Learners investigate the role of boys during the American Civil War. In this Civil War Research activity, students study the contributions of young Union and Confederate men to the war effort. Learners also make...

Heredity rule? Absolute power? Class members access Internet sites, view videos, and engage in a educational game to examine the achievements and leadership style of nine Roman emperors. Individuals then select one of these figures, and...

Students engage in a lesson that is focused upon the concept of breast cancer and research is conducted using a variety of reference sources. They reflect upon how different people deal with the tragedy of cancer and then students write...

Students investigate the economics of starting a business in this series of lessons. They role play parts of a business organization that sells paper airplanes making decisions based on calculations to make the most profitable organization.

Students construct a small city on a table in the classroom. Each student is given a lot to develop. They give directions from one location to another, and write letters with correct addresses to their classmates.

Students explore the relationship between a scale drawing and actual distance. In this mapping instructional activity, students use an amusement park map to determine distances and what they would be like in real life.

Second graders examine the relationship between addition and subtraction. For this number sense lesson, 2nd graders practice their computation skills and use various strategies (including manipulatives and calculators)  to...

Students determine what grammar is and how they have learned it. In this creative writing lesson, students read "Style' Gets New Elements," and respond to the discussion questions. Students then present grammatical rules to one another...

Students compose business letters. In this writing skills lesson, students use the business letter format as they note cause and effect relationships between the weight epidemic in the United States and changing menus in American...

Although unlikely in today's English classroom, this lesson focuses on introducing research papers to seniors in high school. It briefly reviews the parts of an essay, and mentions showing learners example essays, but no examples are...

Young readers practice looking words up in the dictionary. This lesson describes a simple, yet engaging, game that can be played as a whole-class activity.

Pupils locate their home state on a map. They differentiate between physical and population sizes of states. In two groups, students "become" states with string for boundaries. They ascertain that area does not always equal large...

Eleventh graders work in teams of three. Each team visits a workstation to interpret, analyze, and apply information from documents for their final project. The final project is an exhibit at Independence National Historic Park

Pump up your class while studying the cardiovascular system with this pair of activities. In one, learners record heart rates during different actions. In the second, they read kid-friendly heart health articles online and then write a...

Study word choice and connotation in advertising. Readers examine campaign ads, both negative and positive, from the 2006 mid-term election before discussing an article and analyze a campaign of any candidate they choose. Finally,...

Use a list of environmentally related words to engage learners in a discussion about ecosystem conservation legislation. As a class, read "Aware of Political Ecosystem, Property Rights Advocate Embraces Conservation Plan." Then, present...

Discuss race in the United States. Start by having each learner read a copy of Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech, "I Have a Dream." Then, have them read the article "Shared Prayers, Mixed Blessings" about a church in Atlanta,...

Middle schoolers go on an information gathering hunt on the Internet to study West African empires. They work in teams; meteorologists, bankers, writers, and archaeologists. They collect data on all sorts of topics related to West...

Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...

Who is Herman Melville? Read and discuss "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Then, discuss the film adaptations of Melville's work and translate a passage of the text into modern-day English. Discussion questions are...

Does your vote really count? This activity helps young voters learn about the electoral college through a TED talk, a helpful handout, discussion prompts, and then a role-playing activity that has participants simulating...

Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...

Students access the internet for current news articles; increase awareness of issues in world news; to read critically; and to write critical reactions.

Create a blog spot for your classroom and promote online discussions. There are several blogging websites listed here, and you can create one specific to each class or one collective site. Teach your learners how to post on the blog, and...