Eighth graders explore the main idea of stories. In this literacy instructional activity, 8th graders summarize the last TV show they watched, identify the main idea of the show, and list its supporting details. After a discussion of...

Students use bookmarked Internet web sites about Space to gather information and use desktop publishing software to write assignments. They participate in various web assignments on provided links to study the planets and the solar system.

Students explore the strategies and bias that are sometimes used in advertising with a particular focus on automobile advertising. Working in groups, they read several car ads and discuss the bias, opinion and stereotyping in the ads as...

Students read, analyze, critique and study the novels, "The Centre of the Universe," by Danny Wallace and "I Love Football," by Hunter Davies. They evaluate an extract from each novel and explore the concept of private passions.

In this Language Arts worksheet, students read about persuasive writing. Students read an example and complete a chart that organizes the information into facts and opinions.

What is a signal word? Recognizing these words is an important step in both reading and writing formal text. Review a list of signal words (provided and organized into specific categories), and then have your class play a game to...

Sixth graders read and utilize the facts from the story "Abd al-Rahmen Ibrahima" by Walter Dean Myers to analyze the main character's life which is ruined by conflict, jealousy, and greed. Journal entries are created in response to the...

Young scholars analyze common recurring motifs and themes found in literature and artwork from various cultures. They research and report of the "trickster" motif found in Native american, Mayan, and Ethiopian cultures.

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this women's history lesson, students examine the role of women prior to and following the suffrage movement. Students also read selected pieces of women's...

Comparing information found in images, charts, and graphs with that found in written text can be a challenge for even senior high scholars. Provide learners with an opportunity to practice this skill with an exercise that asks them to...

Working in groups of four, the students will use the computer to draw an imaginary potion that will cure other children their age from physical traits (they can not control) including all ingredients and one text box.

Students explore the genre of biography in both its traditional and nontraditional forms. They examine Edmund Morris's unorthodox biography of Ronald Reagan. They conduct research on an historic American and write their own biographies.

Students study the life and times of Shakespeare. They read and analyze one of his plays and use the Internet and videos to gain an understanding of how Shakespeare engaged his audiences, then and still today.

Students explore human migration, refugees and human rights. They read articles about immigration, create a migration journal, and participate in a mock human rights commission meeting. After collecting information about immigration,...

Sixth graders examine the purpose of the keelboat used by the Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark expedition. They assess its strengths and weaknesses for navigating different rivers, and describe its overall purpose for the...

Young scholars describe the changes that have affected the Missouri River over the past 200 years by identifying transformations in this area's atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. They research online in groups assigned...

High schoolers explore changes in the Missouri River. In this Missouri River instructional activity, students discover that changes in the atmosphere cause changes in the river. High schoolers search the Internet for information about...

Fourth graders are taken to the media center to review various genre of literature, apply information and concepts to evaluate examples and locate specific genre, and search for materials for reading enjoyment. A good lesson for genre...

First graders listen to the book "Mr. Betts and Mr. Potts" and examine the career of being a veterinarian. They categorize animals based on whether they could be house pets or not, develop a class pet graph, and list the various...

Young scholars read and examine various books and websites on farm animals and farm life, then create a class farm ABC book. Each student is responsible for one page in the book.

Students engage in a Webquest to discover their school and community. They interview staff members of the school, create maps and take digital photographs of the school. As they write about their school, they use Microsoft Word to...

Students explore the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. They read to explain a new topic and write to inform readers of the historic events they explored.

First graders examine the significance of the American bison to the American Indians of the Great Plains. They create a story in pictographs in the style of American Indians of the Plains.

Second graders describe the impact of certain figures in United States history, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They describe experiences of early American explorers and compose narratives from the perspectives of others.