Students research heroes and create their own criteria of what constitutes a hero. They choose a personal hero and create a web page that portrays the individual and their accomplishments. Students create a presentation for the class.

Third graders practice brainstorming with their classmates as they discuss a role-play situation.  In this group discussion lesson, 3rd graders must present ideas of ways to survive on a deserted island by discussing with their...

Fifth graders understand the need for the American War for Independence through a variety of activities in this series of lessons.

Middle schoolers research a variety of controversial articles to gain knowledge. They form an opinion and defend their position with supporting data. They evaluate opposing arguments and present their viewpoint both verbally and in the...

Pupils research the pros and cons of wind farm technology as an alternative source of energy. The class is divided into two groups that should formulate a debate on each side of the argument. Groups use a debate guide to help develop...

Practice persuasive writing skills in this thorough lesson. After selecting issues and discovering viewpoints, middle schoolers write letters or brochures created to express the individual's perspective. The ideas are presented to the...

Students analyze the components of debating and practice what they have learned as they conduct a class debate on the lunar landing. Both sides of the issue are researched and presented to the group.

Present your seniors with a controversial topic while studying the first amendment: pornography. This multi-layer resource has scholars writing a pros and cons research paper. They also attend a city council meeting to prepare for an...

Secondary historians simulate events leading up to the American Revolution. They assume the roles of patriots, loyalists, or neutrals in a town meeting set prior to the Revolution. As Patriots and Loyalists make their arguments, neutrals...

Students debate important court cases. Divided into three groups, students accept a position as first debater, second debater and the third group is neutral. At the conclusion of each debate, students vote to determine the winning side.

Learning to support your opinions, debate, build arguments, and effectively respect another's point of view are vital skills. Learners work through a series of topics to practice discussion engagement and verbal communication.

Students research what kind of problems force a city or town to decide to remove trees. Students research what controversy has occurred in other cities or towns. Students interview those responsible for such decisions in your city or...

The class discusses how they feel about war. They brainstorm emotions that teens have toward the war in Iraq, and then discuss their opinions of the war in small groups. The discussion is then opened up to the entire class. What do you...

Examine two works of art and use these pieces as inspiration for dialogues. The whole class discusses Renoir's Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise and Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge. Then, in groups of either three or ten, pupils...

Learners research how various forms of technology have changed during different time periods and the ways in which technology impacts society. They propose designs for galleries within a technology museum.

Fourth graders generate an oral presentation on the weather. In this weather lesson, 4th graders watch the weather for a week and record the data on a chart. Students give a weather report at the end of the week.

Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton's Rooster's Night Out, a retelling of a classic Cuba folktale, launches a cross-curricular study of Cuban cultural traditions. Class members draw the characters from the book, participate in math and...

Seventh graders explore the structure, function, and diseases of the respiratory system. They research basic information about the respiratory system and create a concept map to illustrate it. Students research a disease and create a...

Students explore how art reflects culture and history. They examine everyday life experiences in various countries. Students design a mixed media composition. They create a class presentation.

Third graders read the story The Stolen Smell, and complete language arts activities based on the book. In this The Stolen Smell lesson plan, 3rd graders complete activities such as discussion, reading, researching, drawing, role...

You want your class to meet all of the Common Core standards, and here is one way to tackle the first speaking and listening standard. Given a theme to focus on from "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" by Leo Tolstoy, small groups come up...

Twelfth graders examine the court process and practice writing and reviewing reports. They practice their public speaking skills as they pretend to present information to a court.

Seventh graders review the Spanish animal vocabulary learned in previous lessons before taking a virtual trip through the Madrid Zoo at its website. They design a paper bag puppet of one of the animals, take digital pictures of it and...

Students explore U.S. history by creating a computer presentation in class. In this Civil War battle lesson, students read assigned text about the Battle of Stones River and research individual generals from the battles. Students utilize...