"I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works." This colored view is the focus of a close reading activity that asks readers of The Great Gatsby to examine the way...

Dig in! Middle schoolers learn about archaeology by exploring the remnants of the Chiribaya bodies found in Illinois. Compare archaeological investigations, and then write a mystery detailing the discovery of a body! Consider bringing in...

What can a quarter possibly teach young learners about desert ecosystems? More than you might think. After displaying and discussing the included picture of the Arizona state quarter, the class participates in a series of...

Physics class has its ups and downs ... especially when it involves energy concepts! Scholars analyze information to determine changes in kinetic and potential energy using an interactive resource. Realistic scenarios make connecting...

Students create a map of the school and surrounding neighborhood.  In this mapping lesson, students discover their school's location and learn about its past.  Students use math skills and the steps in the design process to...

Middle schoolers create electricity. In this solar energy lesson plan, students role play how photovoltaic cells change sunlight into electricity.  Middle schoolers discuss the experiment and create their own diagram of the...

Working on bar graphs in your math class? Use a thorough worksheet to reinforce graphing and problem solving skills with your third graders. After reviewing two bar graphs, young learners answer ten questions about the data represented...

Boost emotional intelligence and division skills with a three-question worksheet featuring two imaginary towns that record when citizens hurt, forgive, or punish one another. Using division, scholars calculate each problem to decide...

Many people know that fiber optics are used in delivering the Internet, but are surprised to learn they are also used in astronomy. Scholars explore light, reflection, and fiber optics through hands-on activities. They discuss...

Have you ever conducted a Web search and received too many hits? Teach your class about Boolean search terms and provide them time to practice conducting efficient online searches. This lesson plan contains several fun activities which...

Develop novice script-writers. Small groups sift through a sample script, noting any script-writing conventions to share with the whole class. Using these conventions and plot structures, these groups compose a script for a 10-minute...

Get the ball rolling and challenge your class to figure out how to make a ball move. The instruction segment is between two STEM activities devoted to doing just that. The first is simple and involves making a ball move from some...

Through reading and writing, learners explore common elements found in fairy tales. After discussing traditional fairy tales, class members listen to The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by John Scieszka, a hilarious retelling of the...

Students identify and critique a classic sculpture from Mexico.  For this art analysis lesson, students observe the St. Ferdinand statue from Mexico while identifying artistic features that might represent royalty.  Students...

Raise the bar in your third grade class with this learning exercise on bar graphs. Youngsters view three graphs representing three different sets of data, and answer questions based on what they analyze. The first set is completed as an...

Students will work more comfortably with each other and the teacher if they are acquainted with each other. See Preface Materials: Have students fill out INTRODUCTIONS check sheet and then work in pairs to share answers. Have students...

Students discuss the concept of the common good. Using primary source documents, they read accounts from volunteers in the Dominican Republic and discuss how they work for the common good. They reflect on the topic in their journals to...

In this working with tenses worksheet, students complete sentences using the correct verb tense. In this fill in the blank worksheet, students write answers to fifteen sentences.

Students research previous attempts by scientists to discover the ways in which the brain works, design and conduct an experiment to illustrate current research and present their findings to the class.

Students analyze illustrations of workers in the 19th and 20th centuries. In this social science lesson, students examine photographs of workers and identify the types of work that were available in the 19th century compared to the 20th...

Students recognize behaviors that make them better citizens. In this group cooperation lesson, students create a class chart of behaviors when the class cooperates. Students role play situations with new students to identify successful...

First graders engage in a instructional activity which promote acceptance of diversity within the classroom through the creation of a class quilt. They evaluate the final product to find commonalities with other students.

Students investigate politics by speaking to the Mayor of their city. In this local politician lesson, students listen as the Mayor speaks in front of them in their class and ask the Mayor questions about his daily duties. Students write...