Students discuss the roles people have and how the people they know act after watching a puppet show. Puppets and teacher lead discussion with class and ask them to provide examples of being responsible , cooperative, respectful, and...

Fling your class members “into the heart of things primordial” with a Venn diagram activity that highlights how the same themes are treated in the film and book versions of The Call of the Wild. Consider extending the exercise by having...

Showing how folk poetry keeps alive national heritage is the stated goal of this proposal for a unit on the poetry of the Balkans.

Anthony Mann's 1953 film biography, The Glenn Miller Story, is the focus of a series of activities that introduce class members to Miller's life and music. Of particular interest to music students will be the cameos by many famous...

Designed to be used with a showing of the 1951 version of The Red Badge of Courage staring Audie Murphy, this learning guide includes discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and topics that can be discussed with parents.

It's important for young people to learn about their ancestry and the role of storytelling as a means of passing along traditions, information, and lessons. Based on what they already learned about Native American oral tradition,...

Students investigate writing scenarios that can be performed. They examine the parts and levels of scenarios that can actually be performed.

Ninth graders take note of the ways in which word choice, rhythm, language and narrative voice, as well as point of view in a poem can be used to evoke a time and place. They use their insights to create a poem of their own.

Twelfth graders research the history of how a particular environmental issue moves through the Conservation Movement. They create timelines that show the progression of public sentiment and the legislation about the issue.

Pupils investigate the muscle system operating in the kick of a ball. The order in which the six muscle groups contract is noted as the movement is produced by the contraction of opposing muscles required to move a limb in opposing...

Secondary historians simulate events leading up to the American Revolution. They assume the roles of patriots, loyalists, or neutrals in a town meeting set prior to the Revolution. As Patriots and Loyalists make their arguments, neutrals...

Read biographies and use the internet to research stories of courage.Young writers compare and contrast characteristics that societies value. They write reports about their family and community's heroes.

C.S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength provides the model for using dreams in narrative writing. After a discussion of the purpose of dreams in Lewis’s tale, class members craft a story in which their dreams play an essential role.

Learners use their creative writing skills to develop interview questions for Mother Nature. Using writing, they respond to the questions another student developed and use the internet to research any topic they need more information on....

Inform your class on the elements of fiction: themes, settings, characters, plots, dialogue, narration, flashback, clues, climax, resolution. They write the definitions of the terms on the worksheet provided.l Tip: Have them write a...

Pupils, in groups, collect information from the Internet about historical events surrounding the effects of the Gulf Stream current on ship travel. They compile a chart and answer assessment questions.

Introduce S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders with a bell work journal that asks class members to define loyalty. Key words (patience, unity, honesty, caring, etc.), drawn from their musings, are posted around the room, and groups search for...

Students examine healthy food choices and the benefits of growing their own food for consumption. They read the story "Favorite Things" and illustrate 5 favorite things. Students discuss types of foods that are healthy choices and why it...

Explore the story of Bella Abzug and her role as a 1940s office worker. Collaborative learners work in groups to tell the biblical story of Esther and add details as each member participates. Comparing and contrasting the roles of Esther...

Students watch various interpretations of Shakespeare's Macbeth in film. In groups, they examine the setting, characters, music and sequence. They compare and contrast the various films and discuss the differences. They write an essay on...

Eighth graders read selected passages from The Diary of Anne Frank. Working in pairs, 8th graders determine what qualities and characteristics they would assign to her from their selected diary entry.

Eleventh graders read and study Hamlet. Then they are introduced to close reading as a means of understanding what is being read--not only understanding the printed word, but also the nuances and connotations of language as it is used by...

Print this resource or save it to your desk top. It contains five activities and eleven vocabulary words related to Hernando de Soto and his exploration of Florida. Each activity provides targeted skills practice to prime learners for a...

Students brainstorm a list of the different types of maps they have seen or used. Using the activity sheet, they look through a social studies book to find all the maps and to determine what they are used for. Using a poster, they review...