Second graders investigate the accomplishments of Amelia Earhart. They read and discuss a biography of Amelia Earhart, complete a Venn diagram, and conduct an interview with a classmate and write and publish a biography of their classmate.

Students explore many of the countries in the Middle East, developing research-based posters and a spider web illustrating the relationships among the countries. They write letters to fictional peers in Middle Eastern countries.

Young scholars read a fiction and nonfiction accounts about different types of disasters. The class uses iChat AV and iSight camera to interview students in a different part of the country about natural or manmade disasters in their...

Students work together at figuring out the definition for what cold war means. In this social science lesson, students listen to "The Butter Battle Book" by Dr. Seuss and recognize how this story relates to the cold war between the...

Students defend Mark Twain and the study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn using persuasive techniques, appropriate word choice, and correct letter format, in response to a fictional letter by an upset parent.

Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...

Fifth graders create items to barter. In this Native American bartering lesson plan, 5th graders read a book, design and make items, and barter with their peers. Students reflect on the experience through journal writing.

Students study about a deadly disease decimating the Tasmanian devil population. They research diseases that affect animals and write a fictional story about the animals they researched.

Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...

Learners read stories. In this culture activity, students read stories from different regions around the world. Learners look for each region on the map and listen for interesting cultural details in the story. Students then discuss the...

Students choose an endangered species to research and report on. In this endangered species lesson, students complete a worksheet to gather information about their endangered animal and then use to write a book about the animal and...

Students explore finding facts from the Internet to create a nonfiction story. In this writing lesson, students fill out KWL charts and do internet research about the given topic of spiders. Students then create and illustrate...

Students examine the different branches of the primate family tree. They create fact cards about various species of non-human primates and then write fictional skits about interactions among the different primates.

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.

Young scholars explore interesting animal behaviors and adaptations. They create information sheets about an animal residing in a fictional sanctuary and assess the animal's likelihood of being a good pet.

Students read and compare Cinderella stories using a worksheet. They write and illustrate original tales with a twist.

Learners conduct Internet research to investigate the facts and fiction of various unsolved mysteries. They examine the facts and opinions of the mysteries, and create a Powerpoint slide show to present the theories and the group's...

Young scholars analyze three different ways a story is told, determine truth and fiction in each story, and discover and apply techniques to narrate a good story. Students listen to Bob Dylan's "The Hurricane" and watch the "R" rated...

Students discuss superheroes, focusing first on the details of creating the character of Batman. They work in small groups to develop superheroes for the 1990s, and write stories or cartoons about their superhero's adventures on their own.

Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...

Sixth graders explore how people throughout time have responded to questions regarding identity. For this The House on Mango Street instructional activity, 6th graders create an identity chart for a fictional character and then write...

Students examine and debunk historical myths, using the American Revolution as a starting point. They create and play a game of "American History: Fact or Fiction?"

Students explore criticisms of the pharmaceutical drug industry. They also become aware of the difficult and lengthy process of testing new drugs by inventing fictional drugs and testing plans.

Students listen to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and work collaboratively to create a chair for a small stuffed animal that will allow it to sit upright and withstand a short drop out of Legos. Students write about the engineering...