Students read how writers, artists, political leaders, and citizens define and image peace. They find news-clippings, cartoons, photographs, or articles which illustrate the main idea contained in quotations they read.

Students utilize search engines to locate information on one of the first five Presidents of the United States. Students utilize various technological skills that incorporate higher level thinking, analysis, and summarization. Students...

Students describe geometric figures. They create pictures and list each shape they used to create their pictures. They discuss the importance of shapes in their lives and create ten different geometric shapes using the Drawing tools in...

Students explore ways in which they are smart. In this "getting to know you" classroom team building lesson, students discuss various ways people can be smart and describe ways in which they are smart. Students listen to "Smart" from...

The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...

This wonderful art lesson invites students to design and “mint” coins bearing their own symbols. A simple carving andcasting process using Blick Wonder-Cut®linoleum and modeling clay is described in the plan. Coins can be one or 2-sided,...

As Nick wanders the grounds of Gatsby's mansion, he observes the behaviors of the rowdy guests and listens to the music pouring over the lawn. Bring the music of the jazz age into the classroom with Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues,"...

Middle schoolers are encourage to try their hand at traditional Oceania tapa art by crafting their own cloth using brown paper bags. Included in the resource is background information about the cultures of Oceania and their art. 

The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...

Young scholars examine how the initial design of the White House was chosen. They analyze various designs, explore websites, list the characteristics of each design and compare them, and answer discussion questions.

Due to vandalism, war, and urban decay, many of the world's great monuments have fallen to ruin. Here is an interesting instructional activity that increases understanding of the dichotomy between what are intended as lasting tributes,...

Students practice mirroring human moves by performing a dance in class.  In this physical education instructional activity, students utilize different spaces around them to perform a dance expressing their full motion....

See the changes, controversy, and innovations that define postwar American art. The onset of the modern art era in American history is well-defined in this slide-show. You'll see how Abstract Expressionism shifted into conceptual, pop,...

Introduce young actors to the key elements of performance with this handout that defines key staging terms and activities.

The sun provides the link between this art and science activity. Kids use sunlight (or light from an artificial source) to produce heliographic prints on fabric or paper.

Students create their own self-portrait revealing personal information employing two types of aesthetics: imitation and expression. Emphasis is placed on the painting "Saint Helena with True Cross" created by Lucus Cranch the Elder.

Students explore the different themes and strategies of dancing by performing in class.  For this physical education lesson, students practice moving specific joints and muscles as they train to perform a dance.  Students...

Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...

Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included. 

Introduce your class to the techniques of proper writing. In groups, they brainstorm their ideas on family structures and discuss the importance of having a male figure in their lives. After listening to an African-American poem, they...

Young scholars simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.

Young scholars investigate the history of and the current state of the White House. They take a virtual tour of the White House and Monticello, explore various websites, and compare/contrast Monticello with the White House.

Students work cooperatively to choose a theme, write a story, and produce a web site to display this story in this middle-level lesson on the career of a web designer. This excellent lesson ends with an organized, web site launch party.