Students complete a variety of writing and yearbook activities to complete the school year. They write a letter to the student that will sit in their desk the next school year, and a letter to their next year's teacher. As a culminating...

Get kids re-oriented to the computer lab for back-to-school. The constructivist approach in this session allows children to exert ownership of their behavior in the computer lab. Read aloud a few books about good and poor manners, as...

U.S. immigration is the focus of a unit on social justice. Over the course of a school year, young historians read a variety of texts to learn about four waves of immigration that have occurred over time in the U.S. An emphasis on...

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,...

Does a ban on vending machines infringe on student rights, or do school officials have an obligation to monitor foods sold on school grounds? Your class members will explore the educational, health, and financial issues related to...

Foster community in your classroom and encourage learners to get up and get to know each other. Individuals each receive the classmate inventory handout included and use it to fill in information about their fellow scholars. Once they...

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...

Young scholars describe the practices they follow to get ready for a new school year. Using those practices, they create a list of resoultions that they might improve on during the new year. They complete a worksheet and share their...

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. 

The threat posed by super volcanoes is explored in a short video that reviews the destruction caused by Mount Tambora in 1815 and by Peru's Huaynaputina in 1600. Think it can't happen again? The narrator contends that the explosive...

Help young scientists connect with nature and learn about trees with a fun life science activity. Heading out into the school yard, children choose a tree to adopt, taking measurements, writing descriptions, and drawing sketches of it in...

Begin the school year with enthusiasm using the book entitled My Teacher Can Teach Anyone! In this reading for meaning lesson, primary readers listen to the story and discuss what is happening and why the boy in the story might be...

Fifth graders introduce themselves to their classmates by making a PowerPoint presentation. They each are required to produce a six-slide presentation with photographs, graphics, and text. This is a perfect activity to implement during...

Students are encouraged to share, through discussion and writing, their feelings about violence in schools, as well as about ways in which such tragedies could be prevented.

Young scientists explore the world of entomology. They focus on the life cycle of butterflies and moths. They utilize the entire school year in order to see how butterfly eggs turn into the chrysallis, then into a butterfly, who then...

Toward the end of the school year when the weather warms up, take your high schoolers swimming! They perform various cardiovascular activities in the pool, beginning with a warm-up activity and followed by stretching, precardio,...

This particular lesson was written by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, but density is a concept that you can teach at the beginning of the school year in your life, physical, or earth science classes. It would be fun to...

How do lighting types affect energy efficiency? Explore different types of lighting and the energy they use. Pupils learn about types of lights and calculate the energy used during a typical school year. They discover that being...

If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...

Students observe and count bird sightings around their schoolyard throughout the school year.

High schoolers take pictures through out the school year. They make a PowerPoint presentation to show off their best photos of the year. They make a CD of their PowerPoint an keep it as a portfolio. They share their presentation with the...

Students investigate the events of the 1950's, 60's, and 70's that occurred at Little Rock High School. They identify turning points in the progress of the school while relating them to the events of their own school experience.

When Ruby Bridges entered an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she also entered history. Scholars consider what the experience must have been like for the young girl using two books that document her experience as well as a double...