Learners discuss the importance of word choice in writing. In groups, they rank a list of words from one extreme to the other. After viewing an example, students apply their knowledge of word choice by writing a descriptive paragraph of...

Students create a formula for a well-written news article. For this informative writing lesson, students share notes from a previous research lesson and identify why an outline is important. Students use an included worksheet to develop...

Students, in groups, research and map the effects of a proposed airport three miles outside of town. They prepare a presentation based on a set of maps they make and explains its different points of view from the viewpoints of the town...

Learners practice recognizing the elements needed to produce a piece of creative writing and become aware of those elements in their own original pieces of writings. In groups, they creatively write a new story utilizing all the major...

In this revision activities worksheet, students plot the development of tension throughout the book, answer seven questions about plot, analyze characters and theme, and discuss the writing style of the author. Students answer ten short...

In this persuasive writing worksheet, students combine sentences to help them write a persuasive letter. Students complete three activities for sentence combining.

Middle schoolers explore short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this literature lesson, students read one of his short stories listed and then summarize the story in a written piece.

I absolutely love this idea. Kids explore the chiaroscuro technique as they draw, then bite, then write about an apple. They discuss chiaroscuro, depth, shade, perspective, and texture. Then they draw their apples, write a descriptive...

A reading of a New York Times review of the movie Beloved launches research into how the Civil War affected the lives of people living during this period. Creative thinkers select a person from an included list of historical figures and...

You're class just finished writing an expository essay! Instead of having them do a self-edit, pair them up and give each person this guide. This is not your average peer editing checklist; it is a list of 35 things to look for in your...

After rereading the full text of Walter Mosley's essay "True Crime," groups complete an evidence collection tool worksheet, and then class members independently draft a multi-paragraph, evidence-based response that identifies how Mosley...

Entitled American Studies, this small unit covers various topics related to the study of the United States. Learners warm up by creating a dictionary of democracy, then dive into three different lessons focused on government, famous...

Here's a worksheet to help your class envision the Lewis and Clark expedition. Your young historians read a one-page article on the expedition, use context clues and a dictionary to define eight terms from the article and write a...

Take your Spanish speakers on an island adventure cruise! First, they read a flyer for a cruise company and answer the short-answer questions that follow. Then, they complete the prewriting activity before writing a solid paragraph to...

Students examine life in Babylonia during the time of King Hammurabi. They read and discuss excerpts of the Code of Hammurabi, participate in a simulation of advisors to the king, complete an online interactive activity, answer...

Third graders read excepts from the story, Thank You, Mr. Falker in order to gain practice in understanding an unfamiliar story by focusing on the details. They use a worksheet, embedded in the plan, which directs them to certain...

Fifth graders explore early American civilizations in a four-week ELA unit. Every lesson offers an opportunity to read and discuss a selected passage followed by word work that covers vocabulary, grammar, and morphology. Learners write...

Students read a chapter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and define new words for their dictionaries. In this vocabulary lesson students choose two or three assignment from a list of projects and complete it using...

In this writing rubric worksheet, students will be guided in the self assessment process. On a scale of one to four, the students will analyze the criteria in deciding where their writing falls on the given rubric.

Fifth graders explore the four quadrants of a coordinate grid.  In this graphing instructional activity, 5th graders trace sea shells in each of the four quadrants of a coordinate grid and then label the ordered pairs on each...

Third graders observe and create a record of seed growth over time. After planting a seed, 3rd graders record their observations of the seed's growth over a three week period. Upon conclusion of the experiment, they write a paragraph...

Eighth graders are able to write a paragraph describing each system based on the information retrieved in class. They trace a route from Holly Springs, MS to Greenwood using the maps that they were given. Students discuss the role of...

Students view a video on friction and examine how friction and gravity affect some sports.  In this investigative lesson students write a paragraph and draw a picture that illustrates how friction and gravity affect sports.

Fourth graders research natural disasters that have occurred in the US in the twentieth century. They create computer based database and use the information to write a paragraph.