Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...

Story elements such as conflict, character analysis, resolution, and moral are discussed and charted as elementary children read folktales involving animals. An element of science is also introduced as learners discover what a keystone...

Learners begin by completing a survey asking them to rank their concerns about commercially prepared foods. They develop a definition of relative risk, and complete the "Pro or Con" worksheet. Students work in groups to make a study of...

Students research the life of an artist to make a comprehensive analysis of works and how they were formed through personal beliefs of the artist. The influence upon culture is the focus of the investigation to be conducted.

Seventh graders explore a variety of situations and make hypotheses before designing possible experiments. They then are presented with an experiment actually done to solve the original problem and compare it with their results. Students...

Students explore how sewer systems can contribute to water pollution and perform an experiment to see how well a water purification technique can protect against water-born microbial illnesses. They compare the bacterial growth from...

Students explore the idealistic expectations of the industrialists who financed and built mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. They research how the expectations of Lowell mill founders compared to the reality of life in the textile mills for...

High schoolers compare and contrast Hammurabi's Code and the Ten Commandments. They discuss the purpose for rules. Students examine the first written laws by King Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments. High schoolers discover the...

Use political cartoons for a multiple-perspectives strategy, as pupils learn about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After an anticipatory discussion, they are split into 2 groups. The class reads a primary source account...

Lesson 10 is part of a twenty-two lesson unit on boat safety and water sports. It focuses on how to handle cold water and cold weather when water skiing, as well as what to do if hypothermia or frostbite occur. Click on the resource...

Eleventh graders explore, analyze and study a specific genocidal event in twentieth-century history, The Holocaust. They evaluate a variety of historical artifacts and synthesize the information gathered into their own in order to...

Second graders use play quarters to "purchase" items. They discuss how these are choices the character in the story they will read has to make. Students read the book "Monkey for Sale." They discuss the choices Luzolo makes and how she...

Students read excerpts of the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. Using the documents, they identify the ideas of how the government should be run. In groups, they develop a skit that encourages people to be...

High schoolers begin the lesson by defining what a citizen is in today's society. In groups, they brainstorm a list of qualities and responsibilites a good citizen should have. They also develop and give a survey that measures the amount...

Billy finds himself in many difficult situations because he is unsure about how and when to take responsibility. Collaborative groups work together to answer if Billy made responsible choices and what he should have done instead....

Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In this environmental lesson, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an Iowa name...

High schoolers compare and contrast the genres of poetry and hip-hop. They view a poetry slam and write about it in their journals. Learners view a Lauryn Hill music video and respond to it in their journals. They compare and contrast...

Teachers who are about to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with their class may want to check out this PowerPoint. It goes through all of the literary elements present in the book: Characters, Setting, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax,...

Translate transition words for your class with this handout and brief exercise. Fairly straightforward and informative, it includes sample sentences and a working link to a more complete list of transition words. There are two different...

Guided by close-reading questions, groups examine the similarities and differences between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. In addition, they look at how the principles are presented in these two foundational US...

Before beginning The Winter's Tale groups read and discuss a scenario that parallels the plot of Shakespeare's play. They then brainstorm possible solutions to the problem.

The Great Gatsby has become one of the most iconic novels in American literature. An eBook allows readers to access the full text of the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. With the original words and paragraph breaks intact, new...

Students watch a documentary film about arson and why children sometimes commit arson. They role play a scenario in which the school was deliberately set on fire. They develop a news report in which they interview three people regarding...

Students evaluate the impact of substance use and abuse in society and the workplace. They identify support services in the workplace which deal with substance abuse. They create an "ideal" policy statement governing substance abuse in a w