Sometimes a test page loaded with text can make a student's face go blank. Help them decipher what a text question is asking with a series of tips focused on reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language arts mechanics.

The Scarlet Letter is the anchor text in a four-week unit that examines Hawthorne's novel through the lens of the intolerances found in a supposed civilized society. In addition to their reading, class members watch clips from...

Voices from the past. Young scholars listen to a podcast interview with a historical re-enactor as they continue their research in the eleventh instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. Applying their close reading skills,...

Encourage learners to think deeply about the information they read or hear. Through a series of life skills worksheets, your pupils will consider the need for objectivity, identifying missing information, and problem solving.

Imagine a list that includes Alan Abelson of Baron's, Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, and Mother Jones. High schoolers select a national columnist, read and annotate five columns by this author, noting the rhetorical...

Study skills, time management skills, and test taking-skills are important attributes for both the classroom and the real world. Focus on these learning skills in a lesson that reviews how to be a good student and make better grades.

As testing season is upon us, give class members a way to prepare their minds and bodies for the big day. A resource promotes deep breathing exercises and comfortability to reduce anxiety. Along with multiple choice, short...

What evidence supports the big bang theory? Individuals analyze scholarly resources about the the theory and develop arguments backed by evidence. They brainstorm, share ideas, watch a video, and read articles to complete a graphic...

Explore ethnicity and identity with a research and writing assignment. Class members conduct online research, looking in particular at images and carefully noting down their sources on notecards. They read about identity and compose...

Why is online privacy so important? Explore privacy with a group assignment for which pupils create word clouds with words they associate with privacy. A discussion and online activity follow. Learners will read articles, explore the...

Students explore cryptids.  In this story writing and technology lesson, students define "cryptid," write a short script, and draw an illustration for an imaginary animal character. Students read their script aloud into a microphone...

Word processing practice and vocabulary blend with proofreading in a multi-purpose lesson plan that makes excellent use of an hour in the computer lab. Learners edit the grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors in a given paragraph...

While this focuses on Ancient Rome, the objectives are improved research and information evaluation skills. In one class period, class members narrow their topic, research it, select the best information, log useful sources, and discuss...

Learners discover the horrible situation of water shortages that many people face by completing Peace Corps activities.  In this global health lesson plan, students analyze and discuss photographs of people in Africa struggling to...

In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...

Students investigate the customs and habits of other cultures by reading letters from a Peace Corps Volunteer.  For this global customs lesson, students discuss how analyzing a culture is similar to analyzing art, no two people see...

Media texts convey both overt and implied messages. As part of their study of media, class members analyze the language, form, techniques, and aesthetics in a variety of media texts.

Students investigate the food chain by researching the Internet.  In this ecosystem lesson, students view the video "Competitor and Predator" and read a book from the series "The Magic School Bus."  Students utilize a worksheet...

Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin.  In this biographical lesson plan, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current...

Third graders read and appreciate the writing of great American Authors. use technology to garner information about famous American authors. They have selected sites to explore. The information they save be used for a future Powerpoint.

Students use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.

Students examine marine archaeology. For this archaeological data lesson, students see how archaeologists use data to make inferences about shipwrecks. Students read data and make their own inferences, write about marine life and...

Second graders become familiar with action verbs through the reading of To Root, To Toot, to Parachute: What is a Verb?  In this action word instructional activity, 2nd graders analyze sentences for the action verb. Students watch a...

Third graders read children's literature during the school year and compile a list of books and genres in an Access database. They print out a report of all the different books and genres of they read over the whole school year.