Communicating clearly is one part of a successful conversation, but listening to others is just as important. Individuals with special needs plan calm responses and reactions to differing opinions with a collaborative activity.

Have you ever been so excited to talk that you interrupted another person? Help young conversationalists wait their turn to speak with a social skills activity. 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is a classic novel that readers have enjoyed for years. Resources within the study guide such as discussion and guided reading questions, extension activities, and graphic organizers aid...

Using examples from Socrates to Johnny Carson, this slideshow presents your students with the history and definition of dramatic irony, satire, situational irony, and tragic irony. This presentation would be useful in a language arts...

Students participate in a Socratic discussion about world hunger. In this world hunger lesson, students review the Socratic discussion method and use it to discuss an initiative to reduce world hunger. Students answer discussion...

Students interpret history using primary resources and secondary research. The Constitution is examined and changes are explained within the time period they were made.

Students discuss the effects of gender bias and stereotyping by identifying personal interests and values. In this sociology lesson, students iscuss the forces in society which cause gender discrimination, create poems about themselves,...

Students compare George Washington's foreign policy to the policies of presidents who followed him. For this primary source analysis lesson, students compare Washington's Farewell Address to the Roosevelt Corollary, the Monroe Doctrine,...

Students identify, describe and discuss the reasons why Japanese-Americans were placed in internment camps and what life was like at these camps. Then they write an unsent letter to a family member on the East Coast describing their...

Learners explore alternative energy sources. In this environmental lesson, students discuss alternative energy sources and construct a plan to incorporate an alternative home technology into a bedroom. Learners build a model of their...

Students listen to and discuss Don Henley's song, "Johnny Can't Read" and the 10,000 Maniacs song, "Cherry Tree." They research reading literacy and find statistics, evidence, stories, facts, and sources which will support their beliefs...

Tenth graders compare and contrast the patriotism of Imperial Japan to its presence in the United States today. For this patriotism lesson, 10th graders write essays and participate in a classroom debate that requires them to consider...

Students examine their personal interests in culture/ethnicity and what they value in terms of physical vs. Personal characteristics. They discuss the forces in society that cause gender discrimination.

Students read "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. They complete a chart about their own choices and decide on them using the chart. They discover the importance of making good choices.

Ninth graders explore the definition of integrity through a class discussion. They provide positive/negative examples from the story and their own experiences. Students determine character traits by analyzing the dialogue in a short...

Tenth graders read the poem "Upon the Burning of Our House" and complete analysis activities. In this poetry analysis lesson, 10th graders read the poem and create original scenes summarizing the stanza.

Ninth graders work together to discuss the various experiences of African Americans during the Civil War. Using the internet, they identify the laws and reasons African Americans were allowed to join the Union Army. Using their...

Pupils practice their reading skills by reading information about estuaries. As a class, they discuss what they read and answer discussion questions. As they read, they use the right hand column of their paper to write down any words or...

Students analyze the history of the European Union. They define the goals and operations of the EU. Students summarize their findings and present these findings to the class. They write a summary of the history of the EU.

Twelfth graders read and analyze the literary elements of Alphonse Daudet's "The Last Lesson" and Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. They compare the two works and write an essay describing the reasons they feel the authors...

Students explore the policies of the "Save the Indian" reforms. Working in groups, they review the motives, methods, and effects of the "Save the Indian" campaign of the late 19th century. Through discussion and writing, they form an...

As a springboard to an eleventh grade poetry unit, students view the movie Dead Poets Society and participate in a Socratic seminar of the themes, symbols, and life questions raised by the film. Student groups research and present one of...

For this lesson you will be using the Socratic Seminar Instructional Method. The Socratic Seminar is a great way to get students involved. Socratic seminars are useful in that they teach students to make a point through using the text...

This strategy helps students refine their understanding of complex texts to meet reading expectations, engage in a variety of group conversations, and prepare for writing about texts.