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...

Should the work of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences be funded by the government? Middle schoolers weigh in on the status of federal funding for programs that protect the environment with three text passages...

What are you doing today? What have you done this week? What will you be doing next month? Focus on verb usage with a series of fill-in-the-black exercises on basic tenses, inappropriate shifts in tense, and active and passive voice.

How important are sound effects in films? In stage plays? In radio programs? To gain an understanding of the impact of these special effects, class members watch a short video spoof of the sound in a scene from Star...

Who's your favorite Roald Dahl character? What book by Roald Dahl is the most exciting for you? Explore the wacky world of Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and more with a helpful resource pack for...

Do “memories need to be shared?" Are “memories…forever?" Would you give up memory to live in a perfect world? Introduce a unit centered on Lois Lowry’s utopian/dystopian novel The Giver with a series of activities that has groups...

If you'd always wanted an expensive swimming pool, how would you make the money to build it? Kids read a short passage about a quest to create a dream swimming pool, and use a list of words to fill in eight spaces throughout the...

How can a screenplay create meaning and drama in ways that other forms of writing cannot? That is the question class members must answer as they compare the cantina scene of the screenplay for George Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope...

Sometimes the hardest thing about an argument essay writing assignment is coming up with a question. A four-page list of prompts includes a range of topics, from social media and smart phones to video games and sports. The list is a...

Young musicians learn more about the greats with a straightforward activity on historical composers. As they click through a navigation guide, they choose a musical time period and a composer from that period before taking a short quiz.

High school scholars learn valuable information about how to run a newspaper in the third and final installment of a media literacy series. The unit scaffolds learners to success with background information before they plan for...

At over 450 pages, John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Grapes of Wrath can be a challenging choice for full-class, book circle, or independent reading. The activities in a 10-page sample The Grapes of Wrath...

The burning questions is at what point do readers of Fahrenheit 451 recognize the many literary devices Ray Bradbury employs in his dystopian classic that warns of  a society that uses media to indoctrinate the public and denigrates...

Eighth graders set realistic career goals. and become familiar with career opportunities and skills necessary to be successful. Students create a career portfolio containing three career opportunities.

Fourth graders complete activities to learn about career options and the role jobs have in community. In this career instructional activity, 4th graders complete a career exploration worksheet and study the local community jobs...

Eleventh graders discover resume strategies. In this career goals instructional activity, 11th graders review sample resumes, discuss their attributes, and write their own resumes that effectively introduce them to prospective employers.

Students participate in role playing activities that help them practice successful job interview skills. They take part in mock interviews with employers from the surrounding area. This provides excellent feedback for students about their m

Students identify the art and style of artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. In this art analysis lesson plan, students read about the life and art of Turner. Students study his paintings of keel men, his art style, and impasto...

Pupils identify the painter Picasso as a famous Spanish cultural figure, name at least one of Picasso's painting styles and describe aspects of Picasso's Blue Period. They create their own Blue Period inspired work of art.

Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions activity, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior to...

Prepare your class for applying to scholarships with this instructional activity. Although very bare-bones, this plan provides a writing prompt for learners that will surely get them thinking about how to present themselves to the...

Second graders investigate the story of "The Three Bears" while focusing on the character of Goldilocks. They answer key questions that are focused upon the development of positive feelings and reactions. Students discuss the possible...

Students investigate Kindergarten and the different activities that are found there. They are introduced to the classroom and procedures with the help of a puppet show. Then students color in a worksheet that focuses around the...

Students investigate the basic emotions that are experienced by human beings. They define and differentiate between the feelings of happiness, sadness, and anger. Students complete a feelings worksheet and look at images that represent...