Bring multi-cultural experiences and literature into your language arts class with this lesson. Here, young readers explore the points of view of first and second-generation Asian immigrants with a list of various fiction and nonfiction...

What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...

A 12-page teacher's guide to Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees provides the discussion questions and activities that lead readers to understand not only Lily's fears, but her reasons behind them.

Seventh graders study Ponce de Leon and the Fountain the Fountain of Youth. Using a real life analogy, 7th graders compare the skills of a conquistador to that of a professional basketball player. They discover reasons why the...

What is stereotyping, and how do we handle stereotyping in our daily interactions? Your young historians will not only have the opportunity to learn about the first African American woman to publish a short story–Frances Ellen...

Learners explore the the Age of Imperialism using primary sources and an authentic College Board documents-based question. Other prompts explore the economic changes brought about by the American Civil War, technology, mercantilism, and...

Eighth graders identify the reasons why Columbus wanted to find a shorter route to Asia. They make a timeline of the sequence of events surrounding his explorations. Students draw a map of the routes taken by early explorers around...

History comes to life with the play The Best of Enemie. Scholars learn literary elements as well explore racial issues in American history. The play is based on a true story and addresses the universal truth that people are capable of...

From dragons to dwarves, from riddles to rings, the great adventure story of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has captivated generations of readers of all ages. An educator's guide explores the novel's literary elements,...

Students read about the good and bad aspects of Christopher Columbus in Jean Fritz's book, "Where do you think you're going, Christopher Columbus?" They conduct and analyze a survey about common myths and create a pop-up book.

Sixth graders discover what it takes to become President of the United States. Using a database, they complete a scavenger hunt to determine what George W. Bush has in common with past Presidents. They also create a spreadsheet which...

Young historians discover the life of an incredible African American woman who, as an anti-slavery lecturer prior to the Civil War, defied stereotypes of what women could accomplish. Pupils explore the concept of stereotyping, read...

We often see other countries depicted in movies, but getting a close look at a typical day in the life of a young person from another country isn't as common. Give your pupils such a look with a resource that helps class members...

Readers of Tuesdays with Morrie are directed to use a K-W-H-L chart to record what they know, what they want to learn, how they will find information, and what they learned about a particular topic related to Mitch Albom's book.

Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...

Is your building a smart building? Pupils learn what makes a building smart and about the internet of things. After viewing several videos on the topic, they conduct an activity collecting data from sensors and brainstorm ways to improve...

Learners research a selected explorer and teach their small group about their explorer during a jigsaw activity. Independently they write a letter as if they were on a voyage with their explorer, and create a world map that includes the...

Eighth graders review and assess their knowledge on the big picture of exploration and the origins of early America. They piece together all the pieces of the puzzle from the past two weeks of study on trade, technology, exploration and...

Who are we and what shapes our identities? Seventh graders work to answer this question as they learn how to write a memoir. Full of non-print resources and supplemental texts that range from fiction to non-fiction, scholars write their...

Turning 11 comes with a range of emotions. Explore those emotions by reading the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. Readers analyze the main character's reactions to the events of her day. Then, they write an essay describing what...

Ninth graders illustrate the routes taken by different explorers on a world map. They explain the need for the different exploration voyages. Students explore the web for information that may contain different points of view or...

Fourth graders research Wisconsin explorers. They analyze sources for information related to a Wisconsin explorer or missionary. They create a rough draft and edit and type a final draft including a profile of their explorer and...

In this explorers learning exercise students see the names of 18 Spanish explorers on name cards. There is no information given on this page.

Fifth graders read the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." They discuss the various characters in the book, and the different types of conflict that take place within the book. They also research owls and rats to make comparisons...