Students discover labor issues of the 1800's.  In this Pennsylvanian history lesson, students research the case of Mary Harris Jones and discover her work as a labor activist.  Students discuss the case together in class.

Sixth graders interpret Franklin's style, his ease of writing and content, using this to inspire, motivate and guide them to do more writing. They list Franklin's civic accomplishments and political accomplishments. They name 4...

Students explore the concepts of intolerance and racism in the autobiography Kaffir Boy written by Mark Mathabane. The lesson reveals the story's depiction of the terrible toll of apartheid on the lives of individuals.

Students examine the history of the Holocaust and complete a KWL chart. Using the Internet, they research an aspect of the Holocaust they are interested in and watch a documentary. They read testimonies of survivors and identify other...

Students conduct research online for information about Henry Ford and his assembly line, examine economic, technological, and social changes that resulted from Ford's innovation, and use notes and resources to write five paragraph essays...

Students research the history of rap and gain an understanding of the components of rap music. They experience the correlation between Shakespeare's poetry and rap music of today.

Students explore Earth science by participating in an environment activity. In this biome lesson plan, students discuss the importance of a healthy ecology in order to sustain life, both animal and plant. Students utilize a cardboard or...

Students explore Earth science by identifying environmental factors. In this biome lesson, students discuss the importance of a functioning ecology and design a biome diorama. Students utilize images of trees and plants which represent a...

Fifth graders participate in an interdisciplinary project related to the Savanna biome.  In this biome building lesson, 5th graders display the elements of the Savanna biome such as the geography, animals and plants, and...

Students explore authenticity in written works and the responsibilities of the media. They read two Holocaust accounts, one that is factual and one that was fabricated. They further examine, the importance of authenticity in the media.

Students listen to a story, then use the same format to write a class book.

Students examine the contributions of African Americans in New Haven, Connecticut in the 19th and 20th centuries. After being introduced to new vocabulary, they review the elements of autobiographies and read excerpts of African...

First graders explore and explain that different plants and animals live in different kinds of environments. They illustrate various plants and animals and how they survive in the places where they live. A nature journal for enrichment...

Students engage in a lesson that deals with a historical figure from the area of Mississippi. Then questions are asked of them using a game show format that is followed with additional ones used for brainstorming for more ideas of inquiry.

Students are introduced to the idea of traditional oral narratives and divide them into genres. They explore the genres of context, motifs and variants. Each student finds oral narratives in their own lives and practice retelling them in...

Students discover ways to learn about the past. In this writing lesson students use a writing web to organize their ideas about how we learn about the past. The students then start a time capsule about their lives....

Learners analyze slavery and its effects on humanity using Frederick Douglass' autobiography. For this slavery instructional activity, students analyze instances of reality and romanticized myth using a slave narrative. Learners explore...

Young scholars investigate the history of civil rights by viewing historical photographs.  In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss why Black Soldiers fought for their rights by joining the Union Army in the 1800's.  Young...

Students evaluate nonfiction text. In this evaluating nonfiction lesson students read two pieces of nonfiction text and respond with a short free-writing piece. Students discuss the content and focus on the accuracy.

Students read the novel, "Night" by Elie Wiesel. Using excerpts from the novel, they complete a performance and literary technique objective. In groups, they finish handouts to give them more information on the Holocaust. They compare...

Students read excerpts of autobiographies from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. After listening to excerpts of an oral reading of Frederick Douglass' book, they discuss the ways African Americans were treated on plantations. ...

Students read The Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa. They view video from Roots by Alex Haley on the capture of Kunta Kinte and reenact household slavery as practiced by the Igbo people. The make a list of major differences...

Young scholars examine history of slavery in United States, discuss abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass who worked to end slavery, listen to excerpts from Douglass' autobiography, and visit interactive Underground Railroad web site.

Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, students first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc. Learners...