Students use the internet to research an aspect of interest to them about the Tijuana Estuary. After the unit on the estuary is completed, they reflect on their experiments and thoughts in a paper. They also participate in a field trip...

Fifth graders keep journals of observations made about their Aquademics aquarium. Using a worksheet, they record information such as tank water temperature, feeding times, ammonia and pH levels, and unusual behaviors. Journals can be...

Students analyze and discuss illustrations of the New World by John White. They examine the images, answer questions about each one, and write an essay.

First graders write about vehicles that float.

Learners make cards as a form of good will. In this card making instructional activity, students brainstorm a list of people who would benefit from an anonymous card. Learners deliver the cards anonymously and observe the reaction of the...

Fourth graders participate in a literature circle after reading a book about the Underground Railroad. They discuss their selected book with their literature circle group, and complete a handout about their role in the circle. Students...

Students create poetry journals. In this poetry lesson, students discuss different pieces of poetry and listen to a poet. They use a digital camera to take a picture of something they find interesting and write a poem about it. 

Students are able to compose a dialectical journal entry which analyzes information presented in a text. They are able to compose a creative journal entry which develops characters, presents events in logical order, and includes sensory...

Learners explore the lives of other children. In this comparing and contrasting lesson, students complete a KWL chart on children around the world and use the Internet to compare and contrast these children using different categories....

Students investigate the color choices artists make in their work, and to practice the scientific process of predicting, observing, inferring, and interpreting. This lesson's purpose is to prepare students for a museum visit.

Students investigate how crime reporters do their jobs and how the news of crime gets reported.

In this milk and monarch butterfly mania journal entry worksheet, students write a scientific journal entry about the milkweed plant, using the information from another linked website.  This worksheet includes many links to other...

Help your class remember how to cite different sources. Reviewed on this two-page document are books, articles from a database, articles from a magazine, and websites. Examples are provided, and learners use the charts to fill in the...

While originally created to accompany The Cay, this poetry lesson could be used on it's own, especially if you are working on dialect. Class members conduct a close reading of "When Malindy Sings" by Paul Laurence Dunbar and listen to an...

The New York Times article “Lessons in Internet Plagiarism,” launches a look at how the Internet has increased the prevalence of plagiarism. The richly detailed lesson includes warm-up and wrap-up activities, discussion questions,...

Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson to emphasize the rules and individual roles...

Middle schoolers complete a unit of lessons that explore the poetic voice of Langston Hughes. They define voice, read and analyze various poems by Langston Hughes, and complete journal entries for each instructional activity.

How does a new version of a Shakespearean play change in the adaptation process? Use this New York Times' Learning Network lesson to consider texts that have been produced in different media. Middle schoolers examine the latest...

Using the article "Escaping Afghanistan: Children Pay Price," discuss the lives of Afghan refugees and the impact of Taliban rule. A detailed list of questions is provided, but you will have to search for the article. Extension...

Research current and proposed peace talks around the world with this New York Times lesson, Using the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria as a starting point, middle schoolers create a news program on the subject. They propose a future...

Help your kindergarteners identify the main idea in a story. Small groups work with the teacher to make predictions and draw conclusions. They are able to determine cause and effect relationships. The lesson is divided into several days,...

Jonathan Safran Foer's phrase, "heavy boots," becomes the focus of a class discussion of grief and sadness. During the reading of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, individuals place examples of their own experiences with these topics...

Kids practice using five types of context clues (definition, synonym, antonym, example, and general) to decode idiomatic language.