How would you use census data from 1880-1900? Here are a set of ways you can incorporate the book Little House on the Prairie and US census data from that time period. Learners will research the validity or the book based on factual...

Third graders understand the importance of Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road in the settling of the West. The Cumberland Gap is explored in detail along with other historical figures of the times, as well as myths that survived about...

The Alaskan wilderness contains every imaginable element of the water cycle: it has flowing streams, cool spring rain, and frozen glaciers. Pupils use a series of worksheets to identify and define evaporation, condensation, and...

Middle schoolers research a wilderness or natural area and develop a plan for ecotourism.

Student examine the need for and the problems of wilderness areas which are located close to urban centers. They discuss their concept of wilderness, write down their perceptions and report to the class.

Students examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson, they...

Build vocabulary while reading Our Town, Thornton Wilder's Broadway play. This two-page resource highlights 20 tricky vocabulary words like alacrity, epitaph, languid, and vestige. In the first activity, pupils answer questions that use...

Students undertake a similar (but not quite as drastic) adventure as that of Frontier House as they explore the day-to-day realities of frontier life through a Laura Ingalls Wilder story, and reflect on which time period suits them...

Third graders identify the main characters in the Ingalls family and describe the relationships between the characters. They locate the setting of the book on a map of the Upper Mid- West. Students understand that the books are set in...

It's a shame that there are no photographs in this presentation because the information is fascinating! Each identically fashioned slide contains bullet points of information about Antarctica that will enhance an earth science...

Read Our Town with your class, and introduce them to new vocabulary words. Twenty words (like agrarian, crestfallen, and ennui) are the focus, and learners complete to exercises to better acquaint themselves with the new words. Although...

Students develop a plan for ecotourism after researching a nearby national park or wild area.

Though it's designed to guide a field trip to the New York Botanical Garden, you could take resource like this one to a local park, wilderness area, school garden, or even a weedy empty lot. Middle schoolers identify plant parts and...

Middle schoolers determine location by using the technique of triangulation. They imagine that they are out in the wilderness and have come to the top of a ridge. How can one identify the ridge on the topo map? How can one figure out...

Young scholars study ecology, listen to speakers and research conservation topics.  In this investigative lesson students discuss wilderness resources, learn about Native Americans and participate in activities that help them to...

Students compare Noh drama to western drama and trace the influence of Japanese theater on modern western drama.  In this Noh drama lesson plan, students read the play Black Tomb (Kurozuko) defining the elements and conventions of...

In this editing activity, learners correct grammatical mistakes—including punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar—in a short paragraph about author Virginia Hamilton.

During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking.  Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They...

Develop reading skills in your middle school classroom with this short reading passage. Consider assigning your class a reading strategy to practice as they read the selection. Ten reading comprehension and vocabulary-in-context...

Temptation is the focus of this lesson plan, which was designed for the first week of Lent as an introduction to the tradition of Lenten fast. It includes reading of biblical scripture, hands-on activities where learners design cards...

Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...

Grab the popcorn and take a seat for a Hollywood premier! Eighth graders grasp the concepts behind Westward Expansion and create engaging videos by working through a set of 18 engaging tasks. They also hone their technology, social...

Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.

Biodiversity is essential for every habitat, but many species are at risk due to pollution and other factors. Explore several different species native to Illinois in a gallery walk with posters that learners have created after research...