Learners share their opinions about local job opportunities for people their age. After reading an article about hiring trends, they discuss Google's answer to filling jobs. Class members research and report on an employer that offers...

Can international sports events be indicative of a country's national pride? Learners consider how the Germany-hosted 2006 World Cup contributed to German cultural pride, and how the fundamentals of sports is celebrated around the world,...

Students are read passages from When I Was Puerto Rican and asked to respond to the passages in their journals. They decide on a topic for researching and they use this topic to develop their own memoirs.

Students participate in a discussion about the Spanish influence on the Caribbean islands. They define the Spanish words in the book, Isla, and respond to a question about cultural influences in a response journal.

Students begin the lesson by responding in their journals regarding questions about their favorite fairy tales. They listen to a folk tale and answer questions based on the folk tale genre and then brainstorm aphorisms that convey moral...

Have you ever lost someone? Middle and high school learners journal about a time they experienced the loss of someone through death, divorce, moving, or another type of change. They share their responses and discuss an article relating...

Learners categorize questions they generate in preparation for pursuing answers that expand their existing knowledge. They create KWL charts and respond to journal questions to enable them to inquire to their fullest capacity.

Learners prepare and deliver book talks. In this Holocaust lesson, students read a book regarding the Holocaust, take notes on it, and give a book talk based on the book. Learners respond to the book talks by email.

Students read Karen Hesse's book "Letters from Rifka" and explore how it presents the experiences of a Russian immigrant to America. They research and write reports on the experiences of various immigrants from different cultures, keep...

Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson to emphasize the rules and individual roles...

Students discuss the type of information that they expect to read in news coverage of earthquakes. They explore the devastating aftermath of an earthquake in South and Southeast Asia and research and write their own articles describing...

Enter the fantastical world of  "Dungeons and Dragons" and other role-playing games with this lesson from The New York Times. Middle schoolers create the outline for a role-playing game based on their own community. Then, they...

Students participate in pre-reading activities such as looking at the graphics on the cover, reading the synopsis on the back cover, reading the dedication, and discussing the title. Students read the text aloud, stopping at strategic...

How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....

What would you ask a presidential candidate if you had the chance? Bring politics to your language arts classroom with this lesson, in which young readers brainstorm questions they would have liked the presidential candidates to answer....

Students respond to the question: How did Russian colonization effect Alaska's history? students examine environmental, cultural, economic, social and political impacts.

Students read a book from the Dear America series and contrast different points of view. They respond to the book either by participating in a literature circle or completing a journal entry. They compare and contrast two books or a...

Fifth graders read Swiss Family Robinson and respond to a survival scenario. In this focusing event lesson, 5th graders reflect on what they would do during a situation that required them to make a choice. Students share...

Fourth graders study the American Civil War. They read and analyze information regarding the casualties of the Civil War, fucusing on Indiana soldiers. They graph the information and then write in their reflective journals responding...

While somewhat dated (students write letters to President George W. Bush about the Iraq War), this lesson could be a good way to reinforce rhetorical reading and critical thinking. Students examine information regarding Operation Iraqi...

The New York Times article “Online Diary,” launches this study of websites and how to assess them. Richly detailed, the lesson plan includes warm-up activities, procedures, journal prompts, discussion questions, and links to valuable...

How do local businesses support their state or regional economy? The New York Times has prepared another great lesson for your class. They begin by listing products grown or manufactured in their state or region then write interview...

Investigate current local elections across the United States with this New York Times reading lesson. Using informational text, middle and high schoolers research local elections and create their own news reports about what they...

Students read a New York Times article in order to examine the importance of cultural artifacts. They create essays from the point of view of one cultural artifact to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by doing research.