Use artwork to illicit responses in a writing journal, and then present your class with the short list of key terms provided. Can your learners add any of their own key terms? Segue for a second, and read tales such as Peter Pan or...

Students explore how different holiday traditions are celebrated around the world. Scholars write a paper describing how they celebrate their own favorite holiday. Email partners, from different states and countries, share their...

A close study of two works of art provides the introduction to this cross-curricular writing assignment. After comparing the clothing, facial expressions, body language, setting, and color in the two 19th century paintings Tissout’s...

Community leaders try to make choices that protect the community and the environment. Little ones learn about how tribal communities look to their chief to guide the decision-making process. Your class will become part of the community...

Students write a class letter to a local policeman asking him to come and talk to the class and create a list of safety tips as a class. Students research information on police dogs: type of dogs used, where they come form, how they are...

Conquer those pesky moments when the Turkish language appears in class. Don’t be afraid to discover a few new Turkish morphemes, and their corresponding English words in this quick lesson.  Who knows where this knowledge can go?...

Newspapers and broadcast news. Social media, blogs, and blogospheres. Class members generate a list of news sources they use to get information about events. The big idea here is to introduce the necessary vocabulary and to establish a...

Anthony Mann's 1953 film biography, The Glenn Miller Story, is the focus of a series of activities that introduce class members to Miller's life and music. Of particular interest to music students will be the cameos by many famous...

Woody Guthrie will capture the imagination of even your most reluctant learners. Using his work, your class will develop their skills in non-fiction reading comprehension, interpreting primary source material, and use of multiple forms...

Students investigate the role of Mexican Americans in the history of the United States. They use the information to answer guided questions. Students conduct class discussion about the varying roles of Mexican Americans. Also they write...

In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...

A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...

First graders take a look at schools of the past and present, and try to conjure an idea of what schools of the future will look like. After taking a walk around their own school and taking note of the buildings and the things that are...

Students use the internet to research the production of manuscripts and books. Using this information, they create a research book full of tips to research effectively. They share their new book with the class after organizing the material.

Learners research and describe the contributions of African-American men and women. They write their notes in a Microsoft Word document. They present their information to the class.

Students research life in the Middle Ages. They write a historical fiction diary based on a character they create. Students use the six steps to process writing to complete their diary. They orally present their diaries to the class.

Students read Dancing With the Indians by Angela Shelf Medearis. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of Native American festivals and traditions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...

Young scholars identify 5 issues facing Africa as a class The work in teams to create a joint project, conduct independent research into Africa, and present these ideas in a persuasive argument. The work in their groups in class to plan...

Fourth graders work in small groups and try the mediation process, taking turns as mediators and disputants. They discuss and review the handouts over the concepts of mediation. Students volunteer to participate in the class role-play.

Have your class learn about Native American tribes in California. They identify five regions where Native Americans lived, discuss the daily life of these people, and conduct research on a particular tribe. Afterward, they create a...

Get your class going on one of the final assessments for a unit on short stories by introducing iMovie and its main features. In this tenth lesson in a series of fourteen, pupils take some time to explore iMovie before conducting an...

This discussion based lesson focuses on the sensitive topic of suicide attacks or bombings used throughout history during times of militaristic upheaval. Learners read news stories, compose journal entries, and engage in a class...

Learners select a cartoon to present to the class. They study it for a few minutes, write a list of questions about the cartoon. Students answer each others' questions and change the questions to declarative statements which are used as...

Explore the concept of the European Union interactively. Young travelers go on a European Union scavenger hunt through the "Panorama of the European Union" map publication. The scavenger hunt worksheet provides answers and detailed...