What's theme, and can texts of every length have one? Explore the themes of fives short reading passages with your middle school class. Encourage them to highlight specific places in the text where they recognized the theme. 

"Plot the plot" of "The Adventures of the Speckled Band" with your young readers. Take a few days to read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story as a class or in pairs, having learners write down what they consider to be the most important...

Students cooperate in small groups to create an audio tour of a zoo exhibit during a field trip. They record personal reactions, zoo sounds and information learned about the exhibit. They then edit the audio recording and add music to...

Students discuss and analyze the pros and cons of using Native American names and images to represent sports teams. Using primary sources, including position statements from Native American tribes, interviews with school alumni and...

Over the history of the world, music has been at the heart of some of the greatest social and political movements. Scholars discover their musical roots as they dive into the sounds and emotions of renowned jazz players. They see how...

Students study African history, anthropology and culture using the lens of the art object, Ntan Drum. Lesson and instruction is differentiated for elementary, middle and high school students.

Young children read the story, Berlioz the Bear and complete various reading and writing activities. They learn about fiction and non-fiction, and complete graphing and writing activities for the story. Youngsters draw the bear and use...

Upper graders will use a reading comprehension worksheet about the meanest teacher to practice comprehension. They will read a 5 page story titled The Meanest English Teacher Ever and answer 4 comprehension questions about it. 

Second graders listen to interviews with career musicians. They, in groups, present to classmates the life, music, inspiration, and goals of a favorite composer, performer, or group.

In this grammar practice worksheet, students respond to 5 fill in the blank and 10 short answer questions that require them to identify subjects and predicates.

Pupils write a proposal for a speech. Students prepare appropriate visuals for use in the proposed speech. Pupils produce one or more graphs that summarize the results from the experimentation. Students deliver an effective speech in a...

Middle schoolers identify the characteristics of effective speeches. Students find elements of good speeches in the text and in the delivery of model speeches. Middle schoolers build a working three-dimensional model of an invention or...

Students explore dance. They analyze and outline the movements of the dance "Roger de Coverly" from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Students choose music and choreograph a dance similar to "Roger de Coverly." They perform the dance....

Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...

Young scholars, as a class, interview musician to find out more about him/her as an individual. Students then write thank you notes and include, by naming or drawing, one fact learned about the musician.

Students describe ways in which the principles of students or citizens working together are interrelated with those of musicians working together. They demonstrate their knowledge of the concept of "swing" in various jazz styles.

Students explore making introducdtions and how they bond the speaker to the listener.

Students explore short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this literature lesson, students read one of his short stories listed and then summarize the story in a written piece.

Students take part in group entertainment activities. In this circus lesson, students discuss their own memories of a circus and conduct several activities such as juggling scarves and creating balloon animals. Students discuss why...

ACT has developed this list of activities to help middle-school students improve their reading ability. Parents and educators can use this information to help ensure that these students are on target for college and career readiness.