Bring jazz music and the Harlem Renaissance to light with a lesson that challenges scholars to research and create. Pupils delve deep into information materials to identify jazz terminology, compare types of jazz and jazz musicians,...

Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a lesson that encourages awareness and open...

Second graders are asked: "What roles do people have in the community?" They view a large web on chart paper. Students discuss the roles that they play in their community. They are told that just as the principal or teacher has many...

Second graders explore different kind of communities and groups and discuss how to effectively participate in them. They share recent changes in their lives. This lesson opens up with the book, Alexander Who's Not Going to Move!

Students examine the steps for outreach and the distribution of films. They develop a list of organizations to contact, view and discuss two short videos, and design a distribution plan for one of the videos, and their own film.

Students read and analyze the poem, "Psalm of Life," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. They create a Footsteps Quilt, developing quilt squares to represent each goal and gift they would leave as a gift to humanity.

Students participate in a community service project and present an art project.  In this lesson on community service, students read Rainbow Fish and discuss its meaning for them as it relates to community. Students create an art...

Students participate in a service project. In this community service instructional activity, students use their special talents to help others. Students draw or write about the service they've provided. The class turns this into a class...

Students discuss folktales and read Tiger and The Big Wind, listening for animal characters for later discussion. In this language arts lesson, students complete a T chart on characters and make a doll for one either chosen or assigned....

Students encourage one another in recycling. In this environment and art activity, students create a new recycling bin that would help people in remembering to recycle.

Young scholars rewrite the ending of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.  In this Of Mice and Men instructional activity, students enter a fictitious contest in which they compose a new ending for Of Mice and Men in which Lennie is...

Students become familiar with local organizations from the four sectors of the economy that help the needy. In this service project lesson, students interview people from organizations that help the needy. Students explore the needs of...

Observe the National Day of Service and Remembrance with a service learning lesson plan. After discussing the events of September 11, 2001, learners plan and implement their own service learning project in honor of American...

Students examine Chinese culture and values. They research the teachings of Confucius, create posters, write short stories, and analyze the history of and present state of gang culture through research, discussion, and writing.

Students consider the role of rhythm, form, diction, and sound in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry as they analyze Shakespearean sonnets, hip hop music lyrics, and poems by Nikki...

What matters to your pupils? What values do they hold dear and how does that shape your classroom community? These are some the questions you'll get your class thinking about when they engage in this lesson from the US Mint. They will...

Kids evaluate world history events that show perseverance by creating artistic images. They investigate historic photographs and images which conjure up the feelings of perseverance, then utilize acrylic paints to capture the...

Bring a lesson about Negro League Baseball to your Black history unit, or any other research unit throughout the year. While the lesson plan itself is simplistic, there are several good ideas that you could use, such as creating trading...

Creative thinkers develope advertisements. They work in groups to create an advertisement featuring the importance of contributing to UNICEF. They research, learn about point of view, and present final projects to the class.

After discussing their opinions of performing community service, young learners read an article about different benefits of serving the community. They participate in a debate about whether their school should require pupils to perform...

A video featuring members of Oregon’s Astoria Native American fishing community launches a study of the oral tradition of poetry, and how traditions are passed down within different cultures. Activities, assessments, extensions and...

Here is a nicely designed instructional activity on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their...

Tenth graders debate a resolution about a planned waterfront community from the point of view of various interest groups. They have a "Town Meeting" in which members from each interest group debate their researched opinions for points....

Use this New York Times instructional activity to research contemporary leaders in the African-American community. After reading the article "Blacks Weigh the Impact of the Post-Jackson Years," middle and high schoolers discuss the...