John Muir may be a friend to the natural world, but as a short reading passage confirms, he is no friend to rattlesnakes. As young readers learn about Muir's encounters with the dangerous creatures, they answer four comprehension...

Students analyze a photo essay of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas by the photojournalist Russell Lee. They identify the goals of the photo essay, explore a website, and complete a worksheet.

Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...

Students read two short stories by the same author. For each story, they identify the main structures and style of the author. They use the text to write a summary about each story and how the author used literary techniques.

In this literature worksheet, students respond to 25 short answer and essay questions about Jane Austen's Emma. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.

Eighth graders investigate the Vietnam War. For this Vietnam War lesson, 8th graders research the escalation of the war during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. Students also explore the domestic programs that Johnson promoted. Students...

Students evaluate primary sources. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students will write essays that compare and contrast the differences and similarities between pioneers and Native Americans. Students will engage in a wide variety of...

Students describe myths and realities of immigration. In this "On Discovering America" lesson, students compare and contrast the American view of immigrants in the 1930s and how the media portrayed immigrants in the 1930s using examples...

Students work together to research the history of Macedonia. As a class, they compare and contrast a free market economy with a state-controlled economy. In groups, they read a letter by a Peace Corp volunteer and compare it to their...

Students complete compare and contrast activities for two stories about racism and tolerance in the science fiction genre. In this literary analysis instructional activity, students read a Ray Bradbury short story and Walter Mosley poem,...

Eighth graders examine immigration patterns. In this family history lesson, 8th graders investigate their own family histories and then compare and contrast immigration patterns of their class to national immigration patterns between...

Twelfth graders study confederal, federal, and unitary governments. They compose an essay that compares and contrasts the purpose of state/local government with that of the national government in the American federal system.

Students discuss what characteritics belong to a hero. They examine different mythological stories and identify the theme of each. They compare and contrast the origin of Superman to the mythological stories and report their findings to...

Students examine the concept of inequality. They compare and contrast vertical and horizontal inequality and identify methods on how inequality is measured. They research trends of inequality in the United Kingdom.

High schoolers compare and contrast the traditional superhero cartoon with a narrative cartoon. Students research water resources and usage in Africa and create original narrative cartoons showcasing their findings.

Students examine the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. In groups, they compare and contrast the type of art before and after the movement along with the state of society at the time. After reading a book on the topic of their...

Students are introduced to the definition of a hero. As a class, they compare and contrast the difference between non-fictional and fictional hereos they have read about. They read a story, create a story map of one of the heroes and...

Students describe the belief and practices of the three major religions of China. Using primary source documents, they compare and contrast the three religions and present their findings to the class in the form on a PowerPoint...

High schoolers role play proper greetings and etiquette in formal and informal work and social situations. Students compare and contrast introductions and conversational conventions in their native country and in the United States by...

Students review their prior knowledge on plants. In groups, they compare and contrast the difference between reproducing asexually and sexually. Using the internet, they research how some plants can be forced to produce asexually.

Students compare the records of gold medal Olympic winners for the last 100 years and decide if we are faster, stronger than in the past.

Young scholars examine Russian Folktales. In this folklore lesson, students discuss the attributes of common folktales they know and then discover details regarding Russian folktales. Young scholars read 3 folktales and then complete the...

After reading Flannery O'Connor's short stories, provide your high schoolers with these questions. You could use these to prompt higher level thinking for an upcoming test, or provide them as essay prompts. 

Who is a champion to your class? Elementary and middle schoolers think of a role-model from their lives. Then, in their journals, they write evidence of that person's perseverance. They identify the character trait of perseverance with...