Sometimes when it rains, pollutants pour into sewers which overflow and contaminate the environment. The final two lessons in the Environmental Justice series looks at actions being taken to address stormwater pollution. Class members...

A little adversity is good for writing. Scholars review narrative-based monologues and concrete poems and choose which genre to use to express their own theme of adversity. Pupils also consider how to structure their narratives by...

First and last impressions matter. Scholars compose the introductory and concluding sections of their narrative writing assignments. Also, to prepare for an upcoming performance task, pupils watch a modern-day monologue from the movie...

Transform the classroom with energy. Pupils learn about different types of energy and practice identifying the types in the first lesson of six in a solar versus wind energy unit. The class sees examples of how one type of energy can be...

Light up the class's knowledge. Pupils build a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and a light bulb and create a diagram of their circuit. The teacher provides a short lecture on a complete circuit, calling attention to the direction...

Let's get the equation set. Pupils see the importance of setting up an one-variable equation in the first of two lessons on optimization problems. The presenter works four different types of problems before individuals use the included...

Here's a video for those who can relate to being confused about related rates. The fourth of eight lessons in Unit 4 - Contextual Applications looks at related rates. Individuals learn to write equations that show a relationship between...

Let's go for a walk. Scholars take a book walk through the text The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and create an anchor chart to list the features of informational text. They then take a close look into the character Meg Lowman by...

Paint me a picture. Scholars complete a painted essay after examining the author's note in The Boy Who Invented TV. Learners identify various parts of the essay by using different paint colors and then complete task cards, using...

Let a video light the way to a better understanding of solar energy. Scholars first learn vocabulary terms related to the photovoltaic effect, solar cells, and electricity. They then watch a video to learn why silicon is often used as a...

Middle schoolers apply what they learned in the previous lesson about mindful yoga to design a project to help a teen cope with a stressful situation in a healthy way. Groups role play explaining the benefits of their approach and...

Sharing is caring! Using the collaborative lesson, scholars engage in a shared writing process with the teacher. Working together, they compose opinion letters about Jackie Robinson's legacy. 

Steer young minds to build better boats. Future engineers first spend a few days exploring the TinkerCAD software and completing some embedded lessons. They then design sea crafts with buoyancy in mind and print them using a 3-D printer.

Heart of Darkness is not an easy read, both because of the subject matter and Conrad's Impressionistic style. A 20-slide presentation introduces readers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The presentation begins with a brief review of...

Young historians take an in-depth look at the five freedoms granted by the First Amendment. Groups apply their knowledge of the freedoms to a series of scenarios to decide if the depicted actions represent a violation of the amendment.

Making a claim without supporting it has little value. Learners work on their claim-making skills in a well-designed lesson. They view still images from a video and make claims using support from the visual representations. They then...

Introduce fourth graders to poetry with a three-week unit that has them examine the structural elements of poetry, analyze poems, and craft their own original poems rich in sensory details and other poetic devices. Young scholars study...

Mindful breathing or belly breathing is the basis for most mindfulness exercises. Introduce mindfulness practices with a short exercise in breath awareness designed to reduce stress and increase awareness.

The first of eight lessons introduces learners to Breath Awareness—an exercise that brings focus and thoughtfulness through breathing before engaging in other activities.

Ten minutes are all you need for a breathing exercise designed to bring calm and focus. Young scholars get their wiggles out, then shift their gaze and belly breath, paying close attention to how they physically feel.

Which is better—Chick-fil-A or MacDonalds? High schoolers learn how to craft an argument essay by beginning an opinion statement. They state a claim, back up their claim with evidence, and consider counter calms. Scholars then create a...

Move beyond the five-paragraph essay with a lesson introducing young writers to various forms of expository writing. Class members examine description, cause and effect, problem solution, sequence, and comparison forms. They create an...

Remember this lady! Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and the mother of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was much more than a wife and mother. This prolific letter writer is the...

Students participate in the introductions at the beginning of the semester. As a class, they brainstorm questions that can be asked to gain more information about their classmates. Working in pairs, the students interview each other and...