Work on using transition words in context by prompting elementary and middle schoolers to write their own persuasive essays using transition words. They explore new forms of transition words and examine how they are used in an editorial...

Introduce literature circles with Roland Smith's novels. Your seventh graders will see the activity modeled as you read The Three Little Pigs together and apply the format to a Roland Smith novel of their choice. The lesson includes...

As a review of coordinating conjunctions, this short activity could be useful. Learners are required to use a coordinating conjunction to combine two sentences in this 8 question worksheet.

Use this straightforward presentation as a basic guide to your grammar unit. With explanations of the parts of a simple sentence (subject, verb, direct object), the slideshow is a good way to reinforce students' prior knowledge about...

Help English language learners expand their vocabulary with this short practice opportunity. As the words are difficult, this is really meant for advanced English language learners. They use the six sentences provided to select the...

As the culminating activity in a unit study of science fiction, young writers demonstrate their understanding of the genre by producing their own graphic novel. After deciding on the main elements of their story, individuals use a comic...

After your class finishes reading Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, they use the Venn diagram here to compare two characters from the novel, in this case Bud and his grandfather Herman E. Calloway. Examples of qualities on which...

Are your young writers having difficulty distinguishing between expository and persuasive writing? Discuss the difference between the two, and how some prompts can be responded to in either fashion. Included here is a simple lesson plan...

“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...

New to teaching and the Common Core? Then you need to check out how the skill W.9-10.4 is broken down into easy-to-understand steps for your learners to dominate and conqueror. Included is a script to present to your class that details...

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...

Assess whether your class members can comprehend complex informational text with a series of drills based on selections from Emerson, Thoreau, and G.K. Chesterton. The exercises could also be used for group work or a full-class discussion.

Students analyze what characteristics plagiarism can have in student writing.  In this writing lesson, students examine writing samples to identify the differences in papers that are plagiarized and not...

Young scholars assess the significance of a watershed event in the political history of the United States . They identify events and issues associated with the internment of Japanese-Americans as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl...

Third graders engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities designed to give them a thorough understanding of the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. There are a very nice set of activities included in this plan!

Students examine evolutionary history; the earth's timeline by creating timelines. They determine the timeframes of era, epochs, and periods and study the species that were evident in each.

Students examine human rights abuses in thirty countries, specifically explore abuses in Dominican Republic's Trujillo regime, research one country with significant human rights abuses, use Preamble to U.S. Constitution as measure of...

Students analyze the pros and cons of public policies. They analyze how public policy issues are influenced by government actions (e.g., transportation, the environment). They research the elements and requirements of the...

Students compare and contrast the movement for suffrage in Nebraska and the U.S. They organize and interpret primary documents and images from the time period. In addition, they tie in religious movements to women's suffrage.

Learners examine and write about possible career choices in relation to their own personal interests, strengths, and values. They discuss the process of reflective writing, and identify their three favorite activities on a "My Future...

Students analyze the use of language, including non-standard written and oral English. They write persuasive, descriptive, narrative and/or evaluative pieces in response to the story read and keep reflection journals. Finally, students...

Students read about the renaming of a school for Barack Obama. In this political lesson, the teacher presents vocabulary words from the news article, then the students read the article and answer comprehension questions. Lesson includes...

Tenth graders write a poem. In this poetry lesson, 10th graders read the poem The Road Not Taken written by Robert Frost, answer discussion questions, add new stanzas to the poem and share them with the class.

Studnets compare example of primary documents that have shaped U.S. government and our Constitution.