Eighth graders examine the effect of background and culture by creating a family tree and "mythical" story or legend based on Delmas Howe's painting Atlas.

Students write poems based on words and phrases found in an obituatuary. They write autobiographical obituaries that imagine their own lives and future accomplishments.

Fifth graders watch as the teacher projects a series of pictures on the wall showing bird tracks heading toward each other but not meeting, two tracks converging into one, and two tracks converging and then being scuffed up. They write...

Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson plan, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...

Second graders explore, examine and study the style of autobiographical writing and the relationship with the author. They rad three different types of autobiographical writings: narrative, poetry and newspaper article. Each student...

Students create a memoir. They compare writing with story telling and personal experience. They analyze how they learn, so they can begin to look critically at their own learning.

Students read Blubber by Judy Blume. In this Blubber discussion lesson plan, students answer pre-, during, and post- reading of the novel to assist them with comprehension. Themes addressed are problem solving, perspectives, leadership,...

Students write and illustrate a story on cloud formation and classification. They research cloud information on the internet to discuss the different types of clouds and when they form. They use this information to write a story about...

Fifth graders research fast food options and write an essay on the topic. In this fast food instructional activity, 5th graders pretend they are a babysitter and research fast food restaurant options to eat at while they are...

Young scholars examine racism, stereotypes, and biases in their personal lives and in the U.S. media. They discuss examples of racism, exploring the types of stereotypes and biases that still exist in our society. They access a...

As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...

Young writers read excerpts from Gary Paulsen's memoir to identify figurative and literal language that contain sensory details. They determine which selections are examples of sensory language and fi the language is used literally or...

Pupils identify and discuss individuals who have made a difference and what inspired them to take action, explore strategies for taking action and making a difference, examine global challenges, and practice narrative writing, in form of...

Fourth graders research a famous Michigan's using a variety of sources, encyclopedias, biographies, Internet resources, etc., to find out what the person was like and how they looked. They prepare written and oral reports working...

Third graders read excerpts from 5 slave narratives and study and compare/contrast their families, living conditions, duties, methods of escape and destinations. In this history lesson, 3rd graders get into small groups to present their...

Students use maps and lecture notes to discover the diverse history of the state of Michigan. After gathering their information, students develop interview questions that might be used to interview an elderly person in their community.

Young scholars discuss their prior knowledge of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Using the internet, they research the personal, political and economic influences that made an impact on the expedition. They also discover how the...

Students study the issue of slave vs. free states. They explore the actions and personal commitment of John Brown and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.

Students use a spreadsheet to compute landmark statistics of a math quiz. This lesson can be ongoing throughout the school year and it integrates mathematics curriculum and technology in a simple format for student use.

Sixth graders listen to music as they reflect on a time they told the truth without hurting anyone. Students listen to a story about a person who falls from a roof and breaks his leg. The person lies about how it happened. Students...

Students examine a variety of gold weights used by the Asante in West Africa. In groups, they discuss the purpose of the gold weights and practice saying proverbs associated with different pieces of art. To end the lesson, they...

Students compare the function and decoration of everyday objects from ancient Greece and today's world. They complete a chart imbedded in this lesson plan that enables them to compare today's objects to objects of the past.

Students engage in a study that focuses upon the study of artifacts for the purpose of defining the heritage of family. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a personal family...

Students read a story and demonstrate their fluency and comprehension by retelling it to a partner. In this reading lesson plan, students follow a note taking sheet provided.