Middle schoolers read two articles about the same event: "Plane from J.F.K Crashes off Canada" from the New York Times and "No Survivors from Crash of Swissair Jetliner Off Nova Scotia" from the Associated Press. They then compare the...

Ever think about the impact those cool disposable chopsticks have on the environment? Read about a group of students in Beijing who created a forest using nothing but tossed out chopsticks. Find out how this artistic endeavor is making a...

How can an unfamiliar place help you learn something about yourself? Use a narrative writing prompt as you culminate your unit on Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic. Kids consider the ways that, like the main character from the...

The book, Samuel's Choice is used to illustrate the decisions that African Americans who were enslaved during the Revolutionary War had to make. The series of four lessons is designed to be implemented after the book is read. The book,...

Should Romeo and Juliet have revealed their engagement to their parents? After reading Acts I and II of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, your class discusses this question with a SMARTboard presentation (though the lesson still works...

Does Facebook actually have any value? Find out what the New York Times thinks by reading this informational article. Learners use the 10 guiding questions to aid them as the read the provided article regarding the value of Facebook. Two...

The guiding question for this lesson is "Do computers and their contents shape who we are?" Open with a selection of Apple's commercials to introduce stereotypes and people's relationships with their computers. Then, read the attached...

What a great beginning-of-the-year activity! Get your class to identify their values through a three-page worksheet (included). Each speaker will craft a two-minute description that includes their story and how they can help their...

Let's use math to solve an argument. Jon and Charlie are debating about who can run farther, but who is right? That's what your class will figure out as they apply their understanding of fractions to this real-life situation. A simple,...

Designed for teachers who use Theodore Taylor's The Cay, this 11-page packet includes a synopsis of the story, chapter-based quizzes, and an answer key.

In a life or death situation, what resources would you choose to survive—and why? A zombie attack simulation teaches learners the concepts of scarcity and resources in regards to economics. The hands-on activity requires individuals to...

In this rainforest worksheet, students interview a partner who pretends to be Tammy the Tapir. In the interview, Tammy explains that she had a narrow escape from a deadly puma.

Whether your class responds to the blog linked to this article, or just answers the nine related questions, they're in for an eye-opening read. Pupils consider animal rights as they read a New York Times article about two men who have...

Create an urbane battle royal in class with the old Coke vs. Pepsi challenge that develops upper level high school learners skills in developing counterarguments in essay writing. The educator divides the room according to tastes, and...

Common Core is all about getting your learners to open their minds and think about the why and how. This problem has them thinking about unknown numbers and their relationship with one another when we round and...

What factors should parents and guardians consider when helping their children select high school courses each year? A presentation designed for Parent Information Night outlines the requirements students must meet in order to graduate.

Use a quick bell-ringer to interest your class in the art of persuasion. They brainstorm where they find examples of persuasion in their lives and identify who is trying to persuade them. Then they either fish through magazines or look...

Engage your class in a game where they look for matching rhymes. They will flip over cards and look for rhyming words. If the words match they keep the cards. If they words do not match they turn the cards over. Additionally, they will...

Who was Steve Jobs and what has he contributed to American culture and technology? Kids ask themselves these questions as they read a New York Times article about Apple and Mr. Jobs. There are seven comprehension questions for learners...

What do your kids think about female Marines? They can explore this idea by reading the related New York Times article and by answering each of the seven comprehension questions. A learner-driven blog is located at the bottom of the...

Oh my! Life after death, but how? Learn all about the ancient Egyptian custom of mummification. Each colorful slide provides a how and why related to burial customs, Egyptian religious beliefs, and the process of mummification. A great...

Dramatize the stars and planets as they become a visual representation of the solar system in this activity. Young astronomers track and simulate various constellations as they orbit the Earth to learn the position and motion of...

Learners list/compare the number of men in history they can think of to the number of famous women. They discuss why there are more men than women on the list. They examine their textbooks for the same comparison and discuss the results.

Students infer what a mysterious object is in a photo. In this inference activity, students practice their scientific skills to identify what they see. Students enjoy solving the mysterious identity of objects and extending their...