Middle schoolers learn about proverbs, how they work, and their cultural significance. They learn the difference between proverbs and clichés and share, study, and interpret proverbs. Find a proverb that rings true for them and explain...

Students organize the information they have compiled through the research process. Throughout this unit, students not only learn the research process but also experience it firsthand.

Young scholars identify the parts and format of a friendly letter. They identify the parts of an e-mail message, then write and send an e-mail message and communicate with an e-pal according to a specified timeline.

Young scholars define the characteristics of adjectives and find examples of the part of speech in a shared reading. Then learners "become" one of the major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters.

Students "become" one of the major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters, using lists of accurate, powerful adjectives. In class discussion, students support their lists with details from the novel.

Young scholars develop scripts, perform in groups, and practice using their voice to depict characters from texts. Through this activity, students have the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance their comprehension of what...

Middle schoolers explore the distinction between a hero and an idol. They select, read about, and report on a hero. Students identify how their hero matches their criteria and characteristics.

Learners discuss the meaning of new words using context clues from a text, prior knowledge, and print and online resources. They then apply their knowledge of the new vocabulary to further their understanding of the text.

Middle schoolers explore, analyze, and discuss how metaphor, simile, and metonymy are used in riddle poems. They use metaphor, simile, and metonymy to write original riddle poems.

Students "become" one of the major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters, using lists of accurate, powerful adjectives. In class discussion, students support their lists with details from the novel.

Students research and discuss information about the voting process. Students create a graffiti-wall mural on voting.

Students analyze a novel's theme and make personal connections to it. Students use a variety of resources to compose and defend a position statement.

Students write postcards and letters to family members. Students map and graph the locations from which they send the postcards.

Students make a story map to analyze the setting, characters, conflict, and resolution in the story Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Young scholars compose question webs by thinking aloud while reading. Students gather information about the topic and add it to question webs as answers or additional questions.

Young scholars develop their critical thinking skills by sorting junk mail by characteristics using a Venn diagram. They discuss their findings and create their own revisions.

Students predict, using their own prior knowledge and historical timelines, when specific inventions were produced. They pair up and compare timelines. Then, using the Web, they check their timelines for accuracy, considering the...

Students develop an understanding of nonfiction through peer interaction and hands-on experiences with books. They use graphic organizers to record their thinking and new learning.

Learners develop verbal and visual representations of events from the story of the U.S. folklore character Paul Bunyan. Students work together to put these events in sequential order on an informal timeline. Learners then write in their...

Young scholars use a timeline to break a larger topic into several events or moments; then, each student selects an event to write about from the timeline. Students share their writing and later have teacher-student feedback conferences.

Pupils demonstrate comprehension of the read-aloud chapter book Mr. Popper's Penguins by writing in their journals. The teacher asks open-ended questions to get the students started in their journal writing.

Students create brochures and flyers that suggest books and genres to explore during the summer months. This lesson is perfect for the last weeks of school!

Pupils learn new vocabulary words by creating a word map. This vocabulary-learning technique is demonstrated with the short story The Most Dangerous Game as a model.

Middle schoolers use picture books to build the skills needed to write a research paper. They research a place of their heritage online.