Werner Herzog's film, Lessons of Darkness is the topic of this lesson on art, politics, and culture. Learners discuss the concepts of utopia, dystopia, detournment, and Scorched Earth then compose a paper which describes dystopian reality.

Improve writing skills by finding a personal writing style, using descriptive language effectively, and using precise language. Middle schoolers discuss individual style in writing and formal and informal language. They utilize figures...

Relate the structure of the essay to the structure of a building. The class compares an essay to a building, with the writer being the architect, the introduction being the foundation, and so on. They use the visual representation of a...

Does your language arts class have a hard time with writing transitions? Use this organizational writing lesson to create three effective transition sentences that middle schoolers will use in their research of renewable resources.

What are characteristics of a planet? With this plan, learners investigate the characteristics of the planets in our solar system. They gather research of the nine planets by using the Internet and other research tools. Then they create...

Students write a letter.  In this irrigation lesson, students review how humans and the environment can interact with each other, learn new vocabulary words having to do with Mesopotamia, learn about irrigation and view maps of...

Foster your high schoolers' creativity - and generosity - with this writing lesson. After reading the article "Homemade Holiday Gifts" by Frances Janisch (from the GALE Student Resource Center - Gold), pupils meet in groups to brainstorm...

Human prehistory is an exciting topic for many learners! Engage your social studies class in critical thinking by having them answer the three short essay questions on this worksheet. They need to know why prehistoric people migrate, how...

Three wonderful questions will help your middle schoolers better understand the Byzantine Empire. They construct short essay responses to each of the three prompts, discuss the schism between the Greek and Roman Catholic church, the...

Prompt your class to write about the spread of Islam. They'll answer three essay questions about Islam. They explain how Islam spread into Africa, Asia, and Europe, compare and contrast Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, then describe...

After exploring various aspects related to the global spread of Islam, grab this worksheet and get writing! There are three questions in need of a short written answer related to jihad, Muslim contribution, and the structure of the...

Use this worksheet to check for understanding after your class reads materials related to Europe in the Middle Ages. There are three questions that ask them to describe Charlemagne as a prominent historical figure, the feudal system, and...

Put your junior high class to the test with three critical-thinking and reading comprehension questions focused on Feudal Europe. They must write answers showing an understanding of the Medieval Church and politics, the Vassal system,...

Those studying the history of India and the legacy left by the Gupta Empire will have no problem answering these three short answer questions. Learners compose three short paragraphs describing the Gupta Empire, the historical population...

After exploring the life of Jewish people in Europe during the Middle Ages, have the class complete three writing prompts. They'll compose three responses that discuss anti-Semitism, Jewish contribution, and persecution of Jewish people.

Three questions in need of well-written answers await your budding historians. They put their reading comprehension to the test when they describe how the Crusades impacted Italian city-states, why kings like Richard the Lion-Hearted...

Learners compose answers to three questions related to the rise of the Renaissance. They will compare and contrast the Renaissance to the Medieval Period, consider why ideas from classical civilizations reemerged, and think about the...

Use this writing exercise to help learners develop an understanding of the Protestant Reformation. They answer two critical thinking questions related to the success and conditions that mad the reformation possible.

A great writing exercise should have it all. This one requires learners to think critically about cause and effect, compare and contrast, and summarizing. They compose responses to five short answer questions regarding Spanish and...

In need of a writing prompt to accent your next lesson on the scientific revolution? This handout includes three short-answer questions that ask learners to describe the effect of the revolution on religion, what they would do if they...

The French Revolution is the topic for today's worksheet. Young historical analysts write a response to five critical thinking questions. They compare and contrast, define effects, describe the Old Regime, and analyze French...

Get out that critical thinking cap and prepare to answer five thought-provoking questions. Each question on this worksheet pertains to the rise of the Monarchy during the French Revolution, the cause and effects of the Revolution, and...

A great cross-curricular activity pairs the French Revolution with a writing exercise. Have your class consider the economic causes of the French Revolution, the feudal class system, and Napoleon Bonaparte as a bridge between democracy...

Budding historical analysts take to describing the road to Latin American independence. They'll respond to three writing prompts which require them to describe or analyze specific events in Latin American history.