Find the main idea in an informational text with a versatile lesson. Three levels of differentiation help you implement the strategy in any age or class level, based on the ability and objectives of your learners.

Students organize facts into categories and list the structure of a five-paragraph essay. They identify the main idea and outline the supporting details. In the class, students discuss how they organized their ideas and begin drafting...

Even those experienced teachers of Hamlet can find much to like in a guide that offers many fresh ideas for activities. Class members may take on the role of FBI profilers that investigate Claudius and Hamlet as murderers, or...

What is a Hoosier? 4th graders will identify sayings/expressions to reflect a region or culture. They will research Indiana history to work in groups to prepare for the annual 4th grade program where they will present the information...

An array of reading comprehension, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary activities are at your fingertips with a language arts practice packet. Second, third, and fourth graders work on various skills using reading passages and word banks,...

Students discuss the article 'Bowling Alone'. They discuss the notes over war protest in the US during the Vietnam War. Students identify the main ideas of the article 'Bowling Alone.' They discuss the lecture on the war protest in...

Learners listen to famous songs of the Vietnam War Era. They complete a worksheet covering the ideas advocated/fought against therein.

The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether...

Students read Polar, The Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding this true story of a toy bear that survived the sinking of the Titanic. Included are reading, art,...

Though the lesson plan format is simplistic, it's got some good ideas for addressing internal and external conflict in your literary analysis unit. Using "Little Red Riding Hood" and other fairy tales, young readers identify the...

Students sort out important information and create a visual framework for reviewing in the future. They organize a large quantity of information thus helping with learning and remembering details, cause and effect, comparison and...

Students identify the details of medieval castles.  In this history lesson, students discuss the possible ways that enemies could invade a castle, then they construct their own castle, utilizing the ideas that would have kept it...

Developed specifically for AVID students, this packet of materials that includes an explanation of the Socratic seminar, the preparation materials, and tips and protocols, is a must-have resource for any class. 

Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...

Students see circles in real life and have fun with them

Third graders discuss citizenship and the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. On poster board, the teacher draws a tree and students draw their citizenship ideas on paper or clip pictures from magazines and glue them to the tree.

Students observe and demonstrate pantomime and improvisation. They define and discuss improvisation and pantomime, then in small groups discuss and brainstorm ideas using a bag of props. Students then create and present a scene using...

Young scholars create a diorama of the Secret Annex in which Anne Frank and her family hid during the Holocaust.  In this Anne Frank diorama lesson, students brainstorm a list of ideas about the Secret Annex.  Young scholars...

First graders investigate a story with the theme of The Thanksgiving holiday. The teacher reads the story to the class. The story is meant to help students to think of things they are thankful for. Students share the ideas in either...

Students compare and contrast the colonies in British North America. As a class, they brainstorm a list of people, places and ideas associated with the Colonial Era. They discover the relationships and interactions between the...

Second graders are introduced to the style of a narrative writing. After being read a story, they use a graphic organizer to plan their writing. With a partner, they share their ideas and decide on one topic to write about. To end the...

Seventh graders use analogies to test their understanding of relationships between words or ideas. They practice analogies to improve vocabulary and thinking skills. Students write sentences that use analogies.

Students engage in a lesson that is about the increase of reading comprehension. They read the book "The Mitten" by Jan Brett and then list the main characters of the story. They discuss some of the main ideas in the story like having...

Students continue to read the story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek". In groups, they define the word foreshadowing. They identify the points in the story that they believe are the rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. They...