Focus on synonyms, antonyms, and context clues with a vocabulary worksheet. Kids study ten words and match them to their definitions before putting the words in context.

The arctic seas contain currents that are both warm (with high salinity) and cold (relatively fresh water) that circulate throughout the year. Through discussion, a lab, and a web quest, participants explore the impacts of melting and...

If you could write your own history textbook, what would you include? Learners play the role of textbook writers by examining evidence of the Inca Empire. With primary sources from Spanish and indigenous perspectives, as well as images,...

Students study directional skills and participate in a scavenger hunt to find flowers. They compare, group and classify the flowers by their similarities and differences.

Students read, write and reflect on Science articles, this approach will promote both literacy and critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills learned in the science classroom from these activities will impact students in many...

Fourth graders read and respond to poetry. They identify the author's purpose and connect the literature to their personal experiences. Students critically analyze the poem and write a poem of their own.

Students observe how to spawn male and female pencil sea urchins. They mix together the sperm and ova from the live sea urchin to observe and record the events occurring in the control and experimental groups for fertilization. Thus,...

Young scholars examine primary resources to analyze pictures and documents related to the Pontysyllte Aqueduct (built by Thomas Telford) in Britain. In this critical-thinking lesson plan, students answer questions based on primary...

In this economics worksheet, learners respond to 8 critical thinking questions that require them to know how income levels determine rent accommodation issues.

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," from The Jungle Book, offers young readers a chance to examine how Rudyard Kipling uses setting and personification to bring to life the brave mongoose who battles cobras to protect his family. Class members...

Fifth grade reader/writers create an alternate ending to an episode in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach in which our protagonist "loses" the chance to magically solve all his problems. Prompts students not only to write creatively...

Conduct research on the Internet about labyrinths and mazes to learn about proportions and ratios. Inquisitive minds design their own maze, one maze is chosen and proportionately enlarged to 20 feet by 30 feet. This is a fun challenge...

This is a smart approach to displacement concepts. Physics learners analyze a motion map and then draw qualitative graphs for time versus displacement and time versus velocity. Get your class thinking critically through the use of a very...

Eight various activities have your learners looking at hype in the media. Advertisements for films, politics, music, and philanthropy all contribute to emotional appeals and marketing strategies trying to convince consumers to...

Identifying nonfiction text features is a skill students can take to any subject. A packet of posters demonstrate different text features that learners would encounter in a textbook or informational article, encouraging pupils to think...

Fourth graders develop critical listening skills and answer four questions related to the story, THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE. They identify the main idea and recall a question that involves making a judgment.

Readers select a character from Call of the Wild, record their responses to a series of prompts in a spiral notebook, and use details from the novel to support their thinking. The spirals are then used as source material to support...

Eighth graders design and create a tourist brochure for North Carolina historical sites. They research North Carolina, find and scan pictures for their brochure, use ClarisWorks to form the text, print, display and use constructive...

You might not be able to put a girdle around the earth in forty minutes but you can generate interest in A Midsummer’s Night Dream in that length of time. As an introduction to Shakespeare’s comedy, pairs of students assume the roles of...

Did you know that Coke can teach the world to sing in perfect harmony? Learners develop an awareness of more subtle, less obvious methods advertisers use to reach consumers. Included is a list of related lessons available on the Media...

Pupils are introduced to the genre of detective fiction. Based on their reading level, they are given a different series of books to read. For each story, they are to make predictions and practice decoding messages. To end the lesson...

Learners will be introduced to the historiography of the Emmett Till murder to discover more about the case and to evaluate how history is reliant on interpretation. They will also refine analytical and critical thinking skills as they...

Fourth graders critically analyze the social, economic, and political impact of the Federalization of the South. They develop a PowerPoint presentation relative to the Post Civil War South.

For this well-designed nutritional activity, students are given the opportunity to create their own daily food record, compare their nutrient with minimimun requirements, and think critically about their own food choices. Materials and...