Provide pupils samples of different types of poems including haikus, narrative, nonsense, shape, and rhyming poems. In groups, class members read the poems, establish their general meaning, identify poetic devices, and rate the poems,...

As part of the study of Japanese cultural history, introduce your class members to Chanoyu, the Way of Tea. After a discussion of the history and key elements of Chanoyu, class groups perform the ceremony.

What patterns appear in the treatment of Jewish and Quaker immigrations to New Netherland? Your class members will work together to read and discuss the religious restrictions placed on immigrants to Dutch New York.

Learners explore cultural myths in America by collecting images and characteristics of stereotypical Americans. They read a primary source document, discussing the views of the author in class. Next, they compare the terms used to...

Pogrom, schlepped, meshuga. Kapo, reich, Wehrmacht. As part of a unit study of Maus I and II, readers use a list-group-label (LGL) strategy for vocabulary drawn from Art Spiegelman's famous graphic novels. The focus of the activity is...

Don't forget to brush! Help your special education class excel at taking care of their wonderful smiles. They'll discuss proper brushing and flossing techniques, watch a video on dental hygiene, and then brush their teeth. 

Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

A discussion of the Supreme Court’s Opinion of Tinker v. Des Moines generates a discussion of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment. Although the key elements of this lesson are based on a video that is not included, the activities...

Students identify the food groups and agricultural sources of pizza ingredients. They construct a construction paper pizza, identify the crops grown for pizza ingredients, and make and eat English muffin pizzas.

What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the...

The content in this lesson is of a controversial nature. Please review to make sure it is suitable for your class. A video, The Meatrix is shown to the class, and then they discuss the emotionally-charged language that it uses. They are...

Do your young readers have difficulty visualizing what they read? Although the activity described here is for The Call of the Wild, the strategy could be used with any narrative. At the conclusion of each chapter of Jack London’s novel,...

What effects will global warming have on your community? This last installment of a six-part series focuses on the effects that global warming may have on a community. Brainstorming and discussion allow groups to independently develop...

Looking for an excellent lesson that incorporates math, science, and technology? Groups of three students use a viewing tube to perform an experiment, and discover how to organize their data into an Excel spreadsheet.  This is a...

What can young scientists discover from dissecting an owl pellet? Explore the owl food chain, beginning with an introduction to these predatory birds. Suggested strategies here include creating a podcast and purchasing a poster, however...

“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life” and an excitement that comes with finding a good teaching resource. Included in a richly detailed packet designed to accompany The Call of the Wild, are a tableaux exercise, a...

Learners with special needs discuss the importance of fire safety. They visit smokey.com, discuss where fires commonly occur, and how to prevent them. They then practice responding to a fire-related emergency.

How can you recognize bullying? How is verbal bullying different from physical or social bullying, and when has a joke gone too far? Learners use their own experiences and ideas to inform the discussion.

Have you ever played the game Monopoly? Do you know what it takes to win the game correctly? Scholars research the nature of outlawing monopolies in the United States while controlling trade. They investigate the court case Gibbons v....

Integrate math, science, and speaking/listening with a collaborative hands-on activity. Each group works with a single penny, examining it with the naked eye and recording observations. Repeat using magnifying glasses. Then repeat with a...

Students estimate the distance of student's broad jumps. This activity can take place in the block center with a small group of students. They are explained that they are going to jump from a starting point (marked with the masking...

Tenth graders explore narrative poetry. They analyze sections of a poem and present to groups. They compose their own narrative poems using pictures as prompts. They exchange their poems and analyze their classmate's poem.

How many rainforests are there, where are they, and do global factors effect their locations? These are great questions that have great answers. Children in grades four through eight use several different maps to determine why...

The history of the northern states' involvement in the slave trade is not widely known. This resource uses the PBS documentary, Traces of the Trade, and the nonfiction book, Children of the New England Slave Trade, to examine this aspect...