Students take the sides of Patriots or Tories. In this colonial American lesson, students read primary sources that feature James Murray and Captain Jones. Students then write dialogues and limericks based on a fictional meeting of the 2...

Tenth graders research the Declaration of Independence and its impact. They assemble puzzle pieces of the declaration and create their own declaration of independence including grievances and resolution.

Young scholars research the structure of the Declaration: introduction, main political/philosophical ideas, grievances and assertion of sovereignty. They analyze the ideological/political origins of the ideas in the Declaration. Students...

Learners examine readings and symbols to learn about the War of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. For this War of Independence lesson, students explore the role of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration for Independence. Learners answer...

Eighth graders are introduced to authors in the conservation community. As a class, they describe a personal experience they have had with nature. They identify examples of an author's descriptive writing techniques and answer questions...

Incorporate technological fluency with a search for examples of active and passive voice in online resources. Discuss how use of active or passive voice influences mood or tone and contributes to author's purpose. List of...

Students investigate syllabic metre and rhyming techniques by analyzing poetry.  In this language arts lesson plan, students read the poem Considering the Snail and discuss the nature and mood of the poem with their classmates....

Elementary schoolers study the history and purpose of potlatches. The listen to two stories about potlatches, then design a potlatch that they will host for their family members. They must come up with the gifts they would give, the...

Students read and analyze the point of view of a selected classic short story. They take notes while reading the story, select a character, and rewrite the story from a different viewpoint.

Students examine web sites to determine point of view and bias in information sources. They determine the usefulness of information based on these biases or limitations.

Students research the Declaration of Independence and write a group paper. Students use a set of designated questions as a guide for the threee to four page paper.

Third graders choose a letter of the alphabet and find an environmental topic to research that begins with the same letter. They prepare an article and illustration about their topic and compile them into a class environmental alphabet...

Fourth graders write a summary for each chapter as they read a novel. They summarize the author's purpose and point of view after completing the novel. They also describe about how the author's point of view affected the novel.

Seventh graders identify the various elements of a short story. After reading Rudyard Kipling's short story, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," students identify the author's purpose in writing the story as well as the elements that make it a short...

Students read and debate the purpose of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, analyze its story elements, and write their own The Lorax II.

"Bullying and Prejudice" and "Do You Cyber Bully," two lessons from a complete Bully Free program, serve as samples of the approach used in a unit designed to bring awareness to and to combat bullying. Each lesson asks class...

Two lessons, "What Does Cyber Bullying Look Like?" and "Factors Influencing My Reporting the Bullying of Others," serve as examples of the 12 included in a Bully Free curriculum. Each plan includes discussion questions, an activity,...

In this everyday editing activity, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the author of The Polar Express and Jumanji, Chris Van Allsburg. The errors range from capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

After watching the documentary Dark Water about a traditional Chumash ceremony and reading a Chumash origin story, viewers are asked to create a coat of arms and to craft an essay that details a family tradition or their own origin story.

Readers of The Wednesday Wars respond to model "Right There," "Think and Search," "On My Own," and "Author and You" (QAR) questions before crafting their own for class discussion.

Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...

Difficulties with brain injuries still continue today. After reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, class members read a series of modern personal essays about brain injuries and choose an essay to compare...

Being an astronaut takes not only high mental acuity, but also a high level of physical fitness, especially for those who spend a long amount of time away from Earth, such as the astronauts serving on the International Space Station....

An interesting resource addresses the role of youth in civic participation and community events. It also explains the role of the justice system in creating boundaries and how citizens play a part in the judicial process.  Pupils...