High schoolers examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in...

Students explore several themes relevant to the life of Paul Robeson and the social, artistic, & political realities of the first half of the 20th century, identify and interview heroes in their communities, and publish profiles on...

Students refine their usage of past simple or present perfect. After a lecture/demo, students work in pairs and utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to help them gain practice with time signifiers.

Students explore building new friendships during the first week of school. They participate in a variety of getting to know each other activities. Students work cooperatively and develop collegial relationships with their classmates.

Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...

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...

Sixth graders present a PowerPoint presentation on Greek columns. They realize that Greek culture is centered around religion. Students create a model of one of the columns. Also they find examples of Greek architecture in major Greek...

Bring your class to the computer lab, and have them use the library and online resources to select proverbs related to specified themes. They create a book or bulletin board of proverbs that offer lessons connected to themes of freedom,...

Investigate the techniques used in a persuasive argument. Young writers compose a persuasive argument persuading their principal to take their class on a trip to the location of their choice. They then create a persuasive web site.

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 instructional...

High schoolers watch westerns and analyze them. They identify the plot, characters and the sounds in the film. They research icons of the American west and prepare a presentation. They share their presentation with the class.

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...

Students 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 Harbor...

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

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 explore the history of education and race in the United States. By researching Supreme Court cases dealing with race and education, students examine the ways in which these cases have reflected changing social and cultural norms.

Students assess germ warfare and debating related ethical issues in the social studies classroom

Students engage in a literature study unit. They use various exercises to build reading comprehension using a wide variety of literature texts. While reading the books, students are encouraged to think reflectively in order to appreciate...

Eleventh graders discover how the Electoral College works. In this presidential elections lesson, 11th graders compare and contrast the Electoral College and popular vote as they participate in a classroom simulation. Students also...

Students analyze film clips in class. In this democracy instructional activity, students identify the differences between civil liberties, democracy and freedom. Students view a video regarding Japanese internment and answer study...

Students create a pyramid diagram that reflects the social order in ancient Egypt and compare the ancient social order with the social order in our world today.

Young scholars explore the increasingly diverse civil rights movement by researching and profiling its key issues, main organizations, and top leaders.(August 25, 2003)

Students identify the ideas and themes that are most significant in a work of literature, then propose ways to visually represent these themes through art.