Scratching your head when it comes to engaging writing prompts? Check out a list of prompts designed for middle school classes, which includes topics for persuasive writing, expository writing, how-to essays, personal narratives, and...

Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet. 

Encourage creative, independent, and reflective thinking and writing throughout the school year by having your class members keep Interactive Student Notebooks (ISN). Here you'll find a presentation designed to...

The intent of this unit is to demonstrate some of the traditional arts of the Middle East. Extensive background information on the religion, culture, and nature of Islamic art found throughout the Middle East is provided. Each of the...

Looking for an interactive back to school activity? Start by reading the book The Kissing Hand, and having your class discuss their feelings about the first day of school. They trace their hand onto paper, cut out the paper hand,...

With only a handful of notes and several great images, this slide show asks learners to consider the importance petroleum has played in current conflicts with the Middle East. This could accompany a full lecture on the subject, but it is...

Is there one right way to control infectious diseases? Learners determine the facts each stakeholder must consider when making their recommendations for controlling a disease threatening their area. They take into account public health,...

After listening to a story about Martin Luther King Jr., first graders answer questions about the text. They discuss the importance of the illustrations, identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story, and complete a writing...

Go beyond a traditional end-of-the-year survey and have your middle school pupils compile a portfolio of work illustrating their progression as a writer. 

Learners work collaboratively to take and download digital images, use iMovie software, and create an iMovie to show at a Back To School Night event. They discuss how to organize the information into a clear and cohesive movie. Then,...

Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...

Kids fight obesity by comparing the USDA food intake suggestions to what they personally consume throughout the day. They watch a video, read texts, and explore related vocabulary which they use as they compose an oral presentation. 

While science Jeopardy games are a dime-a-dozen, this one has some pretty unique categories that are still relevant to a middle school physical science curriculum. The topics include: leading nations, famous Americans (who invented...

Alone, or as part of the intended unit on chemical reactions, this activity allows learners to experience an exothermic reaction. Here, learners add calcium chloride to a baking soda solution and watch the temperature rise! They will...

Seventh graders analyze three monotheistic religions as an appreciation of the Middle East. In this world religions lesson, 7th graders analyze the beliefs and the leaders of the three major religions. Students research a topic and...

Discuss aspects of the Iranian Revolution and the Middle East Conflict. Six slides display an outline of the conflict between Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Ayatollah Khomeini, political images, and pose a question regarding the conflict.

Thirty-eight pages of information prepares you to assign middle or high schoolers a project on sustainable energy. They take a pretest, review the scientific method, conduct background research, and finally choose an experiment to carry...

A lesson challenges scholars to get organized. A thoughtful discussion sheds light on time management and the benefits of staying organized. Learners then reflect on their current time management skills, organize notebooks or...

Students examine the stereotypes used to classify the Middle East. After taking a regional literacy survey, they discover their own global awareness. They discuss how stereotypes are formed and how they persist over time if not stopped.

First graders develop stories with beginnings, middles, and ends. They view a story and discuss the beginning, middle, and end and cue words including first, next, and last. They write stories incorporating beginning, middle, and ends...

What are the differences between homeschooling, traditional schooling, and unschooling? Middle and high schoolers examine the opinions of their peers on these varied types of education. After reading a New York Times article, they...

This assignment is out of this world! It is an online worksheet about sunspots and solar cycles, a sort of WebQuest if you will. Links to two NASA websites and spaceweather.com are written into the questions so that your aspiring...

As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...

Discuss Earth's tectonic plates at middle school level with an informative presentation. Packed with maps, satellite images, diagrams, and photographs, the slideshow connects with any curriculum focused on plate tectonics. It...