Young scholars read stories about people making differences in the world and specifically the hunger plight. In this making a difference lesson, students read stories about people who impacted people and the plight of hunger. Young...

Students create a greeting card from one character to another after finishing a novel. Individually, they use their imagination to write the paragraph using the text to support their ideas. They share their greeting card with the class...

Students explore biology by writing animal poetry in class. In this animal characteristics lesson, students research the Internet for facts about an "ugly" animal such as a bug or small critter. Students complete worksheets about animal...

Third graders read three to five genres and choose one as a favorite. They write an essay persuading the class to read the genre. This lesson serves as a nice introduction to different styles of literature.

Second graders answer questions after listening to the the story "Celebrating Life Around the World" and verbally identify three ways in which people celebrate special occasions. They then make two verbal connections from their own...

Students examine the basic functions of the online Visual Thesaurus, exploring how simple words may sometimes have multiple meanings. In small groups they select words and explore the Visual Thesaurus, and write a short play using the...

Second graders demonstrate the ability to examine the elements of a story (theme, plot, setting, mood) and characters, by discussing and writing about each. They have fun with chocolate related activities and enjoy reading about some...

Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus to create their own story based on a secondary character. In this literary analysis   lesson, students read and compare the excerpts from the...

Fifth graders explain the reasons why Europeans decided to explore and colonize the world. In this European explorers lesson, 5th graders complete a wall matrix about the explorers and write a summary about the explorer of their choice.

Eleventh graders consider the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery activity, 11th graders examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for...

Second graders read the story The Broken Bed and then sequence the story in their own words. In this sequencing lesson plan, 2nd graders also write narrative with a specific beginning, middle, and end.

Students examine documents describing the experiences of survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, and write condolence letters.

Eighth graders explore the genre of poetry through the creation of a multimedia presentation. Students write a poem and create an Avid presentation of their poem for the class. The poems and presentations are peer-reviewed.

Fourth graders develop a deeper understanding of Anne Frank's survival. They select significant subject matter for a family photo album, write photo captions expressing feelings as well as facts, and sequence material in a logical,...

Fifth graders explore the westward movement between 1800 and 1861 in the United States. They write narratives from the standpoint of those cultures that were repressed during this period, such as Native Americans, slaves, or Mexicans. ...

Learners interpret the Second Amendment. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students examine the right to bear arms as they compare 2 Michigan Supreme Court cases and discuss their personal interpretations of the amendment.

Students examine the impact of urban change. For this Indiana history lesson, students read excerpts of The World Does Move by Booth Tarkington and then research the noted Web sites about the urbanization of Indianapolis. Students then...

Students discover how Japanese dissidents spoke out against the injustice practiced in Imperial Japan. In this Japanese history lesson, students listen to a lecture about the silent dissidents in the nation prior to World War II and the...

Students use survival stories as the theme for written assignments and a photography presentation.

Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...

Fourth graders read numerous examples of fairy tales. Using the text, they identify the organization styles and conventions within them and write their own for a class book. They practice using descriptive language and receive...

Fourth graders take three different photographs representing the beginning, middle and end of their story. They use the Tool Factor program Fresco to add elements to enhance their creativity and make their writing come alive. They then...

Students examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family...

Third graders investigate how manduca sees and they discuss what they think the manduca might be thinking. They write a story about what an insect sees and does from the insect's perspective.