Seventh graders identify the various elements of a short story. After reading Rudyard Kipling's short story, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," students identify the author's purpose in writing the story as well as the elements that make it a short...

Students locate a sample restaurant review in a newspaper or magazine. They examine the review to find the opinion of the reviewer and discuss reviews that convey mixed opinions. They compose an original review in a similar style to...

Pupils consider how the scientific advances of the past have contributed to the science topics reported on today in the Science Times section. After reading a current science article, they compare and contrast the way science was...

Students read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. For this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Students develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty Yard Run.

Students examine the meanings of tolerance and intolerance and participate in a "town hall meeting". They analyze quotations about tolerance and connect them to their personal experiences.

Students research capital punishment policies supported by leaders who have issued pardons, then reflect on how executive pardons might affect the balance of power between the branches of government.

Students reflect on the fairness of rating movies, television, radio, books, magazines, Web sites and other media. They submit their own entries for a media rating guide.

Critically Evaluating Alarming News students use a guided reading strategy to explore news articles about the Washington-area sniper attacks, and conduct a roundtable discussion to investigate public reaction to the case. October 17, 200

Students link important individuals who shaped the news in 2002 by playing a variation of a game based on the idea that all people can be connected with 6 or less associations between them. They propose appropriate New Year's resolutions.

Students explore how editorials use various devices to convey a message to a reader. They select key news topics from 2002 and write their own editorials.

Students examine how the war on Iraq is progressing by looking at current events and comparing them to the goals outlined by General Tommy R. Frank; they then create a progress report assessing how close the coalition forces are to...

Students explore asthma, and then write proposals outlining how teachers, coaches, administrators and school support staff can be better prepared to treat students with asthma.

Pupils widen their understanding of the different points of view surrounding current news topics. They research a current controversy on which public opinion is divided and write a concise commentary on the topic expressing a strong...

Ninth graders research women who have broken barriers in areas such as sports, politics, or entertainment, and create pages for a book on women who have broken barriers titled "Ladies First."

Students appraise the qualities of successful inventors and inventions, as well as examine the ways in which the Internet supports inventors, as a springboard for designing and 'patenting' inventions that would be helpful to them in...

Students study the history of the Nobel Prize, research Nobel laureates in all six categories of the award, and recognize the connecting thread of those who win the Nobel Prize--the contribution of outstanding work and the work's affect...

Students research various epidemics that have devastated the world population focusing on the historical events taking place during the times of the epidemics and the epidemics' effects on these societies.

Students compare on-line newspapers to their print counterparts

Students evaluate images of health in American society, then students examine where one develops his or her views about health.

Students explore the appeal of fear in today's society and beliefs about the paranormal, specifically ghosts. They create a survey to be distributed throughout the school regarding beliefs in ghosts and other supernatural beings and forces.

Students define "nonfiction" and describe what they view as the best pieces of nonfiction writing. They determine criteria to evaluate whether or not a piece of nonfiction writing is good, and list categories of nonfiction writing.

Students assess how people both support and refute actions that lead to the extinction of animals. They examine how the wild tiger population has grown from near-extinction due to conservation efforts. They investigate an animal species...

Students discuss cartoons and the moral lessons they can teach. They imagine and draw a cartoon figure who could impart a lesson of some kind to younger Students.

Students examine how a breaking news story is constructed, first by predicting what facts and details must appear in what order, and then by assembling the story from cut-up pieces. They practice writing their own 'breaking news' lead...