Middle schoolers speculate on the better rate of pay: a dollar a day for 10 days, or a penny the first day, two pennies the second, doubling each day for 10 days. Start by listening to the story The King's Chessboard, by David Birch....

Young scholars take an in depth examine baseball record breakers. They calculate statistics, not just for one year, but over whole careers, to compare some famous players and find who was the best all-time home run hitter.

Students create a character map of the main characters in The Tale of Despereaux. After reading the text, students create a character chart based on information they gleaned from the story. They use this information to write a letter...

In this comprehension check worksheet, young scholars define 3 vocabulary words, define 2 literary terms, and respond to 10 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 10 of A Separate Peace by John Knowles in order to help them better...

First graders create a diagram of a story by using the computer program Kidspiration. In this diagramming lesson plan, 1st graders will pick a book to write about. They then will plug in story elements of the book into the computer...

Young scholars read "Fans Gear Up to Say Goodbye to 'Friends'" from The New York Times and discuss the elements of the sitcom 'Friends' that made it such a success. After brainstorming reasons for 'Friends' popularity, students work in...

Students preview the novel, "Dragonwings," by Laurence Yep, make connections between the novel previewed and their prior knowledge, other texts, and the world. They utilize graphic representations including charts, graphs, pictures, and...

In this analytic geometry worksheet, 9th graders graph and solve 13 different types of problems that include determining whether equations are linear to matching given equations to their corresponding equation in the second column....

Students explore conflict. In this contemporary history lesson, students participate in 4 weekly activities that require them to research current conflicts and create time-travel cartoons that illustrate how the conflcits could...

Students examine various types of charts and discover how to construct a line graph. Using graph paper, they construct a graph displaying weight loss over a five-year period. They draw copnclusions from the completed graphs.

Groups analyze and interpret their data from previous research in order to develop individualized findings. The teams then use guidelines to help determine what aspects of their research to include on a poster. Class members...

Explore literature through the completion of reading comprehension worksheets in class. After reading the classic book, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, middle schoolers review each chapter by completing study questions and story webs....

Instructors expect great things from a good teacher's guide, and this one delivers. The 48-page guide to Charles Dickens's Great Expectations provides information about plot developments and new characters and places introduced in...

Seventh graders view a PowerPoint presentation about short story elements. They complete a plot diagram using a previously read short story. Students brainstorm events in the story. They discuss the difference between major and less...

Your learners already know when they like a story and when they don't, but they may not know that the plots of these stories are shaping that opinion. Like all resources in this series, the two activities and quizzes provided here deal...

Upper graders read the book Holes as a class or by themselves. In groups, they identify symbols and discuss how they are connected  among the many plots in the story. They create a timeline in which they sequence the main...

Mississippi has both the highest obesity and poverty rate in the US. Does the rest of the data show a correlation between the poverty and obesity rate in a state? Learners tackle this question as they practice their skills of regression....

Explore character, plot, and setting through dramatic puppet play. Second graders discuss basic story elements and then practice making a character with their sock puppets. After they've crafted a dynamic puppet, they pair up to create a...

Explore figurative language with your secondary class. Extending a language arts unit, the lesson plan prompts middle schoolers to examine how an author's word choice establishes a story's tone, possibly using metaphors, similes,...

What can we learn from the data? Young scholars analyze actual solar data to answer specific questions. The activity presents an opportunity for an open-ended investigation of the data to conclude a five-part series on solar winds.

There is more than one way to measure an amount, as learners discover by applying multiple measurement tools in these activities. Centimeter cubes, cylinders, beakers, and measuring cups are used to find the volume of regular and...

Middle schoolers construct polygons by plotting points on a coordinate plane. Pupils connect the points and identify which polygons they have drawn. They will need graph paper to carry out the assigned activities. A vocabulary list,...

Learners conduct research on 1830s families and early New England culture. They conduct research on the Old Sturbridge Village website, participate in an online chat with a costumed interpreter, and continue to develop possible plots to...

Middle schoolers describe plotting functions on the Cartesian coordinate plane. They solve functions on paper and using an online tool to plot points on a Cartesian coordinate plane creating lines and parabolas.