Even if you've never picked up a musical instrument, chances are that music has directly impacted your mental and emotional development. Sixth graders engage in a reading activity in which they read two articles on the impact of music on...

William Shakespeare penned some of the richest and most fascinating works of literature—or did he? Middle schoolers read three brief informative passages and conduct additional research to evaluate the claim that Shakespeare did not...

Inspire your learners to experience poetry in an entirely different way with this resource. A writing prompt that goes along with "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, learners craft a reflective piece in the voice...

It's not very hard to find the author's purpose in narrative, informative, or persuasive writing, but what happens when an author's purpose includes all three types of writing? Determine which sentences in three paragraphs are meant to...

In this writing instructional activity, students read a short description of a play script. Then, students read a fable and write a play script of the fable.

Ask your learners this question as a quickwrite: why do you write? This prompt can begin a unit on writing and open up a dialogue about the motivations writers have. Tap into your scholars' reasons for writing and make the activity more...

Three questions in need of well-written answers await your budding historians. They put their reading comprehension to the test when they describe how the Crusades impacted Italian city-states, why kings like Richard the Lion-Hearted...

Put the tips and tricks in this guide into practice in order to encourage your pupils to blossom into poets. A wonderful reference material for teachers, this packet includes definitions of poetic terms and forms as well as step-by-step...

Put your junior high class to the test with three critical-thinking and reading comprehension questions focused on Feudal Europe. They must write answers showing an understanding of the Medieval Church and politics, the Vassal system,...

For use alongside a complete lesson or as guided reading questions, this instructional activity provides three short-answer questions for consideration. Learners consider why the Tang Dynasty was considered a golden age, the role women...

In this writing skills worksheet, class members read sentences about developmental psychology that need revisions and then revise them in order to make them better. The 11 sentences range from the humorous to the incomprehensible.

To be used in connection with a group project or at the end of a unit, this handout contains two essay writing prompts. The first prompt asks a group of learners to work together to evaluate their groups' performance as well as each...

In this poetry writing worksheet, students identify the topic, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme, and alliteration in a poem. Students fill out this information in a given diagram.

After learning all about World War I, middle schoolers can delve into this writing exercise. They complete three short answer questions that ask them to describe the role of women in WWI, the role of technology in WWI, and four causes of...

In need of three good writing prompts focused on World War I? Learners respond to three prompts, each having them examine an aspect of World War I. They describe the role nationalism played in the war, the impact of the fall of the...

The class responds to three writing prompts focused on WWII. They describe the role Adolf Hitler played in the war, compare and contrast German and British views of the war, and explain the geographical scope of the war at its height.

Has your class just finished reading about WWII and you need a way to let them show what they know? Hand them this three-question writing prompt. They'll need to describe the role Winston Churchill played in the war, the Rape of Nanking,...

A great cross-curricular activity pairs the French Revolution with a writing exercise. Have your class consider the economic causes of the French Revolution, the feudal class system, and Napoleon Bonaparte as a bridge between democracy...

Comprehending the role of key players and events of WWII is a task all learners must undertake. Here, they respond to three critical thinking questions regarding the roles Roosevelt and Stalin played during the war as well as Germany's...

Can your class describe the roles Porfirio Diaz, Benito Juarez, Pancho Villa, and Emiliano Zapata played in the Mexican Revolution? Can they explain why many Latin American economies depend on a single cash crop? If they can, then...

What role did Chiang Kai-shek play in the Chinese Communist Revolution? Young analysts compose three responses to three prompts related to Marxist Theory, the Chinese Communist Revolution, and Chiang Kai-shek.

Learners will explore the collapse of European imperialism. They'll respond to three critical thinking questions in essay form. Topics include Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, South African apartheid, and the role Nelson Mandela,...

The postwar Jewish migration to Israel, the difficulties achieving peace in the Middle East, and the role the Middle East plays in global economics are the questions your clever class can answer. They'll show what they know as they...

Practice writing paragraphs with this scaffolded worksheet. The "hamburger" model is used on the second page, following some examples and guided practice on the first page. Give beginning writers concrete, tangible support as they embark...