Eleventh graders review the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and explore the major debates during the writing of the Constitution. They review vocabulary and compare primary source documents to study the three branches of...

Students, after reading and discussing the two texts by Flannery O'Connor, "Good Country People" and "Greenleaf," analyze the plot, tone, characters, themes and setting in each story. They write their own short stories dealing with a...

Learners study Asian works of art and Japanese haiku. They then take this knowledge and create an original haiku in response to other works of art.

Eleventh graders discover the poetry of Langston Hughes. In this social issues lesson plan, 11th graders experience the views of Langston Hughes. Students read Hughes' poetry and discuss the basic theme. Students evaluate the political,...

Learners study stories. For this writing lesson, students discuss the three aspects of a story, read stories focusing on the characters, write a story as a class about a character made up by the class, and write a story with an exciting...

Students examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Students then use the methods of...

Students examine literary arts. In this Greek mythology lessons, students read Greek myths and select characters from the myths to study. Students create watercolor illustrations of the characters, write short stories about the...

Fifth graders review and practice subject-verb agreement by cutting and pasting, and by writing a simple paragraph in which the subjects and verbs agree. They utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to practice subject-verb agreement.

Students study the geography and resources available to the ancient Egyptians and create a multimedia tour that demonstrates this learning to others.

Students study the American immigration experience. In this Ellis Island instructional activity, students research primary documents from the immigration station, take a tour of the station, and then prepare and perform dramatic...

Learners explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Learners answer...

Students explore the basic concepts of a relational database by designing a questionnaire to gather information about their school's student body for use in designing more effective school programs.

Students study the work of Georgia O'Keefe. They use a digital camera or scanned images from a regular camera and the PhotoShop application to create a landscape of their own which reflects the important shapes or objects in their...

First graders practice their letter writing skills by writing to a fictional character.  For this formal writing lesson, 1st graders read the books The Jolly Postman and Frog and Toad are Friends to examine the different parts of a...

Students study the nature of hurricanes and examine in detail the effect of Hurricane Georges upon the Dominican Republic. They explain the way in which physical systems (e.g., a hurricane) can affect human systems (e.g., the life of a...

Young scholars complete work at six stations as they investigate children's nutritional needs, kitchen safety, and snacks. First, they listen to Dr. Seuss', "Green Eggs and Ham" before discussing nutrition and the station activities. At...

Fourth graders recognize that the Ojibwa lived in a serene environment which shows in their legends. In this songs, myths and games lesson, 4th graders recognize characteristics of the Ojibwas culture through the study of their games,...

Learners study pictures and artifacts of the one-room schoolhouse. For this compare and contrast lesson,students list similarities and differences in schools of today and one-room schoolhouses. Then learners use this analysis to...

Seventh graders explore the history of Christmas by researching classic literature. In this holiday instructional activity, 7th graders read the story A Christmas Carol and discuss the tone of Charles Dickens' classic literary work....

Class members select a science fiction novel for independent study. To verify they have completed the reading, they write a summary, a critique, and an outline of the plot for a sequel or prequel. They then deliver a five-minute...

Young learners are introduced to the most basic elements and concepts of a book with this pre-kindergarten language arts lesson. Through modeling and discussion, the whole class explores how to read a book and how to determine if you...

Use Inspiration software to create webs. You have to create discussion topics (none are provided here), but learners will enjoy working with pairs and technology. 

Excerpts from a New York Times article about children cooking dinner for their family can lead learners to express opinions about taking on real life responsibilities. The story will prompt discussion, but add more questions directed at...

Students explain the aesthetics of photography, take photos that demonstrate their understanding of aesthetics, and take photos that convey a message or tell a story. They analyze the qualities of a given photo.