Positive feedback is a great way to improve writers' skills. Scholars receive their draft essays back with teacher comments and start the revision process. Next, they prepare to begin their final drafts at home.

Scholars build background knowledge to understand the life and work of the union leader and labor organizer César Chávez. As they read teacher-selected resources, they complete a Building Background Knowledge worksheet and engage in...

Show what you know! Scholars complete a mid-unit assessment using text evidence from Frederick Douglass. The teacher then presents expectations for independent reading assignment. Leaving the class, pupils turn in an exit ticket...

Phonics is a fundamental key to reading success. To help your learners with dyslexia or learning disabilities, try using the phonic alphabetic code chart. The chart and full instructions on how it can be used in the classroom are...

Examine two of Sor Juana's sonnets in depth. Learners first listen to an audio recording or a reading of the sonnets and then analyze the structure and form, paying attention to elements of the Baroque and el gongorismo. Assess student...

Sor Juana, considered one of the first feminist writers and a great Latin American poet, is the topic and inspiration for this excellent lesson. Use the introduction, guiding questions, and learning objectives to lead your class into a...

Teach children that just because something is old, doesn't mean you have to throw it away with a reading of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback. Engaging children with an arts and crafts activity in which they patch the...

You can reach your goals, if you're SMART about it! Teach your class to how build specific goals that include all the elements of the acronym SMART. The plan includes detailed procedures for the teacher and requires pupils to...

The class gets to practice being a mathematician in ancient Greece, performing geometric application problems in the way of Eratosthenes. After following the steps of the great mathematicians, they then compare the (surprisingly...

Students draw a poster of a lateral view of the brain in order to label the different lobes of the brain. They examine what causes some people to be more musically intelligent than others. They dissect a cow's brain and label the...

Students survey other students, teachers, and administrators, using a provided questionnaire, to see what environmental problems the school may have. Students then compile the results, post the results, and decide what the biggest...

Can your class solve the Mystery of the Crooked Cell? Junior geneticists collaborate to learn about sickle cell anemia in a fascinating lesson plan. The included materials help them to examine the genetic factors behind the disease...

Fourth graders investigate the Hatfield and McCoy feud. For this Hatfield and McCoy feud lesson, 4th graders examine factors that caused the feud. Students also locate on a map where the feud took place, make a timeline of the main...

How did scientists determine the cause of illness before technology? Science scholars play the role of medical researcher in an engaging guided inquiry activity. Using observations, technical reading, and Punnett squares, learners...

Ancient people used musical pipes as early as the third millennium BCE. Young scientists explore the workings of musical pipes to better understand the relationship with frequency, length of pipe, and sound waves. They determine the...

Use consonant digraphs to introduce learners to word patterns and high frequency words. They observe a chart with the digraphs /sh/, /ch/, /th/, and /wh/. After listening to each of these phonemes, scholars watch as the teacher...

Why shouldn't we just save all our money in our mattress? Couldn't our money disappear? Pupils discover the benefits of utilizing banks and credit unions for saving money, as well as how to evaluate different types of...

Learners see how electrons are transferred in the bonding of NaCl. They then create models of NaCl using styrofoam balls and toothpicks to assist them in explaining the formation of ions and ionic bonding. 

Why does soda fizz when opened? Learners discuss the appearance of bubbles in soda bottles when opened. In groups, they design and complete an experiment comparing the amount of carbon dioxide dissolving in cold versus hot liquids.  

Atomic bombs harness the power in the nucleus of an atom, creating devastating power and damage. Classes review parts of an atom by charging a piece of plastic and holding it near their fingers, discussing what is happening and why....

The final lesson in the 21-part series on climate change focuses on energy solutions to the consumption problem. Using data specific to their school, pupils make recommendations, follow up on actions, and carefully track progress....

Paul Langan's novel The Bully is the core text in a six-session unit plan that engages high schoolers in an in-depth examination of bullying and its effects on bullies, victims, and bystanders. The richly textured and carefully...

Looking for a complete go-to guide for the standard form of conics? This five-page packet does a nice job of connecting conics to prior knowledge of functions and transformations. Adapt the resource as Algebra II lesson plan...

Learners hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...