How close are your eighth graders to mastering the ELA Common Core standards? Keep an eye on progress with these charts, which include every eighth grade identifier and full standard text. As you move through the year and teach,...

Ready yourself for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with this analysis of the novel. Included here is a summary of the plot, a list of themes, notes on vocabulary and other issues, a brief analysis of plot elements, and project ideas...

Take the last step in writing a literary argument essay using Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis in an activity focused on feedback. Using the stars and steps revision method, pupils consider teacher and peer feedback to revise...

The most effective way to support an argument is with clear and relevant evidence. As seventh graders read and listen to Cesar Chavez's California Commonwealth Club Address, they work through five sections of a textual analysis unit,...

Enhance your unit on The Scarlet Letter with a thorough and applicable lesson. Learners use the anchor text in this unit plan that asks them to consider the Transcendental concepts intertwined within Nathaniel...

The eighth lesson in the editing process focuses on flow and cohesiveness in the entire research paper. Class members examine color-coded pre- and post-revision model paragraphs and then work in pairs to revise and peer-review their papers.

Young chemists love it when colorful solid products appear in a reaction vessel! Scholars discover the products that form during halide ion tests through a hands-on activity. Users go online and apply chemistry knowledge and reasoning...

Graduation ceremonies are huge milestones, but sometimes waiting for a name to be called gets a bit boring. Scholars find the pace the announcer calls names to determine how long until a specific name is called. Calculations work in...

The Milky Way belongs to a cluster of galaxies called the local group and it could be considered our neighborhood! Use the PowerPoint to present information on the different galaxy types, both local and farther away. Scholars learn how...

Slide into vector transformations. Column vectors define the translation of figures by defining the number of units to move horizontally and vertically on the coordinate graph. Pupils develop an understanding of how to read the...

What might a papaya symbolize? Using the resource, scholars look for examples of symbolism in the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They also participate in a silent discussion called a Chalk Talk, writing their responses to a...

An informative resource instructs pupils on how to write their essay drafts about the theme of control in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, scholars complete an Exit Ticket, listing their three favorite characters from the...

Could the hunter-gatherer food chain feed everyone in the United States? To consider the question, pupils use their research and add to the Cascading Consequences chart based on Michael Pollan's hunter-gatherer food chain from The...

While the firing on Ft. Sumter may have seemed like a sudden event, the long march to war spanned decades. Using games and a presentation, class members review the events that led up to the fateful April day in 1861 when brother turned...

Pupils reread selected passages from Katherine Paterson's novel Lyddie. After they finish, individuals gather textual evidence supporting whether Lyddie should sign a controversial petition and record their findings on graphic...

Most people are surprised to learn that American democracy is not as direct as they thought. Using a package of guiding questions, charts and curated videos, learners unpack the unique American institution of the Electoral College. The...

Without structure, things fall apart. Scholars discuss the importance of structuring a podcast to tell a story that makes sense. They walk around the classroom, stopping at stations to answer questions on posters about planning their...

Is all research on animals bad? Learners use a video to understand how animal research benefits humans. Pupils read about a drug modification turned deadly and the result of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Scholars use a...

Uncover what the first and second derivatives reveal about the function. Pupils move beyond sketching graphs to determine what derivatives tell about the function itself. The video reminds learners about particle motion and how to...

All the variables make it look harder. Individuals find out that solving a formula for a variable on interest is no different than solving an equation. Pupils participate during the video presentation by pausing the video and working...

What's the association? Pupils watch a presentation on creating a two-way frequency table. Learners find out how to calculate relative frequencies within the table to determine whether there is an association between the two categories....

Determine how close the line is to the scatter plot. Clear video instruction shows how to plot a scatter plot and find the best fit line using the linear regression function on a calculator. Pupils use the information from the calculator...

Help! The leading coefficient is not one. Learners view a video showing a technique to factor trinomials when the leading coefficient is not one. Pupils try a few examples including solving equations by factoring and check their answers...

Stress isn't necessarily a bad thing. The key, however, is learning how to appreciate eustress and manage distress. "Parachute Stress," a lesson designed for high school freshmen, has them identify 10 major stressors as well as the...