What is the root of the conflict between ranchers and environmentalists? Middle schoolers write their impressions of what an environmentalist is and does. They read the New York Times article "In New Wild West, It's Cowboys vs....

Investigate herbal medicine in the science or health classroom with this lesson from the New York Times. After a discussion about class members beliefs about and experiences with herbal medicines, pupils read an article that might...

Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

Aid readers in achieving fluency! Hone in on appropriate pacing, accurate pronunciation, and varied intonation through modeling and ample practice. In one-minute bursts, individuals rehearse reading a passage aloud, recording where...

Research current and proposed peace talks around the world with this New York Times lesson plan, Using the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria as a starting point, middle schoolers create a news program on the subject. They propose a...

Seven problems regarding gravitational pull are presented in this physics drill. Pupils solve for displacement, time, speed, and acceleration. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are both required to complete the assignment. 

Here is an interesting take on the old timed-fluency activity. In pairs, learners work together to see how fast they can read two sets of high-frequency words. Peer one reads a word from his list; peer two works fast to find that word in...

How do artists affect and how are artists affected by the time periods in which they live? Learners examine the life and work of controversial and influential cultural artist Patti Smith as they seek answers to this essential question....

Teach the class how to put together a PowerPoint presentation using their autobiography as the content. First, have them use the outline given to put together their autobiography in storyboard fashion. Now, they have their content ready...

Young readers work on evaluating claims in a piece of informational text with the article "In New York, It's Open Bag or Find Exits" from the New York Times. They analyze current search procedures implemented to fight terrorism...

In pairs, learners describe and use guide words to locate words in a dictionary. This is a timed activity, where points can be earned by completing the goal first. Tip: Have kids look up weird words in the dictionary, and then come up...

 Young, yet experienced, Spanish learners learn words like noche, dia, luz, and cielo as they read the story La Noche de Las Estrellas by Douglas Gutierrez. The first time you read...

Second graders investigate decision making skills that they can apply on a daily basis. For this decision making lesson, 2nd graders listen to a read aloud of Pinocchio and make a list of times when decisions have to be made. They access...

Students explore economics by creating a budget. In this financial goal setting lesson, students investigate their use of time by completing a worksheet. Students identify financial goals they would like to achieve in the next several...

Your geology class practices taking core samples of a potato to examine the stratigraphy. This is a terrific modeling lesson that helps youngsters visualize strata that cannot be seen from the surface of the ground. The directions...

Third graders play a football spelling game where two teams spell words and gain yardage for each correctly spelled word. This clever spelling game will be highly motivational for your class! Each team gains ten yards every time they...

Several New York Times articles were used to create informative reading material. Kids click on each of the embedded links to access a resource related to Syria and the Middle East conflict. They then answer the nine questions. Note:...

Taking turns, learners time each other as they read a list of high-frequency words and track progress.

Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...

Use some of these 80-word passages to practice reading fluency with your beginners. Project the text so all learners can see it, pointing to each word as scholars recite them one at a time. Warn readers of irregularly spelled words by...

Traffic and stop lights can be a bother for even the most patient person, but when you have autism, that extra time spent in a hot car can be a real nuisance. Here is a great story that addresses the need to be patient while waiting or...

Split the class into two groups for a fishbowl discussion using of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. The first group initiates the conversation by reviewing the important points of Chapter thirteen while group two...