Second graders engage in an activity of reading a story and have a discussion about the story to measure comprehension. The use of a graphic organizer helps student retention because it is brain compatible for students.

Eighth graders read selected passages from The Diary of Anne Frank. Working in pairs, 8th graders determine what qualities and characteristics they would assign to her from their selected diary entry.

What is the initiating event? What is the protagonist's goal? What attempts are made to achieve this goal? What is the outcome? Model for your class how to map out the structure of any narrative. Readers then search for answers as the...

Students read and demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process via the novel "Finding Buck Henry." They recognize complex elements of plot. Students analyze devices used to develop characters in...

Students examine an elegy for form, tone and subject matter.  In this elegy activity, students share impressions from Dylan Thomas's poem and a critic's response to the poem. Students discuss emotions and the refusal to mourn...

Students identify unknown words and select a strategy to comprehend text. In this vocabulary lesson students listen for specific words as the teacher reads. Students try to figure out what the meaning of the specific words are. The words...

High schoolers complete an activity in Spanish. Writing in response to an email message, they write it in Spanish and print it out. They also read an article related to a specific chapter and research a topic of interest to them using...

Students watch and respond to a Bill Moyers Now video on the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. They brainstorm a list of recent events that might inspire writers and choose one to write about in poetic, diary, or short story form.

Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.

Twelfth graders review facts about roles of Asia and Japan in World War II, read When My Name Was Keoko to familiarize themselves with daily life and historic events during World War II in Korea, and participate in student-led...

Students explore the impact of the Federal Reserve Bank. In this central bank lesson, students read specific selections out of their textbooks about the history of the bank and its role in the U.S economy. Students then select 1 of 7...

Students investigate soliloquies. In this performing arts lesson plan, students discuss figurative language within soliloquies and then perform a soliloquy to the rest of the class.

Students examine the different ways in which children hid trying to escape the concentration camps. Using journal entries, they put themselves into the role of the children and imagine their feelings during the Holocaust. They discuss...

Students explore rhythmic movements. In this performing arts lesson, students create their own movements and then repeat the each others movement. Finally, students create movements to the Haiku generated by the entire class.

Young scholars explore the phases of the moon. In this solar system lesson, students listen to several books about the moon including The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons. Young scholars complete a KWL activity concerning the phases of the moon...

Sixth graders discuss The Butterfly. In this literacy lesson, 6th graders write two postcards about the issues of the Holocaust from the two different perspectives of the two girls from the text.

Tenth graders write a poem. In this poetry lesson, 10th graders read the poem The Road Not Taken written by Robert Frost, answer discussion questions, add new stanzas to the poem and share them with the class.

Students determine how and why an individual from each of four disciplines - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism - might respond to the same problem.

Young scholars watch the documentary "I'm British But..." and examine how and why cultures can conflict with each other. They read and discuss the lyrics to the song playing throughout the documentary, answer questions related to the...

Students listen to books and answer questions using reading skills. In this reading lesson, students develop reading strategies such as decoding, understanding characters, and comprehension. Students relate characters and events in the...

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...

Students take a closer look at archetypes. In this characterization lesson, students examine the setting and the characters of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as they read and analyze the novel. Students consider how Twain mythically...

Third graders read The Hundred Penny Box and complete comprehension activities. In these perspectives and letter writing lessons, 3rd graders read and discuss the story then complete a Venn Diagram to explore the different viewpoints in...

Seventh graders read sections of a Sherlock Holmes novel. They identify references to hate groups that are the criminals in the story. They discuss the symbols found in the story.