Bring writing to life with this lesson in which elementary and middle schoolers create a display of the imagery they identify in a series of Gary Paulsen books. They read the suggested materials, identify imagery and descriptive...

Learners examine the procedures that writers utilize to obtain and develop ideas for writing. Journal writing is fostered as a primary step in the writing process. Learners are encouraged to pay careful attention to using complete...

Students participate in a logic activity in which they identify items. In this logic activity, students work in groups as they play a questioning game that is similar to "Twenty Questions." They ask questions and rule out items in a...

Students investigate ways to save energy. In this environmental instructional activity, students play the role of a building inspector and identify "culprits" that waste energy. Students use a checklist to identify specific practices...

“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Readers not only identify aphorisms in Emerson's "Self Reliance," but also find evidence of transcendental elements contained in the essay. They also demonstrate consistency...

A note-taking outline is given to learners which covers meat composition and quality, types of meat and storage, and cooking meat. By viewing pictures they learn to identify cuts of meat or poultry products. They discuss inspection and...

Sixth graders study the food web in a bay. In this food web lesson, 6th graders investigate the SAV- submerged aquatic vegetation of a bay including their predators, and how the organisms eat, have proper living space and water. They...

Whether you're looking to prepare your class for upcoming state testing or if you're looking to build reading comprehension, consider this resource! There's a short reading passage provided, followed by a list of five comprehension...

Advertising for the purpose of influencing public policy regarding the use of alternative fuels is the focus of an innovative and engaging lesson. Learners are split up into six team in order to create an advertising campaign that...

Young scholars examine how allegory is defined and used in the visual arts. They create a list of the arts, and list the objects, symbols, and figures that suggest each art category, analyze various paintings, and identify the...

Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...

To solve or not to solve that is the problem. A slide presentation of 17 items show different ways that Smarter Balanced assesses Claim 2, problem solving. The items span from sixth and seventh grade concepts to highlight the...

Your learners already know when they like a story and when they don't, but they may not know that the plots of these stories are shaping that opinion. Like all resources in this series, the two activities and quizzes provided here deal...

Build the model right out of the box. A few sample items show teachers how Smarter Balanced assessments may approach Claim 4, modeling and data analysis. Pupils use their skills to create equations or expressions to model the situation...

Learners practice listening to and reading various types of media and text. In groups, learners use video, newspapers, magazines, and more to compare and contrast different types of information. They identify the differences between fact...

Learners identify how technology aids scientists in their research. Through discussion, they explain the various ways scientists use Aerogel to aid in their collection of high-speed particles. Through experimentation, students create...

Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...

Young consumers explore money identification and counting. In this cross-curricular money instructional activity, they participate in comprehension and writing activities prior to and after reading the book Money Trouble by Bill Cosby....

What kinds of physical activity should youngsters do more of? What kind of activities should they do enough of? What kind of activities should they do less of? Studies say that children should be doing about an hour of vigorous activity...

Students identify the various externalities for any type of production. Using that information, they examine situations in which they are positive and negative. They discuss government efforts to protect the environment and humans. In...

Elementary learners of all ages utilize their number knowledge by playing a 20 questions style game. They participate in a game in which they ask yes or no questions to a group leader in order to discover which number the leader has...

These words are challenging! Present them to your advanced etymologists when preparing for standardized tests like the SAT or ACT. Scholars identify the antonym for the 10 words provided. Words include sacrosanct, amity, dilatory,...

Kindergarteners practice matching words and symbols by playing an index card activity. They create flash cards numbered 0 to 20 and challenge each other in groups to identify the values of the numbers. Learners utilize beans or buttons...

Students practice ordering numbers. In this number sense lesson, students collaborate to order whole numbers from greatest to least and least to greatest. Students also practice the concept by using educational software.