Reading the original Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Little Mermaid” and viewing the Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from the San Francisco Ballet video offers class members an opportunity to consider how artistic decisions...

Build your class's dictionary skills with this fun game. The activity allows learners to better understand dictionary usage, spelling, and vocabulary. By the end of this activity, they should be skilled word finders.

What part does media play in creating, defining, and perpetuating popular culture? High schoolers chart their encounters with fads, trends, and icons and reflect on the media's influence on popular culture.

What is a Socratic Seminar? Discover this type of discussion and it functions. Split the class into two groups with Group A sitting in an inner circle and Group B in an outer circle. Each person in Group B is assigned to a person in...

Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...

It is important for special needs students to know the differences between acquaintances and strangers. They define the world helper, acquaintance, and stranger then discuss a scenario based case study.They talk about touch and no touch,...

Having social skills and being able to assert yourself in a positive way is so important. Students with mild to moderate disabilities engage in a series of activities to practice assertive communication and social skills. Perfect for a...

Some disabled students have a difficulty understanding what is and what is not publicly appropriate behavior. Help them build healthy social skills by defining public and private behaviors, labeling public and private places, and...

Developmentally Disabled young scholars need to know they types of touch, appropriate touching, and their personal rights. They brainstorm types of touch, go over their personal rights, and discuss social skills. Very appropriate lesson...

Students examine the dynamics of family finances. In groups, they discuss the importance of a budget and create their own given a fictional amount of money. As a class, they listen to a speaker from the bank discussing the importance of...

Take a close look at news reporting techniques and global issues. Begin by creating a graphic representation of developing nations and defining the term. After class discussion, the second day's activities pick up by deconstructing news...

Using children's picture books and role-playing activities, youngsters begin to learn about personal finance management. These lesson plans are engaging and intend to endow pupils with skills for making wise decisions with money as they...

In this literacy and word usage worksheet, learners complete several pages of activities that help them learn how to spell and use words with the sounds of ou, ow, oi, and oy as well words with the silent consonant sounds of b, g, gh, w,...

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...

Have a class discussion on diversity. With your class, explore the ideas of prejudice, fear, suspicion and individual rights. Discuss the benefits of uniqueness and how diversity contributes to strength and unity.

Middle schoolers review library skills by rotating through teacher-created learning stations covering various topics. They discuss plagiarism, work on Almanac practice as a team, complete practice using indexes, and an abstracts handout...

Arranged into small groups, learners read a paragraph of the news story "Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents." As one reads, others mark the text (underlining important information and writing notes in the margin of the story). After...

If you are teaching Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, you can't afford to miss this source. An extensive list of ideas outlines numerous discussion topics, writing prompts, comprehension questions, oral presentations, and projects. Have class...

Reinforce persuasive and argumentative writing skills with this lesson, which utilizes SchoolNet News Network's website/SNN Monthly magazine. Young writers review journalism writing styles that help them explain that writing a persuasive...

Over several days, learners communicate and defend an argument regarding environmental justice issues in Chester, PA. After discussing the issue and viewing a video about the location of several toxic waste facilities in Chester, they...

Inspire your class to write about role models and personal heroes with this resource from The Learning Network. Class members read a New York Times article excerpt about basketball star Jeremy Lin and how he inspired the author. After...

Although this online current events quiz is based on May of 2011, it offers a chance for scholars to sharpen their media literacy skills and is available on a daily basis on this site. There are five multiple-choice questions covering a...

Arranged in facing concentric circles, half the class discusses an issue. The other half of the class takes notes which are then used to fuel a class discussion and to prepare editorial opinions on the topic at hand. So much emphasis is...