For this writing prompt worksheet, students learn that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey, not the bald eagle, to be the symbol of the United States. Students write if they would choose the turkey of the bald eagle as the symbol or a...

Using Claude Monet's On the Bank of the Seine as inspiration, young artists create their own postcards. During the lesson, learners discuss the techniques used in Monet's painting, as well as the woman in the painting, and...

Once your learners have a firm handle on the characters in Running Out of Time, invite them to write letters to chosen characters about the events of the novel. Pupils then share with others who wrote to the same character.

Introduce young writers to two graphic organizers that help them develop and organize support for an evaluative essay. As a warm-up, essayists get to prove why spaghetti and meatballs is their favorite meal.

Students explore U.S. History by writing poems. In this United States leader biography lesson, students identify elements needed to create a good poem, and write a Bio-Poem about themselves. Students utilize the same form to write a...

Students generate vocabulary words synonymous or related to "noise." For this literacy lesson, students listen to the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle and discuss the meaning of vocabulary...

Students write story starters to begin the writing process. In this creative writing lesson, students examine story starters and review the structure of paragraphs. Students create their own story starters that engage readers by...

Seventh graders review the stages of the writing process. In this writing process lesson, 7th graders review the writing process steps by creating a personal timeline. Students complete graphic organizers for the lesson and present their...

First graders word process a topic sentence, two detail sentences and a concluding sentence about an image. They import a picture and change the font color of their writing.

In this adverb usage worksheet, students use adverbs to help them write a how-to report. Students complete three activities for adverbs showing time order.

In this interviewing skills instructional activity, students read a 2-page outline of tips for conducting interviews as part of the research process and then use the tips to interview someone.

Arranged in facing concentric circles, half the class discusses an issue. The other half of the class takes notes which are then used to fuel a class discussion and to prepare editorial opinions on the topic at hand. So much emphasis is...

If you are teaching Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, you can't afford to miss this source. An extensive list of ideas outlines numerous discussion topics, writing prompts, comprehension questions, oral presentations, and projects. Have class...

Four weeks of vocabulary words are provided here! Each week has between six and seven vocabulary words for your young learners to master. First they hear each word, and then they get a short definition for each word. The second activity...

The four worksheets here are provided to introduce your learners to new vocabulary on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Each list contains seven vocabulary words focused on a specfic vowel pair. First the learner hears the word,...

Eighth graders write a Compare and Contrast essay comparing the lives of similarly aged students at different Latitudes. They share their essays with epals, via e-mail. They may include digital photographs in their correspondence as well.

Middle or high school volcanologists watch the 1997 film, Dante's Peak. They make observations as they watch and then write a movie review, focusing on what was accurately represented. They also point out what facts were stretched by...

Young academics create a current events journal by skimming newspapers for articles that fit defined guidelines for informational texts. After cutting out two articles each week to add to their journals, they write a brief description of...

Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing instructional activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The instructional activity...

How does one use a graphic organizer to plan writing? Introduce your writers to different types of graphic organizers by dividing the class into groups and assigning each group a particular organizer. Then, as they research chocolate...

Develop historical analysis and interpretation with your older students. They will study and analyze three given interpretations of Christopher Columbus' life, which includes significant events, his character, and the impact he made on...

Have you ever lost someone? Middle and high school learners journal about a time they experienced the loss of someone through death, divorce, moving, or another type of change. They share their responses and discuss an article relating...