Students explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict for a book that they are reading. Sample book covers are provided and students apply what they have learned by designing a book cover.

Students use Guided Reading techniques to learn about Capa's style and to discover the techniques that made him a great photographer. Students examine the basics of telling compelling stories through photos and each student creates a...

Learners explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs with the...

Young scholars compare and contrast their own community to other communities. They fill out a questionnaire and e-mail it to e-pals in other communities, take digital pictures of important places in their town, and compare them to...

Students harness the power of the sun to design, construct and evaluate a solar-powered model car of their creation. They race their cars in a "Solar Sprint" race modeled after the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Junior Solar...

Fourth graders study Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." They explore the characters and the instruments that represent the characters. They create their own version of "Peter and the Wolf" for the purpose of introducing the...

Tenth graders read "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. In groups, they research the life and works of Morrison and read a speech by Sojouner Truth. Using the novel, they discuss the experiences of slaves and the effect of slavery on their...

Students determine the story elements of typical mystery stories including characters and plot structure. They look at vocabulary that is common to mystery stories before reading and responding to mystery chapter books. Working in guided...

Students read and compare and contrast a variety of books by their favorite authors. They sort books from various authors and identify themes and patterns in writing and drawings. They also create their own book in the style of their...

Students examine fractured fairy tales before responding by writing in many different genres including a persuasive essay, a personal narrative, a letter, an advertisement, and a resume'. They create a pop-up book with their written...

Young scholars explore different types of simple machines and research the concepts of force, effort, and work. They conduct Internet research and complete a worksheet about examples of simple machines used in everyday life. Students...

Students examine the writing techniques of professional authors and apply them to their own work. In pairs, they email authors to discover the tricks of the trade. Students create their own Website for their work.

Students analyze why the census is important and the benefits of it. Determine rights and responsibilities in real life situations. They are divided into groups and take a mock census of a list of teachers and students each. Results of...

Learners compare their community and region with other communities around the world. In small groups they complete a questionnaire about life in their community and correspond with e-pals, take digital pictures, conduct research on...

Eighth graders complete an Interdisciplinary Unit on the Muckrakers and the Progressive Movement. Students describe life in America and how Progressive Reformers changed it. identify specific problems and propose solutions. Students...

Students create a mini city using proportions that fit a model human they construct using tin foil. They plan the city including a library, sports arena, living spaces, parks and businesses. When constructing the paper buildings, they...

Seventh graders are introduced to myths formed by many cultures as a unique genre of literature. They use critical thinking skills to compare and contrast mythic tales, compare versions of the same story, and respond to literature in...

Students complete a unit that explores the cultures of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba through cooking. They follow step-by-step directions of a variety of recipes, create a Caribbean scrapbook or cookbook,...

Students read the biography of Abigail Smith Adams from the First Ladies Library web site. They work in small groups to write a description of her education. Students discuss their findings, and extend this to the education of girls in...

Students examine the role of religion in everyday life. In this religion and ethics lesson, students investigate the use of government funds to support faith-based initiatives. The lesson calls for students to conduct research, watch...

Students practice addition and subtraction. In this fact families unit, students practice finding sums and differences for fact families. This unit includes ten lessons with science and social studies integration.

Students use dictionaries, encyclopedias, art, computers, and books to study the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. In this Ancient Greece lesson plan, students research maps, stories, Olympic games, and more about Ancient Greece.

Students examine African American issue between the years 1897 and 1953. In this African American history lesson, students research the social, economic, and political conditions of African Americans during the aforementioned time span...

Students explore U.S. immigration policies. In this immigration lesson, students read about the history of immigration policies in the U.S., uncover controversial issues regarding immigration, and speak to immigrants as well as...