Letters have long been prized by historians as primary sources for what they reveal not only about events but also about the emotional responses of the writers to these events. "My Dear Little Boys," a letter written by Leonard Isacks on...

Students read examples of folk tales and describe the characteristics of fables and folk tales. They also examine the concept of fate and if it plays a part in people's lives.

Here is resource that offers a great, organized approach to your unit on Mesopotamia and early civilizations! As learners study the topics in the unit, such as the Fertile Crescent, ancient Sumeria, the Assyrian and Persian Empires, and...

Carl Sandburg composed poetry that conveyed a time and place in American Literature and history. Learners identify the literary techniques he uses to describe the historical and cultural context of living in Chicago. They define the...

What a great way to discuss European immigration in the 1700's to 1800's in America. Learners identify regions where immigration occurred, list the reasons people moved to the United States, and interview an immigrant about their...

Ease into informational text with the lesson suggested here. Part of a unit series, the lesson draws from previous lessons and acts as a natural moment to add in informational text. Class members read one section of My Librarian is a...

Is obesity a disease or just a preventable risk factor for other diseases? Scholars attempt to form their own opinions by reading a background of the issue and watching videos that explore the main pro and con arguments using an included...

The Haitian Revolution takes center stage as class members analyze a passage from Sugar Changed the World and consider how the authors select, present, and organize events to show how the tensions between the concerns for freedom and...

How do novels differ from plays? Explore with your class the text features of fiction and drama by reading The Hidden One: Native American Legend and then performing a reader’s theater script based on the story. Class members create a...

To prepare for the Exploring the World Performance Task, class groups generate a list of places they would like to explore, examine images of seven natural wonders of the world, and consider why these sites are wondrous. A map and images...

Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy lesson, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading vocabulary as...

First graders discuss "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and his drawings. In this neighborhood geography instructional activity, 1st graders learn to detect and classify places on a map including their home. Students recognize their address...

Students analyze the details of a topographic map and create one of their own by utilyzing a map of elevations.

Students read a story and use sentence strips to order story events.  In this sequencing lesson plan, students learn new vocabulary words centered around the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, preview the story, make...

How did the expansion of the Roman Empire during the first century contribute to its downfall? Using a map of the Roman Empire in 44 BC and one of the Roman Empire in 116 AD as references, class member use critical reading skills to...

Students examine the craft of cartography and how the Lewis and Clark expedition created and used maps. They analyze maps, read a handout, create a map, participate in a mini expedition and map out a route based on travel directions,...

Students read about the creation of a football program at a small-town school in Alaska. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity, then students read the news...

Students define "natural disaster" by offering examples and charting them to discover what a concept definition map is. Then students create their own maps using the word "city".

In this map reading learning exercise, students label a map of Australia by adding the names of states and cities. They answer eight questions about the map.

Young scholars examine weather patterns in the United States. In this weather lesson, students use a United States map to identify high and low temperatures in two states. Young scholars compare the data and record their findings onto a...

Young scholars visualize census data on a map and use a map key to read a population map. In this census instructional activity, students use a map of the Virgin Islands and corresponding worksheets to gain an understanding of...

Students read a story and complete a story map.  In this diversity and acceptance lesson, students read Arthur's Nose, make a story map, research Aardvarks, complete a Venn Diagram comparing Arthur's nose to other animals in the...

Learners use a map to learn about where chocolate comes from. For this lesson on the cacao tree, students locate various regions where the cacao tree grows. They will discuss why the cacao tree grows more favorably in particular climates...

Fourth graders identify the three basic needs of humans. They identify on a map the best places to live and make a list of items that they can find on a map - streams, river, hills, plains, forests, etc.