Here's an alternative to a traditional book report for your class to demonstrate that they understand and can articulate the main character's evolution and the social themes presented in Voltaire's satirical novel Candide. Your young...

Use the list-group-label strategy to introduce your class to In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. The teacher begins by writing a word on the board (dictatorship is suggested here), and then the kids write as many words...

Reflect on your own personal values with this simple graphic. Values, emotion, and action are all linked; Do your emotions and actions support the values you hold? After learners brainstorm their own additions to this graphic, divide the...

Before starting Arthur Miller's The Crucible, front-load some vocabulary with a crossword puzzle. Sixteen definitions are presented, and learners must brainstorm and record the vocabulary term for each. Unfortunately, neither a word bank...

Explore the concept of yin and yang with this resource. On the first page, learners study a picture of George Bush. Then, have learners choose a character from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. After brainstorming adjectives and choosing...

Aligned with the Common Core writing standards, this resource has Spanish language learners create a question, write an explanatory paragraph, and identify the main points. You can either suggest an overarching question for your class to...

Can two cultures live together successfully? After reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, have your class complete the graphic organizer included. They compare different cultures and brainstorm how different pairs could live...

Generate interest in genre by presenting a PowerPoint about different genres in literature. For each genre, there is a definition and several examples. Some examples are from popular or modern films. Ask pupils to take notes or...

A variation of a standard graphic organizer for a five-paragraph essay, young writers may find this style of organization helpful while drafting their writing. Some key features of this particular organizer are sections for transition...

Exercise paragraph writing by focusing on the impact of each statement or idea. For this organizational pattern, writers compose their paragraphs by increasing the force of each idea so that the most important idea is the concluding...

Feeling bored and unimpressed with word choice in your class? If so, consider this activity, which focuses on using specific and precise language. Pupils use highlighters, brainstorm independently and in small groups, and create a poster...

Was it the teacher with the ruler in the supply closet? Find out when you read mystery stories inspired by this presentation. Show the slide show to your pupils to give them ideas that will help them get started with writing their own...

What are the characteristics of a good research source? At the beginning of a research project, have your class brainstorm evaluative criteria for primary and secondary source material. They then use the generated list to guide their...

To celebrate cultural diversity and multicultural awareness, learners explore the nature of headwear used around the world. They brainstorm the types of headwear they've seen, and then discuss why people wear coverings on their heads....

Use this writing prompt and brainstorming page to help your pupils prepare to write their own myths. Individuals must choose a natural event to explain, come up with a protagonist and an antagonist, determine a setting, and think of a...

Written for Washington state students in life science, this lesson provides an opportunity to examine the residents of local freshwater habitats. You or the class collects a water sample, and learners try to examine what organisms live...

If you'd like to quickly access a simple graphic organizer designed for a class to divide and conquer a larger subject, then check out this resource. Assign class members to study a specific topic within a historical theme or event, and...

The Internet and how it has changed our lives is the focus of a series of activities that prepares learners for the performance task assessment on the influence of the Internet. Groups also brainstorm devices such as phone and cars that...

Planning a new unit of instruction? Use this worksheet to brainstorm and sketch out topics, possible resources, activities, topics, supplies needed.

Before beginning The Winter's Tale groups read and discuss a scenario that parallels the plot of Shakespeare's play. They then brainstorm possible solutions to the problem.

Can you use X-rays to measure bone mineral density? This is the essential question that learners must answer in the first installment of a seven-part series. They brainstorm ideas about necessary background information and what they...

Young scholars examine the concept of the theme (the big idea) in a poem. They brainstorm thoughts and feelings about themes, e.g. war, pollution, music, etc., and create and idea web about a theme of their own choice.

The long vowel phoneme /y/ is the star of this language arts lesson. Kindergarteners share the book, I Spy a Little Fly then brainstorm more words that end in /y/. Since so many of our words end in /y/, this would be a very...

The vowel/consonant/vowel combination of /i_e/ is one of the most common in our language. In this lesson, kindergarterners share the book, The Doctor's Line to gain practice in reading these kind of words. A brainstorm session...