Students take a closer look at the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In this slavery instructional activity, students examine an image and read excerpts from Uncle Tom's Cabin as well as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Students discuss their...

Students conduct interviews. For this interviewing lesson, students read an interview of Pam Munoz Ryan to see where she got her ideas from in her story.  They interview someone and create a scrapbook to show details of the...

Students investigate the history of peoples in the western United States. To accomplish this Students use photographs as images that capture the context of different cultures. Then they write reflections about each culture.

Compare and contrast the characters in John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Using a Venn diagram, kids write in different traits to describe each person, and note their shared characteristics in the middle section.

Students write a folktale based on an African adinkra symbol. They research its meaning and relate it as the theme.

Students explore literature by examining story elements. In this storytelling lesson plan, students identify the importance of setting, and characters within a story. Students answer questions about their personal opinions on...

In this writing worksheet, students learn proper punctuation and sentence variety as they write a dialogue pertaining to events in Night of the Twisters. Students read the information about how to use quotation marks, then write their...

Students compose a short story working with partners. They create a beginning, middle, and an ending. Students brainstorm with their partners and create a creative short story.

Students complete a personal vision, a four year plan essay, meant to stimulate their thinking process. They set a foundation for what they hope to strive for in the next four years to come.

Pupils discuss the use of connectors and sequence words. They discuss common story endings and beginnings. Students brainstorm ideas for a creative story and compose a story for the rest of the class.

Eighth graders examine the effect of background and culture by creating a family tree and "mythical" story or legend based on Delmas Howe's painting Atlas.

Students perform an original piece in the style of a Medieval troubadour.  In this troubadour lesson, students discuss the role of the troubadour and identify facts from a story that a troubadour might share.  Students listen...

Students explain the concepts and vocabulary of Earth's rotation. They plan imaginary vacations based on the seasons in different locations. This is a very creative lesson plan, which students enjoy.

Students work on a K-W-L chart about electrical storms, lightening, and thunder. They discuss how meteorologists forecast storms and research their answers which are shared in a whole class setting. Using art supplies, they draw dwelling...

What is "virtual freedom"? How about "enslaved entrepreneurship"? Class members will learn about these terms and much more as they read the poems and examine the life of George Moses Horton.

Class members use e-mail and the merry-go-round story format to create a science fiction story. Each writer begins by selecting one of three prompts, crafting the introductory paragraph and sending the paragraph to the next person on the...

Students gather information on their classmates birthdays and create a spreadsheet with the dates. Using the internet, they find a famous person who shares their own birthday. They research the life of the famous person and develop a...

Students work in groups to write an original fairy tale in Italian. They research the components of a fairy tale, compare and contrast fairy tales with myths and follow an outline to write a complete, 15-20 page fairy tale.

Students explore individual differences. In this literacy and self-esteem instructional activity, students listen to the story Elmo by David McKee, then describe what characteristics make Elmo special. Students complete a T chart showing...

Students research the evolution of cultural and social issues in areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They practice writing clear details with supporting evidence and examples and evaluate ways of improving drafts...

Sixth graders identify personal strengths and the importance of highlighting their talents when writing a resume. They write a reflection narrative on "Cool Stuff I Can Do." They generate the information for the narrative from class...

Fifth graders explore, analyze and study personal safety skills and coping strategies for managing life changes or events. They participate in small groups to identify and present coping skills when experiencing possibly the loss of a...

Students demonstrate an evaluation of how the culture of a time period influences storytelling narratives by comparing Adeline's story to the plot summary of Cinderella and Anne Sexton's poem Cinderella. They write a poem which reworks a...

The New York Times "Education" section posts an extensive lesson on vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It involves class discussion, examination of food packaging labels, and the reading of a blog post about Vitamin D. The highlight of...