What important facts about Dr. Seuss influenced the Read Across America movement...? This is the driving question of a research project that requires scholars to find information about Dr. Seuss' life and work. Class...

It's the half-way mark! Pupils demonstrate understanding of unit standards by completing a mid-unit assessment. After reading an informational article about water management strategies, scholars complete a graphic organizer to identify...

Flex those brain muscles! Scholars take a mid-unit assessment, conducting research to take notes about how a particular invention helped meet society's needs. To complete the test, they work on draft sketches for their graphic...

If it's on the Internet, it must be true ... right? Introduce young Internet explorers to the importance of fact-checking through a fun web-based activity. Pairs work together to read and analyze biographies about world explorers, then...

Using or considering using Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God? Then this packet is a must for your curriculum library. The examination of how Hurston combines folklore and folk language to create the voice of her...

Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...

Students explore mythology by researching the Internet. For this history of flight lesson, students view websites discussing the first recorded flight and the mythological creatures that people suspected could fly. Students read a...

In the first lesson plan of this unit on colonial trade, fourth graders gain background knowledge of different jobs performed by early colonists. The class begins with a slide show presentation that includes a variety of great...

Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...

Using Google Earth, Google Docs, and other Google Tools, collaborative groups of seventh graders research and then create and share online newspapers reporting on the early development, geographical features, political issues, and...

Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin.  In this biographical lesson, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current...

Students create an alternate ending with digital animations to illustrate their text.  In this novel creation activity, students read a novel and analyze the plot in small groups.  Students collaborate on an alternate...

Students investigate Women's Suffrage by analyzing images from the past.  In this equal rights lesson, students read biographical work about Emma Smith DeVoe, an activist who fought for women's rights.  Students view a comic...

Students dictate an e-mail interview. In this interview and early e-mail instructional activity, students brainstorm questions for a person they would like to interview. Then, they dictate their questions to the teacher for her/him to...

Fourth graders read and interpret an American Folktale. Students create their own folktale about Indiana. Students use digital cameras and clipart from the computer to create a photo story. Students present their animated folktales to...

Here are some ideas to encourage reading for children of all ages as well as the whole family to try. It provides reading tools including a new literary assessment tool "Literacy Tracker."