Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...

We are all immigrants to this country and the study of immigration can help students connect to history in a personal way. Students will listen to audio clips from the Ellis Island web site, discuss the treatment of immigrants in the...

Sixth graders study the history of China. They explore the Chinese people, the Great Wall of China, religions, government and Dynasties. In groups, 6th graders collect information on China. They write a report on their findings and...

In this everyday editing learning exercise, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about Lucy Cousins. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.

Ten sentences provide practice in using accept or except correctly. Good for use after you review the meanings of these two commonly confused words. Online, the key is visible from the same page as the exercise. When you print it,...

Fifteen example sentences need to be completed with either affect or effect. This printable exercise focuses on a discrete skill and could accomplish the mission if your class struggles with this particular distinction. Answer key is...

Eighth graders explore the characteristics of responsibility. In this character lesson, 8th graders complete a self-evaluation. Students view a responsibility video. Students write a newspaper article on selected environmental issue.

Why do readers need to know an author’s purpose? How do you figure out what that purpose is? Guide your pupils through a series of activities that show them how to identify various techniques and structures used in persuasive writing....

Are you struggling to get a rich discussion going between your learners? Use these questions to spark a natural conversation about advertising and the media. Learners pair up, and each speaker gets a different set of questions to ask...

Colorful contemporary images contained in a PowerPoint presentation will capture the attention of class members and model for them the how to distinguish between the subject and the theme of a work. A great want to introduce this...

Show your class how modifiers can be used properly and improperly. They will take a short quiz where they must choose between one of three sentences in 10 slides that correctly uses modifiers. This is a great review!

Ever consider becoming an interpreter for a special needs or hearing impaired pupil? ASL lesson 13 focuses on becoming an interpreter and also on research. Included are many links to visual aids and video intended to guide your...

Are the anti-smoking ads put out by the federal government effective? This question is posed to your critical thinkers. They'll read excerpts from a New York Times article and then compose thoughtful blog responses to four related...

Robert Munsch's The Paperbag Princess and Jon Scieszkafrom's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs launch a discussion of the role of stereotypes in stories and movies.

As part of a unit on media studies, kids are asked to chart their viewing habits, observe the advertising that sponsors their favorite shows, and then to imagine what they would broadcast if given a block of airtime.

What do your fifth graders know about types of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry? Find out as they fill out this questionnaire that requires them to list authors and texts that exemplify each genre. Not only will you be able to assess what...

Get your class thinking about advertising with this lesson plan. Over the course of 15 days, your class will discuss advertising techniques, study the concepts of pathos, logos, and ethos, and analyze the persuasive techniques of...

Have fun with history and turn your kids into news reporters of the past. Each group will research, script, and deliver a news report on a historic event they are studying in class. They'll identify the main characters of the historical...

All cultures express similar thoughts, feelings, and ideas. But, often times those things are expressed differently. Learners compare and contrast traditional dances from two cultures. They watch videos of each performance, stop to...

It is so important for learners with multiple disabilities to learn how to communicate for both social and functional reasons. Each child will choose a topic from the list and generate five questions related to that topic. They'll split...

Screens are everywhere these days, from televisions and video games to cell phones and computers. Raise awareness of excessive screen time by helping your learners track how much time they each accumulate on a daily basis looking at...

What kinds of media do your pupils use to read and publish information? After a discussion about what publishing means, and about the freedom of the press, class members interview one or two other people about their publishing habits....

Pupils become informed consumers and citizens with this instructional activity on the influence of advertising, identifying basic advertising techniques and discriminating between fact and claim in modern advertisements and commercials.