Teaching tools designed to support student-centered literature study. Geared toward homeschoolers reading Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, I would use these in my classroom. The materials are applicable to any text: graphic...

The words of Henry David Thoreau on Civil Disobedience seem particularly relevant today, as are his writings and those of other transcendental thinkers who ask what it mean to live deliberately and what are the responsibilities of...

The odds are in your favor that your pupils will love this lesson that uses The Hunger Games to launch a study of gender empowerment, as well as the influence of social constructs of gender. Groups discuss how Katniss Everdeen and Peeta...

Suspense! Rebellion! Cyberbullying! No wonder Doug Wilhelm's novel The Revealers appeals to middle schoolers. Instructors new to using the novel and experienced veterans will find this discussion guide invaluable. Discussion...

Second graders investigate the story of "The Three Bears" while focusing on the character of Goldilocks. They answer key questions that are focused upon the development of positive feelings and reactions. Students discuss the possible...

Prior to reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, spark engagement, and step into the shoes of Charlotte Doyle through this guided imagery activity focusing on adventure and the emotions that may be felt along...

What does a morally courageous person look like? Discuss principles, peer pressure, and solving problems without violence in a worksheet about moral courage, and the ways you can be a hero to the people around you.

How would you describe a great leader? Explore the theme of leadership with a unit that focuses on emotional intelligence, and how great leaders have a strong sense of emotional intelligence.

In the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Percy is faced with a major decision. After reading, chapter 19, discuss the decision-making process Percy took, what he decided to...

Students investigate the virtue of kindness and giving by conducting a children's literature study of "The Giving Tree". They make a list of words to describe emotions in the story and write a journal daily while looking at the virtues...

Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind? A novel unit based on R.J. Palacio's Wonder focuses on the need to be kind to others and to accept their differences. As learners read the book, they discuss the themes of...

Students work as partners to study Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this African American history lesson plan, students work with their cross-grade partner to study, understand, and memorize the speech. Students meet...

Middle schoolers examine the pressures of group-pressured behavior. In this teaching tolerance lesson, students read literature and view videos regarding negative group behavior. Middle schoolers answer comprehension questions and...

Students examine the "Little Planet Times" and discuss how to solve the town's problem. In this literature/problem solving lesson, students record the opinion of each of the council members and role play their position. Students...

Through the journey of four stories of immigration, scholars complete graphic organizers and apply knowledge to create a visual representation of their findings on a large poster. Third and fourth readers write a letter to their...

Why are some immigrant groups in the United States embraced while others become disenfranchised? To answer this question, teams investigate why groups emigrated to the US, why some of these these peoples were...

Self reflection is an important skill to reinforce in our children, and it's especially helpful to help them realize who they are in the context of their environment. A collection of lessons about self image and community encourage...

The importance of cultural awareness, of becoming aware of our own and other cultures, and the benefits of gaining a deeper understanding of the differences between cultures, is the focus of this resource. Working individually, in pairs,...

Students define responsibility, list steps of choice making, and solve problems. They create decision making scenarios in cooperative group settings.

Students explore how their choices affect others.  In this character development and ecology lesson, students debate choice-making issues.  Students listen to The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and identify choices the characters made...

Students focus on responsible decision making and values-clarification in this unit of lessons. They examine how values effect decision making can make the difference between a successful life and one filled with problems.

Young scholars investigate the traits necessary for classroom success. They brainstorm in order to find different traits while creating lists. Then students work in groups to create simple definitions for selected character traits of...

Students read Grandpa's Mountain, participate in class discussion about good and bad consequences of Grandpa's fight to keep his home, and work in small groups to fill in decision trees about Grandpa, explaining why they believe he...