This outlines steps for reviewing chapters 9-12 of The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleishman. Small groups read the chapters together and then clarify any confusing parts. The class compares 2 different letters to determine which is better...

Close up your study of Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science with a letter-writing assignment. Pupils prepare by journaling and sharing with a partner. They then compose letters that focus on a big idea from the...

State reports can be a lot of fun, especially when the learners get to choose the state they study. This research and writing-focused social studies lesson engages learners in collecting information, essay structure, research, and...

Want to know more about China's energy resources? Scholars will explore renewable resources implemented in China's energy plan. The will discover various types of renewable energy sources and discover how China is taping into these types...

Join Ug the Bug for some vowel sound practice focused on the short /u/ sound. Scholars examine six images and label each with a CVC word that has this as its medial phoneme. Next, they complete two rhyming sentences about Ug, using a...

Help your young writers pay close attention to their conventions and move toward revision with a straightforward chart. Learners can analyze 11 sentences on this page by noting down the first letter in each, the first of words in each,...

Is letter writing becoming a lost art? In this age of Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail introduce your kids to the three P's--paper, pen, and postage. Although written from an Irish point of view, the materials in this packet model how to...

Scholars get to know famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, as an artist as well as a person. After reading personal letters and analyzing paintings, participants paint two self-portraits that represent their personality. Then, write a...

Students create a wrap-around-the-room vocabulary word display. They write each uppercase letter on a separate piece of brightly colored paper and hang string, yarn, ribbon, or twine around your classroom walls at raised-arm height.

Few things frustrate teachers as much as illegible handwriting. Help nip this problem in the bud with this primary grade penmanship instructional activity that focuses children on the shape and size of their...

High schoolers analyze mood and voice in Emily Dickinson's poem, "There's a Certain Slant of Light." After the analysis, high schoolers write a poem of their own emulating the Dickinson poem, and then write a one-page essay describing...

Write with the senses! Try using art to inspire writers to consider all of the senses. Here, the class is divided in half. Each group looks at one of two images, imagines the senses that would be engaged, and records answers to five...

Here is a fascintating instructional activity which relates how the motto "In God We Trust" came to appear on all US currency. It turns out that a man from Arkansas came up with the idea and petioned his congressman and President...

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Colosseum, and the country where the Kremlin is located are a few of the clues learners will use to determine the names of five world locations. The first letter of each mystery location is provided, but...

As your budding readers and writers begin to recognize simple words and rhyme, use these incomplete sentences as practice. There are three lines from a familiar nursery rhyme here, each missing the last rhyming word. The missing word is...

There are 12 symbols on this large grid, and scholars must record a location for each. They use the coordinate pair system which is made easier because every symbol is directly inside a square. Use this to introduce coordinate pair...

The Scarlet Letter is the anchor text in a four-week unit that examines Hawthorne's novel through the lens of the intolerances found in a supposed civilized society. In addition to their reading, class members watch clips from...

Scholars prove their vocabulary and spelling proficiency with a winter-themed picture test. Young learners study six pictures accompanied by a variety of letters that must be put in order to spell out the images' name. 

Ten questions engage students in thinking about what they have read. They are quizzed on basic concepts related to the nomination process and primary elections.

Start a writing lesson by examining a news video that explains writing clearly, concisely, and correctly. Learners consider the importance of writing news properly to avoid breaking the law, then write their own weekend news stories.

Share their opinions on the use of DNA databases in criminal investigations. After reading an article, they evaluate the pros and cons of the databases and work in groups to answer discussion questions. They write a letter to a state...

Use drawings as inspiration. Have learners doodle for 10 minutes before beginning the lesson. Then, have them use their doodles to inspire a story. Several writing activities are included here to play with writing. One of my favorites...

If your school requires a senior research paper or if you are considering one for your class, then this resource is for you. The 43-page packet includes everything from a sample letter to parents to requirements, from topic suggestions...

Wrap up your course by asking students to reflect and consider some of the most meaningful and important moments from the year. This document includes 15 different reflection questions, from identifying a best piece of writing or an...