A new form of standardized testing? Learners evaluate arguments for and against the use of computer-based standardized tests in schools. They express their views through discussion and explore the views of others through the creation and...

Analyze magazines as a class, looking carefully for the target audience, advertisements, and topics presented. Small groups then work as a publication team and receive a magazine that they have to "sell." Each individual has a different...

Students discover the life of Benjamin Franklin by studying his inventions.  For this biography lesson, students identify the inventions of Benjamin Franklin and their impact on society today.  Students create a commercial in...

Impress upon learners the importance of considering how we identify ourselves online, and how this relates to overall considerations of safety and digital wellness.

Reading the news is fun, and that's a fact! With the lesson plan, scholars differentiate between fact and opinion as they read editorial articles. They complete a worksheet to analyze the information before writing their own editorials...

Effective researchers use a variety of techniques to find what they need online. Pupils who complete the activities listed here should already have an arsenal of strategies for searching. They will learn about and practice two new...

Teach your class some strategies for effective searching. Pupils should assess the whole results screen and then determine how to go forward with their searches. A table of strategies is included, as is a challenge. After they complete...

Revisit the documentaries viewed in the previous lesson in this series in order to take a look at the persuasive techniques employed by the documentary creators. Small groups watch the films a second time, taking notes on two provided...

Second graders explain the characteristics of a rainforest habitat.  In this rainforest lesson, 2nd graders examine the layers of the rainforest and the locations of rainforests.   Students complete a scavenger hunt on an...

Learners listen to a confusing poem about baseball. In this clear writing instructional activity, students write a set of directions for a game.  Learners rewrite their directions until they are clearly understood.   Students...

Fourth graders, in groups, research states and using various print and nonprint reference materials. The groups make a presentation to inform the class about all the information from the state. This lesson plan provides imbedded support...

Computational Thinking is a set of techniques for solving complex problems that can be classified into three steps: Problem Specification, Algorithmic Expression, and Solution Implementation & Evaluation. The principles involved in...