Close the unit on Esperanza Rising with an in-class analytic essay on how Esperanza changes over the course of the novel. Writers can use any of their notes and work from the unit as well as their drafts of the first two paragraphs of...

Writing is a process, and lesson planning is, too! A personal narrative unit stresses the writing process to pupils, who first examine various stories and poems as a model of autobiographical writing and then write their own stories....

Seventh graders examine their school performance through self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses. They construct a line graph, plotting all courses and achievements. Students use graph paper and colored pencils for each activity. If...

Students use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their own...

Practice making predictions by looking at the cover of a book. You can use The Hungry Thing, as suggested here, or any other book you may be reading in class. Use the predictions to talk about good reading strategies. A chart is...

The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...

Young scholars search for ways to prevent stress. They conduct self-assessments, plan a stress clinic, research community resources, and write a reflective essay. Students may wear electronic heart rate monitors to demonstrate stress...

Students use songs to analyze their sense of identity and self-worth. In groups, they discuss and explore their own character development and discover how far they have come in recent years. They also identify the positive and negative...

A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...

Second graders choose a "positive work habit name" and explain why they choose the selected name. They share self-assessment information about their work habits and progress from week to week. Students respond with, "I did it" anytime...

Students survey the exploration of oneself through self-assessment and interviews by others. They organize ways to present themselves to the world through writing and artwork. They also customize research from a computer as a tool for...

After drawing and labelling a microscope, forensic science explorers use one to solve a simulated murder mystery. They examine each piece of evidence and draw what they observe at each magnification. Working in groups of four, your...

Fifth graders practice expressing themselves through writing. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders study the parts of speech and apply to writing sentences.

Second graders practice their reading comprehension by analyzing stories they read in class. In this children's literature lesson, 2nd graders are assigned to read a book for 20 minutes each day in class and also reflect on it in their...

Fifth graders identify the people who are responsible for their success and their current studying skills. In groups, they brainstorm helpful studying strategies and develop a creative way to share it with the class. To end the lesson,...

Fourth graders examine and explain who they are and communicate that person to the viewer through the use of the visual arts. They think about themselves and try to find five things that represent who they are and what they feel is...

Third graders explore American history by researching Native Americans. In this American settlers instructional activity, 3rd graders research the Native American Woodland Indians and define the actions they took when faced with the...

Seventh graders use their knowledge of multiplication and problem solving to determine the total weight of multiple objects. In this multiplication lesson, 7th graders weigh various manipulatives, record the weight, and use...

Take a virtual trip to see other countries and cultures! After learning about different cultures and populations, English learners think about a place they'd like to visit. Small groups or individuals plan a trip to a country...

How is religious freedom connected to the conflict between China and Tibet? After reading an online passage of background information, your learners will divide into groups and both read and view an interview with the Dalai Lama. They...

An all-encompassing, fully interactive, gorgeously animated model of the heart can be used to teach cardiac anatomy, physiology, and even a touch of epidemiology.

First graders listen to "Is Your Mama a Llama?" for descriptive words. They make a mask showing features of one animal. They draw a self-portrait and staple their masks onto the self-portrait. They write 3 complete sentences that...

First graders explore Oobleck. They manipulate and observe the properties of Oobleck. Students discuss the differences between solids and liquids. They investigate Oobleck. Students write a sentence describing what they observed about...

Middle schoolers access different style and levels of communication. They define the levels of communication and assess personal communication styles. Students write in a journal their different views of the styles covered within this...