Who is Herman Melville? Read and discuss "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Then, discuss the film adaptations of Melville's work and translate a passage of the text into modern-day English. Discussion questions are...

Explore early writing systems and their significance in understanding the development of past civilizations. In groups, learners research early writing systems and then present their findings to the rest of the class. They teach their...

Eighth graders combine like terms in this properties of variables lesson. Using named items (stars, moons and hearts), they combine like terms using variables. They use the distributive property to combine like terms. Finally, they write...

Students use pieces of farm pictures to investigate the elements of art.  In this farm art lesson, students use pieces of pictures to create an original artwork. Students use the Internet to find images.  Students create a...

Students explore radial symmetry.  In this 3 dimensional art and geometry instructional activity, students identify examples of radial symmetry in everyday objects. Students create an imprint using radial symmetry on clay tiles.

“All the world’s a stage…” What do Leonardo DiCaprio, Heath Ledger, and Kenneth Branagh have in common? They have all starred in modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. After viewing a series clips from modern Shakespeare videos,...

Students investigate the the origination of stained glass in the 12th century cathedrals. They practice writing their names in cursive symmetrically. Students also practice how to make a stained glass image.

Students identify activities that promote social studies education and enjoy an international food tasting session. On food item sheets, they write the origins of the various food items. On a laminated world map, each cook circles the...

Students discuss what characteritics belong to a hero. They examine different mythological stories and identify the theme of each. They compare and contrast the origin of Superman to the mythological stories and report their findings to...

Students explain the origins of Thanksgiving. As a class, they list all the meanings, stories, and images that come into their minds when they hear the word "Thanksgiving." After reading about Thanksgiving, pairs of students create 4...

Pupils identify cardinal and intermediate directions, recognize that models changes due to new or improved observations and technology, identify the major characteristics of the planets including their positions in the solar system,...

Students identify unique characteristics of different writing genres such as biography, folktales and mysteries. They create original piece of writing using the writing process and then post their original writing online. They think...

Students discuss the achievements of famous African Americans. In this African American history month lesson, students discuss the origins of African American history month. They define prejudice and the obstacles that many African...

Students understand the origins of Valentine's Day. In this injustices lesson, students read a story and recognize the injustices done on Valentine's Day. Students write about grade appropriate topics regarding injustices.

Eighth graders research Native American legends involving the sun, moon, and stars and compare them to the origin of present day knowledge. They create a written report and make an oral presentation of their findings to the class.

Identify the different plants and animals found in wetlands, your class will explain the importance of wetland ecosystem and locate the different wetlands in their area.

The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...

Coming up on the Olympics? Be sure your middle schoolers understand the dynamic and ancient history of this global tradition. They begin by recalling traditions parents have passed down, considering their relevance and ways they might be...

Compose a Valentine's Day poem! Practicing their rhyming skills, scholars follow the traditional format to create a happy poem for a friend or family member. 

Can you build a better mousetrap? Broken into two sessions, this plan introduces learners to the design process. The first session has pupils look at the world through a design perspective by redesigning everyday objects. In the second...

After reading a Native American legend about dreamcatchers, why not make some. This resource provides several good links that explain the legend of the dreamcatcher and step-by-step instructions for making them with the class. Tip: If...

Learners investigate the bread baking process through the use of literature. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, students read the book, The Little Red Hen and discuss the steps the hen followed to bake bread. Learners bake the...

Make enlargements with and without centers. Pupils work through seven problems dealing with dilations or enlargements. The first couple items are strict enlargements without centers, while the others have centers. Class members also...

Kids act as scientists and preditors in this short natural selection activity; they collect and analyze data, then apply their new knowledge to real-world examples of natural selection. The layout of the worksheet is easy enough to use...