial cartoons (both domestic and foreign) learners will consider how American Imperialism was perceived during the late 19th century. Critical thinking questions,...

The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...

Students create a movie from the material they have learned during the unit covering the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Upper graders view a series of films that depict rituals or celebrations as they occur in different cultural settings. They conduct a cultural investigation about one culture, brainstorm and research objects that have cultural or...

This is a week-long lesson on analyzing the similarities and differences between sources of tension and terrorism in eight locations around the world. The class is divided into eight groups and assigned one of the locations to research....

Student explore the relationship of static electricity to current electricity, circuits, electromagnets, electro generators, and public electric utilities. In this Green Team lesson plan, 4th graders participate in hands-on science...

Comparing and evaluating various media types is a great way to build critical analysis skills. Learners read about the Vietnam era presidency, specifically the foreign policy established by Johnson and Nixon. Then they compare several...

Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...

Introduce your physics or astronomy class to Kepler's laws of planetary motion with this straightforward activity. It covers the basic concepts of each and has learners answer questions to demonstrate their grasp on them. You could use...

Explore ancient warfare through a dramatic reading of select portions of The Iliad with your class. They will identify the major characters in The Iliad and explain the strategies, external forces, and alliances of the Trojan War

Have a sense of humor when discussing human anatomy with your class! Through puzzles and riddles, learners become comfortable with words relating to reproduction and development. They combine mixed up words from the "vocabulary gene...

Using Microsoft Word and the blank "Jack and Jill" templates provided, class members find picture files of themselves and create a written photo ID document to be printed and lamented for the classroom. The lesson is divided into 4...

Have your class define, examine, and explore the causes and effects of the French Revolution. The presentation is organized so that students will be able to take effective notes on each topic covered. Critical thinking is promoted...

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...

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...

Can your mathematicians come up with an easy way to convert miles to kilometers? Start by asking learners to write an algebraic expression for each of the descriptions given. Once they determine that they are both the same, ask...

Using a pulse monitor, learners will measure a resting pulse, take a math test, and then measure the pulse again. They analyze the change in pulse and compare it to performance on the test. This multi-purpose lesson can be used in a...

Learners explore the cultures and civilizations of Mesopotamia. They take a look at the factors that shaped the region, and study the history of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and other ancient wonders of the world. The class is divided...

The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project and...

Learners work in groups and compare/contrast Mesopotamian Law to Hebrew Law. They chart their findings on a chart to show a natural progression to answering questions about values in these two societies.

Youngster learn the importance of cooperation and sharing through a fun art project! Following a brief introductory discussion in which the class brainstorms how they can use their hands to share, youngster get divided into pairs to...

Ninth graders explore he purposes of the Parthenon.  In this World History lesson, 9th graders create a complete picture of the Parthenon.  Students research one aspect of the structure and report their findings back to the class.

Fourth graders become familiar with fractional parts of a ruler.  In this measurement lesson, 4th graders measure various objects to an 1/8 of an inch.   Students measure a piece of paper based on teacher direction....

Each member of the class creates their own paper ruler. Using their ruler, kids walk around the room measuring the objects you've specified. Discuss how items should be measured to the 16th of an inch, the smallest unit on their ruler....