Annoyed or bewitched—how does an author's word choice affect a text? Scholars begin the instructional activity by analyzing word choice in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, learners take a closer look at the narrative...

Researchers continue determining the effects of the industrial organic food chain that Michael Pollan describes in The Omnivore's Dilemma. In teams, pupils add to their Cascading Consequences charts and complete Stakeholders charts based...

Show your class how to recycle during this simulation with polylactic acid. Pupils use a plastic cup, made of PLA, and convert it into a cleaning solution. They conclude the activity by using the newly made cleaning solution to...

Things usually don't happen without a reason; usually any event has a cause that got the ball rolling. The book, If You Give a Mouse a Muffin is used to help learners understand the concept of causes in literature. Examples from the...

Students examine the concept of cause and effect. They participate in a class discussion, play matching games, and play a memory/concentration game with cause and effect as the focus. Students complete an evaluation chart as an...

Clean up the environment with a lesson that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various surfaces...

Grow an understanding of short story with a well-sequenced plan built around an Academy Award-winning short film. Class members explore the elements of an effective short story, and practice writing their own. They also watch the short...

Students examine how war can lead to environmental health crises. They read an article, conduct research on a region from the article, and create a poster to depict the geographic region and the environmental health effects of the conflict.

Eighth graders define what an ecosystem is, what its make up is and how pollution effects it.  In this air pollution instructional activity students identify the cause and effects of pollution on an ecosystem and trace a food...

Young scholars explore effective citizenship. They describe the skills, attitudes, and actions of a good citizen. In groups, students brainstorm ideas for effective citizenship. Each group shares their ideas for what they consider to...

Students examine the factors leading to divorce and its ramifications on family members. Among the reasons considered are finances, selfishness, and communication difficulties. The lesson pays particular attention to effects on...

Eighth graders study the effects that segregation and the Jim Crow laws had on life in Virginia after reviewing the Reconstruction period. They list the effects that the Jim Crow laws had on the lives of African Americans such as unfair...

Students perform an experiment that demonstrates acid rain. The chemical effect of acids on metals may take at least five days for the human eye to see, even though the reaction starts as soon as the acid contacts the metal.

Ninth graders explore the Enlightenment and its historical effects. As a class, they discuss the characteristics of kings, queens and monarchies. Pupils design political cartoons to illustrate vocabulary words. Using a graphic...

High schoolers examine the effect stress due to test anxiety may have on the heart. As part of the experiment, students hypothesize, collect data, graph data, analyze data and formulate an understanding of their personal level of...

Young scholars explore the Dollper effect by finding the frequency and velocity of sound.  For this velocity lesson, students determine the impulse during a collision by using their data and a software program.

Third graders examine the effects of water pollution by participating in a story. After reading the story, they determine the best way to get rid of the pollution in a river using different objects. In groups, they complete a worksheet...

What are the effects of competition in an academic environment? The competition between the main characters in A Separate Peace motivates a series of activities that asks readers to take a stance on competition, and then to develop a...

As an introduction to monetary policy, groups investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of current monetary and fiscal policies on promoting full employment, price stability, and economic performance. They then apply monetary tools...

The final lesson plan in a skill-based series focuses on setting goals and making checklists. Class members discuss what it means to set realistic goals and practice making lists to manage their time effectively.

Why are greenhouse gases called greenhouse gases? Young Earth scientists learn about greenhouse gases though experimentation in the second installment of a 3-part series. They use lamps to model radiant energy as well...

If you're looking to set your class up for writing effective arguments, try out this idea. While originally created with freedom as a guiding idea, the activity could easily be adapted for other themes. As a class, create a chart of...

Anansi is a tricky character, but can he realize he's wrong and write an apology letter? Learners use Anansi and the Pot of Beans to practice writing, art, and figurative language. A series of activities are engaging for both...