Elementary or middle schoolers use ratios to discover some nearly constant relationships between measurements of parts of the human body. They find and record pairs of measurements and determine the relationship between the pairs. Pupils...

This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the instructional activity itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their...

When your class members have completed the novel Esperanza Rising, they will be ready to write an expository essay on how Esperanza responds to events and what this says about her character. Set your pupils up for success by...

Find out the science behind ancestry testing! Investigators watch a video exploring how ancestry works before participating in a hands-on group activity. Scholars role play scientists while learning about testing protocols and test...

Students examine the relationship of man and nature in "To Build a Fire" and discuss the juxtaposition of knowledge and instinct. They investigate third person, omniscient point of view.

Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...

Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...

Close the unit on Esperanza Rising with an in-class analytic essay on how Esperanza changes over the course of the novel. Writers can use any of their notes and work from the unit as well as their drafts of the first two paragraphs of...

As learners watch a video on voting, they take notes on a worksheet that lists various voting topics, including electoral and popular votes, early voting, and exit polling. Then, young people research the Internet for their state's...

What can we find out about the data from the way it is shaped? Looking at displays that are familiar from previous grades, the class forms meaningful conjectures based upon the context of the data. The introductory lesson to...

Students examine Marco Polo's route from China to Sumatra. They investigate the geography and climate, the religions and architecture of modern Indonesia. They study the use of spices and why they were so important in medieval times.

How does one use a graphic organizer to plan writing? Introduce your writers to different types of graphic organizers by dividing the class into groups and assigning each group a particular organizer. Then, as they research chocolate...

At one time or another, people with physical disabilities may require the assistance of others in the community. Here, they engage in one-on-one role-playing sessions to practice recruiting assistance in the community. They practice...

Research how DNA, the genetic blueprint of living organisms, plays an essential role in the continuity of life. High schoolers will summarize how their influence may very well effect the destiny of the population from one generation to...

Most people couldn't name the positive qualities of bats. Learners discover how bats benefit the environment and then create a concept map to summarize the information. After their reading, they identify misconceptions people have about...

High schoolers measure various dimensions of a male and a female dolls body and scale them proportionally to average human measurements. They calculate the appropriate scale factor (magnitude) to enlarge their doll and apply that scale...

Fourth graders listen to the teacher discuss the definition of "Summary." They read a story aloud with their classmates. After finishing the story, 4th graders are asked to choose the best summary statement.

Fifth graders survey how to manage money and the importance of it. Students summarize that each day they have the opportunity to earn or lose money. Students provides many situations to present ways of paying bills and money management.

Middle schoolers read and analyze the novel, "Journey to Jo'burg " by Beverly Naidoo to assess a deeper insight to the history of South Africa and how it has impacted world events today. As they think more on a global level, they begin...

Students complete a research project.  In this American History lesson, students work in groups to research reasons that people wanted to settle in America.  Students record the information, share what they found and write down...

Having students use a rubric to score a piece of writing is an excellent practice. They read a passage titled, "Firefighters," and discuss different summaries that were written about it. They evaluate several summaries then score them...

Students practice several techniques and strategies to become better at summarizing a piece of writing. They emphasize the five "W's: who, what, where, when and why. A book of Earthquakes is read and then summarized by each of the students.

Pupils practice techniques and strategies to assess mastery on the concept of summarization. They read, discuss and summarize the story, "How Goose Got Ready for Winter," by David Wingfield. Each student picks out the most important...

Students observe and demonstrate a variety of strategies for summarizing text. They read and discuss the five steps of summarization, silently read an article, then observe the teacher write a summary paragraph for the article. ...