Class members adopt the persona of real figures in American history, Patriots and Loyalists, research these individuals to determine their stance, and then debate the question of whether or not to declare independence from...

Here is an outstanding series of lessons on journalism, writing newspaper articles, and writing editorials. This type of writing has long-been neglected in our schools, so this collection of writing activities is most-valuable. Along...

Learners read and analyze William Faulkner's novel, 'As I Lay Dying.' They define Faulkner's place in American literary history, describe Faulkner's "South" in the context of the historical South and examine the Bundren family through...

Identify the author's organizational pattern for expressing ideas. After reading an article on the California Gold Rush, middle schoolers determine the author's purpose for writing a passage of informational text. A full list of...

Seventh graders are introduced to Earth day--- what is it and why do we care, ease into topic of pollution, where have they seen pollution in their community, steer conversation in the direction of the Anacostia. They are reintroduced...

Young scholars are able to give examples of local and global sources of pollution. They explain why certain forms of pollution are detrimental to the environment. Students a create a poster promoting Earth Day's message of...

Demonstrate strategies for tackling unfamiliar vocabulary words in preparation for the SAT. Using Visual Thesaurus computer software, middle and high schoolers interpret contextual clues, solve sample sentence completion questions, and...

Provide your class with an opportunity to investigate an important historical document. Without identifying the document, distribute copies of the original Bill of Rights, as transcribed by John Beckley, Clerk of the House of...

Dear Nancy, how do you analyze a letter? Love, Trez. Dear Trez, you use a Letter Analysis Worksheet. Love, Nancy. This richly detailed worksheet provides multiple questions that lead researchers step-by-step through the process of...

Mary Anne Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, wrote Silas Marner in 1861. While you're compiling materials for your Victorian unit, consider printing off these essay questions to help readers really explore the text. Some...

The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...

A class newsletter? The possible extensions for this activity are endless. After examining examples of news print-outs from hotels or workplaces, class members develop their own articles and produce a newsletter. A great way to keep...

Familiarize your class with Google operators, specific symbols, or words they can use to express more clearly to the search tool what they want to find. With the resources included here, they can test their previous knowledge, view...

Looking for a simple and straightforward reference on the Enlightenment for your young historians? Check out this list of key terms and important figures from the period, followed by a traditional assessment where your learners will be...

Challenge learners who are studying famous polar explorers to read an excerpt from the diary of Thomas Orde-Lees. They then answer some questions about the explorer, and the conditions under which he was writing.

Students collect data from an experiment they perform. In this data instructional activity, students use multiple representations to solve practical problems; describe advantages and disadvantages of the use of each representation. Then,...

Students create drawings using oil pastels that convey cultural, social and historical meaning. Drawings are evaluated on use of color planning, contour drawing, color blending, line and pattern.

Young scholars examine illuminated manuscripts from the Gutenberg Bible. Using the examples, they use the internet to explore the effects of the printing press on the value of literature and art. They create their own illuminated initial...

Tenth graders explore the concept of censorship through a reading of Fahrenheit 451. They discuss the issue and its relation to contemporary society. Students work in groups to debate the pros and cons of censorship in our society.

Feeling ambitious about getting your scholars examining the election process? While this presidential election simulation will take preparation, the ensuing enthusiasm will be worth it! Using one or more large classes, 12th graders are...

Tenth graders examine the role that aesthetics play in the publication of books. In groups, they apply the concept of physical affectation on each reader's experience to literature. They also compare and contrast the varied types of...

Seventh graders research a culture and art produced by the people of that culture. They create a PowerPoint presentation to explain their findings. Students make a sand painting depicting the art of that era.

Young backpackers practice putting their supplies into their backpack according to a prescripted sequence on how to properly place their equipment. It is essential to follow the guidelines to have the correcet balance and ease of access...

Eighth graders identify and explain the connections between new ideas and information and their previous beliefs, values, and experiences. They understand that certain themes are relevant to their lives. They realize the harm of clicks...