Students generate vocabulary words synonymous or related to "noise." For this literacy lesson, students listen to the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle and discuss the meaning of vocabulary...

Eighth graders utilize a variety of reading and writing skills in completing social studies activities on "The Big Lie." students express their understanding of right and wrong actions based on the characters through a personal response...

Learners write a first-person narrative from the perspective of a runaway slave, or a historical character of the period, and present their story orally.

Fourth graders interview community members for a "newspaper". They design a business brochure, write a disappearing ghost story, and experiment with mono-printing. They experiment with a variety of materials, tools, equipment, and...

Students read the book "Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday," along with their teacher and take away coins as they follow along with the story. In this money and counting lesson, students get meaningful practice in the art of...

Students create DNA models. Using puzzle pieces to represent the parts of a DNA strand, they put together a segment of DNA. Once everyone has completed their individual strand, they being linking with other students using tape. Class...

Fourth graders create their classroom rules.  For this Mayflower Compact lesson, 4th graders listen to the Plymouth story and learn about the Mayflower Compact.  Students analyze the Mayflower Compact and create a class compact...

Students read the book "Baseball Saved Us" and respond to the story through writing activities. In this reading lesson, students create a chart of events  which they predict will take place in the story. Students then use their...

Students describe basic land features and characteristics that make up the continent of Africa, describe the people of Africa, where they live, and how they live and get a sense of what it is like to live in Africa.

Young scholars explore the origins and development of a literary genre. They investigate how shared imaginative concerns link the members of a literary period and compare works of literature from different eras.

In this set of comprehension worksheets on the story, Beautiful River, students first read the story, then complete a variety of activities: 12 multiple choice questions, 1 "open response" question, and completion of their own scoring...

Students investigate Harriet Tubman. In this African-American instructional activity, students read the book A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman and discuss how she was a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Students identify the...

Students create an alternate ending with digital animations to illustrate their text.  In this novel creation lesson, students read a novel and analyze the plot in small groups.  Students collaborate on an alternate ending...

Fourth graders study the Robert Harris works and modern photographs. They compare fishing in the past and the present. They use their knowledge of equivalent fractions to play a version of the game "Go Fish".

Students consider how we learn about the past and discuss how the framing of history is always done by the person who is telling it. They construct a personal and class timelines, compare two or more accounts of the same event and record...

Students view the PBS presentation of Leo Tolstoy's, "Anna Karenina." Prior and after each episode, they discuss plot and characterization and in one lesson, use adjectives to describe each of the main characters. Then, students create...

Learners read the story "The Secret to Freedom" and participate in active reading to personalize what they have read. In this reading lesson, students follow  several writing activities and discuss their work . Learners integrate...

Learners create a character map of the main characters in The Tale of Despereaux. After reading the text, students create a character chart based on information they gleaned from the story. They use this information to write a letter...

Students distinguish between "wants" and "needs." Students make a short list of each. They review The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings book and discuss what blessings are. Students then rewrite their list of wants and needs.

Fifth graders discover the history of their hometown Des Moines River.  In this U.S. Geography lesson students speak with Iowans that tell stories of the settlers and early villages near the Des Moines River.  Students document...

Students extend their understanding of Milton Hershey. In this notable figures lesson plan, students create a paper quilt about Milton Hershey. Students use the template provided to design their own quilt square, including an...

Students create an illustration of their favorite part of the book "The Magic School Bus Gets Cold Feet" using a computer drawing program. They listen to the story and answer discussion questions, view drawings on the teacher's Paint...

First graders review the Pledge of Allegiance and symbols of America. Students discuss the sequence used to say the Pledge of Allegiance. They practice reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Students view symbols of things they know and...

First graders investigate the color spectrum by painting their own pictures. In this artistic expression activity, 1st graders discuss their own families and create ways to express their culture and family history on a picture quilt....