The ASL lessons from lifeprint are amazing, but can be complicated. While this lesson plan is perfect for those needing to learn or teach ASL to the deaf community, it could also provide a valuable communication tool. This resource...

A series of activities help middle- and high-schoolers identify and explore gender stereotypes and how they can lead to violence and abuse. Use think-pair-share to activate whole class brainstorming about what it means to "be a man" and...

Ronald Reagan's 1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (also know as the "Evil Empire Speech") offers readers with an opportunity to practice their skills at reading informational text, specifically primary source...

What is your dream for a better world? After reading a short article about Dr Martin Luther King, kids identify something they would like to see changed, the steps that could be followed to make the dream a reality, and the effects these...

It can be difficult to find the theme of a book or story if you don't know the questions to ask. Teach your kids to discern the universal theme in works of literature with a set of activities that promote critical thinking and...

What is figurative language? Introduce your young learners to the most popular forms of figurative language: the simile and the metaphor. Start by reading "Willow and Ginkgo" by Eve Merriam, and identify where similes are used. Then look...

A cloze reading passage about getting a driver's permit at an older age prompts kids to use context clues as they read. They can use the word bank below to fill in eight blank spaces throughout the story.

Young poets focus on one character from a story they are reading, collect details, and use a biopoem template to analyze this character. The activity can be used with any text.

It's important for young people to learn about their ancestry and the role of storytelling as a means of passing along traditions, information, and lessons. Based on what they already learned about Native American oral tradition,...

Students identify the characteristics of a good friend and assess themselves as a friend. They practice opening statements to initiate conversation and discuss ways to maintain friendships.

Junior high learners discuss Lewis Carroll's classic story, Alice in Wonderland. They observe the image of childhood in his photographs and compare them to present-day images. There is a plethora of ideas and links for discussions...

As the title suggests, this lesson is designed for a foster care therapy group. C.S. Lewis' novel provides children an opportunity to discuss life issues vicariously through fictional characters. However, the discussion questions and...

Hoover flags? Hoover blankets? Hoovervilles? Drawing upon prior knowledge of the Great Depression class members respond to the prompts on an anticipation guide for Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis’s tale of Bud Caldwell’s quest to...

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...

Students examine the elements of a story, read a review of Chris Rock's new sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris" and create original sitcom episodes based on their own lives.

In this reading and writing worksheet, learners analyze a poem about different varieties of trees. Students make a 10 page booklet with each page containing pictures and words about one kind of tree. Learners color the book and read the...

Young scholars investigate how food provides energy for the human body. In this physical health lesson, students access online resources to identify how certain foods can affect their health. Young scholars discuss how many servings of...

Students create a model of a community building that contributes to a class neighborhood layout. They explain the purpose of his or her individual role and community building, and how it fits into the class model of a neighborhood.

Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...

Learners read Dragon's Gate as a shared literature book. This lesson provides excellent extension activities students can engage in while they are reading, and after they have finished the book.

Students report on family trends, functions of the family and various ways of selecting marriage partners. In this family lesson plan, students act as editors, commercial skits, and writers for a newscast about families.

Sixth graders participate in a brainstorming activity in which they identify the types of decisions they make everyday. Individually, they complete a worksheet on making decisions effectively. After reading a poem, they identify the...

Students examine the different food groups on the food pyramid. In groups, they discover the proper amount to eat from each food group and how to prepare healthy meals. They keep a food journal and calculate the amount of calories they...

Students examine the geography, politics and history of their local town of New Haven, Connecticut. Using the internet, they explore the neighbors of New Haven and write directions from their house to school. In groups, they research...