In a multidisciplinary lesson plan, you will focus your instruction around the West African folktale, Anansi Goes to Lunch by Bobby and Sherry Norfolk while your little learners sing songs, play games, participate in a grand...

Just as Bud, from the novel Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, had rules to live by, so does the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling, but how do the two relate? Pupils delve deep into the poem's third stanza, participate in a grand...

Can authors speak to each other across works, genres, and centuries? Study the conversation between Christopher Marlowe in his poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and the responses by Sir Walter Raleigh and William Carlos Williams...

If you've ever wished you could respond to an author's message, an instructional activity that connects three poems with the same concept will appeal to you. Based on the first few lessons' focus on Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate...

Scholars take part in a grand conversation after they examine facts and stories about the Women's Suffrage Movement. Eight discussion questions bring light to influential women, the importance of voting, citizenship, and voting rights.

A class discussion begins a two-part lesson about gratitude and the environment. In part one, learners watch a video then share their feelings about its most memorable moment. Delving deep into the meaning of gratitude, scholars create...

The 1960s were a turbulent time, but the charismatic figure of Marshal P. Johnson is often left out of the provocative stories of the era. With primary sources that talk about Johnson and her role in the Stonewall Riots, scholars unpack...

Whether you're celebrating Australia Day or would like to introduce your young learners to the history of Australia and its indigenous peoples, this coloring sheet is a great way to start the conversation.

Give your class a lesson in logical reasoning. This activity, which focuses on ad hominem arguments, goes step by step through an example. After examining the argument, learners assess a second conversation for ad hominem arguments...

Readers examine the conversation between Friar Laurence and Romeo in Act 3, scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet and consider how Shakespeare's word choices impact the development of Romeo's character.

After watching the scene from Romeo + Juliet in which Juliet argues with her parents because she does not want to marry Paris, groups do a close reading of Act 4, scene 1, lines 44-88, examining the word choices in the conversation...

How does propaganda influence our vote? Through grand conversation, scholars gain information about what is and how to identify the different ways propaganda is used in a presidential election. Using their new-found knowledge, citizens...

The 20th century saw many new possibilities open up to women in America, thanks to many well-known female historical figures — and some women who are not as famous but who are equally accomplished. Learn about the women who contributed...

Encourage thoughtful decision making with a lesson plan that highlights the importance of values. Scholars take part in a grand conversation, listen to stories, and make decisions based on their personal values.  

How much are you worth? Scholars read text dependent questions, and discuss how the text relates to self worth. They then work with partners by having written conversation to make inferences about the text. For homework, pupils correct...

Talking about weather isn't just for making conversation. Young scientists gather evidence from an interactive activity to make connections between daily and seasonal weather. They analyze data from different areas and compare the...

A lesson examines the holidays, Día de los Muertos and Halloween. After an exciting clip from the movie Coco, class members review vocabulary and discuss what they know about Halloween. The conversation leads into the history of Día...

Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how...

Your class will practice language and dialog skills by playing games associated with Christmas through these lesson ideas. Learners practice English conversation skills while simultaneously acquiring insight into their new culture. Games...

Students assess the role of communication within various jobs. In this investigation lesson, students discuss the needs and types of communication in the workforce, then make their own communication device. This device is used to role...

Students describe things using sensory words.  In this adjective lesson, students practice conversations describing items they touch.  Students use words to describe properties of items such as size and texture.

Fifth graders access prior knowledge to complete a do now using metric conversion. In this metric conversion activity, 5th graders will respond to problems and analyze for a possible mnemonic device.

By giving learners a conversation to follow, this activity helps them identify the meaning in context. Students complete this 7-question activity by filling in the correct phrase.

Students practice appropriate etiquette and language when finding an apartment. In this finding an apartment lesson, students role-play examples of manners associated with the task of looking for a place to live. Students work with a...