Fifth graders study the Civil War. In this US history lesson, 5th graders simulate what life was like during the Civil War by having two groups with one group given more materials than the other group. Students then draw a...

Students examine the adaptation of plants to their environments. They analyze and observe the structure, shape, and internal structure of various leaves, and make inferences about the structures.

Students learn freedom songs and discuss how the famous leaders of the Civil Rights Movement used them to motivate people to overcome adversity during this time. In this freedom songs lesson, students learn the songs and discuss their...

Sixth graders study the westward expansion and the role of railroad construction to the expansion. In this railroad history instructional activity, 6th graders complete KWL activity for the topic. Students view a PowerPoint about the...

Students examine the elements of various court cases and how state and federal laws affect them. They participate in mock trials.

Fourth graders explore various methods of growing and harvesting rainforest foods in order to sustain its biodiversity. They discuss the various uses for trees from several viewpoints. Students research chocolate demand and land use...

Young scholars use the internet to research the culture of China. In groups, they examine the giant pandas and draw their own picture of the two interacting. They also write a paragraph describing what they saw and can share it with...

Students identify trees and their environments using a dichotomous chart.  In this exploratory lesson students use the Internet to identify conditions needed for the trees and what the climate is in their area. 

Students research the life of William Parker to learn about the Underground Railroad. In this US history lesson, students research William Parker and the Underground Railroad. Students research the Christiana Resistance and map routes of...

Students view a PowerPoint presentation on the fourth and fifth amendments. In this history lesson plan, students explore the details of the fourth and fifth amendments and then answer questions that summarize the presentation.

Fourth graders research a variety of sources to discover information about how the depression effect people in Michigan. They follow a research outline while working in small groups. They design a presentation that describes live during...

Students conduct Internet research, and read articles about education to determine why particular educational practices are used, and why they are important in terms of No Child Left Behind. Students create PowerPoint presentations...

Students share descriptions of science experiments they have conducted. They create a thin film on the surface of water in order to float light objects and observe that a paper clip does, indeed, float on the surface of the water at...

Seventh graders identify and explain the economic differences between the North and the South incorporating photographs and a Venn Diagram to interpret the two sides. They complete a KWL and T-chart to assist them with their task for the...

Students work through conflict. In this conflict resolution lesson plan, students participate in a simulation that requires them to consider both sides of the whaling issue.

Eighth graders examine the cultural conflicts that occurred when Europeans moved into the land the Native Americans lived on that would become West Virginia. In this West Virginia history instructional activity, 8th graders visit the...

Young scholars consider the rights of illegal immigrants. In this illegal immigration lesson plan, students analyze the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe and determine whether illegal immigrants should have access to public benefits....

Second graders discover the meaning of silent reading and how it is an important part of reading fluently. They listen as the teacher models how to summarize a short paragraph using three steps and then read and re-read an article and...

Third graders summarize information.  In this Hall of Fame lesson, 3rd graders gather information on inductees and paraphrase the information.  Students use this to create decorate and create a sample plaque.  

The Apaches: People of the Southwest offers readers a chance to employ the “Ready-Set-Go-Whoa!” strategy (an adaptation of the KWL) to test what they know and summarize what they learn as they read Jennifer Fleischner’s nonfiction...

Useful for literary analysis, citing textual evidence, or summary skills, this lesson about the Kumeyaay Indians would be a good addition to your language arts class. Middle schoolers read novels and summarize the literature in their own...

Dive into the political breach with pupils and explore the reasons for political polarization. Using clips from C-SPAN that include discussions from reporters and scholars, class members consider what is causing the political fault lines...

Fourth graders investigate how glaciers cause the weathering of landforms. They observe a brick that has been placed on a frozen slab of ice, and discuss the results, comparing them to the movements of a glacier. In small groups, they...

Students read Ruthanne Lum McCunn's Thousand Pieces of Gold and as a class, discuss the Chinese practice of foot binding. They work in groups to read further about how women of different cultures attempt to conform. They write about...