Learners read excerpts from Annie Dillard's memoir, "An American Childhood," with the teacher. They experience opportunities to connect English, science, nature and art together from a new and unique perspective. This approach serves as...

Students examine Susan B. Anthony's life and causes she worked for. In this Susan B. Anthony lesson plan, students work in groups to research the activist roles of Susan B. Anthony and decide if she was a philanthropist. Students look...

Students explore immigration in the United States. For this immigration lesson, students read about Ellis Island and tenement houses as they conduct research regarding the topic in order to write an essay.

Students examine characterization of African Americans in literature, popular culture, and opera. In this stereotypes lessons, students conduct research that requires them to analyze the origins and content of stereotypes perpetuated...

Students explore a West African folktale. In this folktale instructional activity, students read the book The Clever Monkey Rides Again and discuss the trickster characters from the tale. Students participate in a discussion about the...

Students explore ways to notice when others are sad, happy, calm, or angry. They act out feelings and have others try to identify them. The listen to The Brand New Kid, focusing on plot, characterization, and illustrations. They create a...

Learners compare and contrast the stories, "Leo, the Late Bloomer," and "Thank You, Mr. Falker." They develop a Venn diagram, and write and illustrate the central theme of the stories.

Fourth graders listen to a read aloud of a book that provides background information on the Columbian Exposition. They research the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the city of Chicago at the turn of the century and create a...

Young scholars retrieve information about Patricia Polacco from selected sources. They classify information into prescribed categories on a concept map.

Students write a personal account of slavery seen from the eyes of a slave trader, a slave plantation owner, a fugitive slave, or a working slave.

Learners explore the life of Johnny Appleseed as they create a MediaBlender project of Johnny's journey through the Midwest territory, and compare and contrast items he brought on his journey with items students would bring with them on...

Students read one teen's story of dealing with her best friend's anorexia to explore the dynamics of friendship relationships and the qualities needed to sustain a friendship through challenges.

Students analyze representation of teenagers in the news and other media, discuss importance of media literacy in interpreting media portrayals of reality, and discuss and write about accuracy, or lack thereof, of media images of young...

Second graders utilize Microsoft Word to create stationery and letters to send to other children in their school building, expressing experiences in their daily lives. As the unit progresses, they create documents to send to other second...

Students examine the contributions of the author Gwendolyn Brooks. They create a journal, read and discuss poems by Brooks, write a poem about themselves, and create a timeline of their own lives.

Students explore the power of persuasion. In a classroom setting, students discuss incentives, testimonials and deceptive pricing schemes that are used to influence others. After observing professionally made infomercials, students...

Students present a travelogue, an alternate format to preparing their writing, of a specific U.S. geographic region that includes the aspects of population, climate, landforms, economics, culture, famous people and places and natural...

Students explore philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read Runaway Rice Cake, identify the elements of the story, and make rice cakes to share with others.

Students listen to the book Miss Tizzy and discuss how characters feel about Miss Tizzy. In this unconditional kindness and philanthropy lesson, students understand how when you do a good deed it somehow comes back. Students reflect on...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson plan, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...

First graders read The Magic Apple and complete interdisciplinary activities related to the book.  In this folktale lesson, 1st graders answer comprehension questions, recognize and record short /i/  sound words and...

Second graders investigate philosophy by researching the life of Mahatma Gandhi.  In this biographical lesson, 2nd graders listen to a reading of the book "Gandhi" and make a character map of his actions, feelings and thoughts....

Students gain comprehensive background knowledge of the Salem witch trials in preparation for reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They participate in a role-play activity designed to simulate a modern day witch-hunt.

Students discover the meaning of philanthropy and ways in which it occurs in the home, at school, and in the community. Each student chooses one need in their own community, list opportunities to fulfill the need, then predict what might...