Students read and complete activities about the Aleut tribe and Russian impact on the people. In this Aleut and Russian history lesson, students read a passage about the history between the Russians and the Aleut tribe. Students write a...

Young scholars explore life as early settlers in Frederica by pretending to be crafts/tradesmen there and writing letters describing the fort/town to a friend or family member still in Great Britain, debating reconstruction vs....

Students read letters the could have been written by Robert E.Lee and his friend John giving students an ideas of what students from a different era thought of George Washington. They discuss history from a child's view point.

Students read letters written by soldiers during World War II in order to analyze the soldier's feelings about the war. They explain how these primary sources teach appreciation for the World War II soldier's experiences.

Build the writing skills of your junior high wordsmiths with activities that introduce many essential skills of writing.  As a class, they develop working definitions of formal vs. informal writing, explore different categories of...

Students explore the meaning of what makes life pleasurable.  In this social awareness lesson, students read an article that states things that people might enjoy doing for pleasure, then complete numerous activities to reinforce...

Middle schoolers stand up against bullying in a character-building activity. After discussing historical figures who became advocates in times of adversity, they brainstorm ways to end bullying at their own school, and use a formal...

Examine the fables of Aesop with your class. Pupils identify the morals of fables and role-play a scene from their favorite fable of Aesop. Additionally, they compose letters to a favorite character in the fable. Learners role-play again...

Students practice their writing skills by composing an opinion letter in response to a topic identified by a writer to Dear Abby or Dear Ann Landers. Effective communication skills form the basis of this instructional activity.

Students examine their own personality traits and preferences. They use this information to write an autobiography.

Students examine the characteristics of an adventure story. Students write an adventure story of their own based on a true personal experience. After drafting their story, students use a word processor to write, edit, and revise their work.

What a fun idea! The class discusses, and then writes free-verse poems using sensory detail. They get into small collaborative writing teams to compose their poems. Next, they pantomime the actions from the poem while their teammates...

Sixth graders explore the Canadian immigration experience through comparison and contrast to American immigration and settlement patterns. In this immigration patterns lesson, 6th graders dialogue their opinions regarding immigration....

Are your young writers having difficulty distinguishing between expository and persuasive writing? Discuss the difference between the two, and how some prompts can be responded to in either fashion. Included here is a simple lesson plan...

Reflect on the art your class can view at a museum. In this art history lesson, students draw six elements of art. They discuss original art versus reproduction artwork and write about their thoughts of a museum. It would be wonderful if...

Second graders interact with the story of Alexander's horrible day by connecting it to their lives. They practice predicting, writing paragraphs, reading aloud, discussing his problems, making a card to cheer him up, and designing a pair...

Students examine short stories to determine how clues are planted in story stories of the mystery genre. They look at how Edgar Allan Poe planted clues in "The Purloined Letter." They write an original short story in which they plant...

Students review the Colonial period in American history and read literature from this era. They assume the roles of a colonial young person and an adult to compose letters from each and communicate their ideas through the letter writing...

Here is a simple, yet clever lesson on how to teach the important concepts of greater than, less than, and equal to. Pupils write their names down on grid paper - one letter per box. They compare their names and find a name that is...

The history of women's suffrage and Susan B. Anthony are examined in this social studies instructional activity. Third and fourth graders participate in a simulation of a vote, develop slogans for women's suffrage, complete a KWL chart,...

Students think of something amusing that happened to them in their lives. They then write down specific notes on note cards and practice their speech at home so they can present it to the class.

Students listed to the story Jessica by Kevin Henkes. They make their own imaginary friend using craft supplies. They then participate in an individual story theater in which they retell the story. Finally, they dictate stories about an...

Fifth graders write emails to a friend imagining they are traveling to colonial America.  For this emailing penpals lesson, 5th graders discuss appropriate language and topics in email communication, use correct format and write...

Students correctly address a personal size envelope. In this addressing lesson plan, students organize information such as an address, return address, and stamp on an envelope.