The second instructional activity in a five-part poetry unit asks seventh graders to construct a metaphor poem. First, pupils examine Emily Dickinson's "The Railway Train" and identify the metaphor. They then select an object and an...

How do you structure oral presentations? Guide your orators with this plan. Groups of English language learners will practice presenting their opinion in response to the question "Do you think the death penalty is justified for some...

Passive voice and participial adjectives are the focus of an 11-page resource packet designed for ESL/ELD classes. Language learners engage in activities and complete exercises that give them lots of practice with these constructs.

Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system.  For this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...

Three wonderful questions will help your middle schoolers better understand the Byzantine Empire. They construct short essay responses to each of the three prompts, discuss the schism between the Greek and Roman Catholic church, the...

They always say to write what you know. This approach is used to get middle schoolers prepared to write novels of their own. Using a favorite book as a model, potential novelists respond to prompts that ask about characters, plot, main...

Learners analyze this letter of complaint to the city council by answering nine short-answer questions. They examine author's purpose, word choice, claims, rhetorical questions, and general observations. There is a focus on constructive...

Before presenting the material to your classes, review different constructions of the conditional tense. This teacher's guide provides several examples and role-play opportunities with your class. Dialogue to build familiarity with the...

Transition words in writing are the focus of the language arts lesson presented here. In it, learners cut out the word-sort cards (embedded in the plan), and put them into four categories: time, examples, space, and summary. They find a...

Here is a great little reading and vocabulary development lesson created just for learners with special needs. The lesson is constructed with both core content and necessary adaptations in mind. The group will use PECS, pointing/gesture,...

Teaching young learners about similes is easy as pie with this primary grade language arts activity. Following a class reading of the children's book, Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood, young readers learn the definition of a simile...

Here you will find three simple and engaging American Revolution projects that will allow your learners to not only express their comprehension of major events and key terms during the war, but also offer the opportunity for great...

This multi-faceted, progressive project includes an array of activities for analyzing and evaluating a theme of American history. Learners begin by constructing a timeline of events in United States history using Google docs, create a...

Spin the wheel of the fraction contraption and learn about equivalent fractions! After constructing their own spinners, kids use printable pizzas to represent fractions that are equal in value.

Invite your class to share their appreciation of one another through the work of a Valentine's Day cinquain poem. Scholars use their knowledge of their classmates to describe them through adjectives, action verbs, and a complete...

How can opinions slant facts? Workshop participants learn how to examine primary and secondary sources and identify the author's point of view. They also examine how visual art impacts the meaning and rhetoric of sources. Full of...

Get energized by being organized! Budding business scholars construct professional letters in the seventh of nine career education and skills lessons. The resource covers proper greetings, writing requests, and explaining reasons for...

Don't judge a book—or a toy—by its cover. Omri, a main character in The Indian in the Cupboard, quickly judged his plastic toy figures as boring. However, once placed in the cupboard, Omri's toys became something he never imagined....

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Scholars read Johnny Tremain to see how Johnny's terrible accident helped him become a part of history. Learners write two poems, analyze characters by matching descriptions, and create...

Fahrenheit 451 depicts firemen like never before ... rather than putting out fires, they start them! Scholars read to understand why firemen now burn books. As they read, they work through two vocabulary activities, answer 10...

Has everyone heard the news about the herd of antelope? Scholars explore homonyms with the novel study for Superfudge by beloved children's author Judy Blume. Additionally, they answer text questions and engage in language activities....

Tiger, puma, lynx, jackal: which does not belong? Using the novel study for The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo, scholars complete a similar vocabulary exercise. Next, they write sentences explaining why their chosen words don't fit. They...

Do you have a place that makes you feel safe and secure? Ranger, a hound in The Underneath, finds his new friend, a calico cat, and her safe place—underneath a porch. Scholars complete sentences using vocabulary from the novel as they...

Autumn's come early in your classroom! Match leaves with short words to the trees with the correct vowel sounds. A few blank leaves allow you to add your own words to the activity.