Students share their memories of a recent event. They use Elie Wiesel's night to help them recongize a memoir. They write a memoir about a recent school event that was shared by many. They also gather evidence that supports their version...

Eighth graders discuss invention of bicycle and early obstacles to riding, listen to and discuss short story "Taming the Bicycle" by Mark Twain, define vocabulary words from story, and create and present humorous "how to" project to...

Students identify and describe where tropical rain forests are located and examine the geographical correlation between rainfall and rain forest. They brainstorm what they think they know about tropical rain forests - where they're...

Students explore the genre of biography in both its traditional and nontraditional forms. They examine Edmund Morris's unorthodox biography of Ronald Reagan. They conduct research on an historic American and write their own biographies.

Middle schoolers recognize Theme through the use of simple, short stories. Using Pro Quest, students begin by researching the literary element, theme, and how it can be identified. They then identify the themes in Aesop's...

Sixth graders examine the purpose of the keelboat used by the Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark expedition. They assess its strengths and weaknesses for navigating different rivers, and describe its overall purpose for the...

Students describe the changes that have affected the Missouri River over the past 200 years by identifying transformations in this area's atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. They research online in groups assigned to...

Students spend some time in the world of marketing and advertising by analyzing and creating slogans and campaigns geared toward adolescents. Students work with a partner to create their design and share with the class

Second graders describe the impact of certain figures in United States history, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They describe experiences of early American explorers and compose narratives from the perspectives of others.

Students examine the challenges that faced the United States as a new nation, especially those related to exploration, expansion, and international affairs. They study the chronology of events related to the expedition of Lewis and Clark.

Third graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark, and discuss "needs" versus "wants". They listen to a story, plan for a journey like Lewis and Clark, create a list of supplies, and...

First graders examine the significance of the American bison to the American Indians of the Great Plains. They create a story in pictographs in the style of American Indians of the Plains.

Fourth graders investigate two types of water vessels that were used by Lewis and Clark during the exploration of the Louisiana Territory. They interpret data to determine which vessel was more efficient.

Fifth graders will use non-fiction books to identify and explain how text features help them as individual readers.

This lesson will help students read and comprehend nonfiction, specifically biographies, through determining criteria for text complexity. Included is a PDF and Smart Notebook titled Determining Text Complexity, and an example of a...

Introduce your students to the different types of non-fiction such as biographies, biographies, and informative books. Students will use graphic organizers, peer interaction, and hands-on experiences to further understanding of this lesson.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A series of three lesson plans designed to teach learners to compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction, identify the characteristics of non-fiction, and use guide words to locate topics in an...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Teachers will read "Digging Up Dinosaurs" using the close reading technique. Learners will use graphic organizers to summarize the steps necessary to collect, study, and build a dinosaur skeleton.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A two-lesson unit in which students learn how to identify explicit information in non-fiction text by creating questions and then reading the text to find answers. Students also use explicit information...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A three-lesson unit on cause and effect. Students learn to use signal words to identify cause and effect relationships and to describe possible effects when given a cause in fiction. Students also learn...