Facing History and Ourselves
The Audacity of a Vote: Susan B. Anthony’s Arrest
Susan B. Anthony's speech "Is It a Crime for Women to Vote?" takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to consider how they might respond to what they consider an unjust law. Groups work through the speech paragraph by...
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Famous Authors Vocabulary Multiple Choice Worksheet
Don't let the title fool you, this worksheet has little to do with authors! Instead, it tests your middle schoolers on their knowledge of language arts vocabulary. Words like audience, intrigue, novel, and recognition are covered.
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Introducing Literacy Elements in Nonfiction
Explore nonfiction writing with your class. They will identify elements in nonfiction by reviewing elements of fiction. Then they use biographies, memoirs, menus, Time for Kids, and text books to identify elements of nonfiction. They...
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Exploring Tolerance and Related Essential Questioning on Acceptance and Diversity
Learners explore the concept of diversity. They discuss ways in which people differ. Students visit various websites and discuss the vocabulary words found on these sites. They read stories from various countries and discuss the people...
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Impace of Humanities growth on the Surrounding Animal Population
Fourth graders read books about endangered animals. Using Kidspiration software, 4th graders create a presentation illustrating the plight of endangered animals. They identify problems, develop a graphic organizer, and explain the origin...
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Latin America: Our Neighbors at Home and to the South - Newspaper Project
Students work in pairs to create a comprehensive newspaper depicting the major themes covered during the study of Latin America. The activity includes writing, reading, social studies and technology.
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Developing Questioning Skills by Investigating Political Cartoons
Students analyze a collection of political cartoons based on one theme to determine what information is present and what information seems to be missing to tell the story of the event.
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Thematic Maps of Your School
Students are able to list the essential elements of a thematic map, understand and use scale effectively to represent a geographic area, use research skills to develop a body of information, plan and draw an accurate thematic map based...
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The Catcher in the Rye
Ninth graders engage in the reading of literature in order to focus upon some of the basic literary elements while examining "The Catcher In The Rye". They use the experience of reading and literary analysis in order to help develop an...
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Primary Sources in the Classroom: A Gold Rush Perspective
Students develop and hone their historical inquiry and analytical abilities. They draw up a list of 20 essential items they would have to bring to survive one year as a Gold Rush stampeder.
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Nutrition Word Search Puzzle
In this health worksheet, students find the words that are in the word search puzzle that focus upon the vocabulary that is from the theme of the sheet.
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Friends
Students engage in a series of activities designed to help them talk about their friends and the different types of friendships they have inside and outside their immediate family. It will be important in the initial stages of the lesson...
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Using Songs
Students explore songs in a variety of ways to practice the English language. They work in groups to build songs and sing them to the class. They prepare an oral presentation of a singer, group, or musical genre. They contrast two...
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Moore S Word Search Puzzle 1
In this literacy learning exercise, students find the words that are in the word search puzzle that focus upon the vocabulary that is from the theme of the sheet.
New Jersey Historical Commission and New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park
What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...
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Create - A - Story
Apply the elements of a story to create an original story. They select a character, setting, and plot out of a bag, and write an original story tying the three story elements together.
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Focus on Figurative Language
Using the poems "First Snow" by Ted Kooser and "Eating Alone" by Yi-Young Lee (or other suggested poems by Robert Frost or Sara Teasdale), middle schoolers search for examples of figurative language. Guide your learners by discussing...
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Teachers See the Truth but Wait: Teaching Short Stories with Literature Circles
Students use literature circles to analyze four short stories from the Realms of Gold, Volume 3. In this literature circle lesson, students are assigned a role in the literature circle to improve their critical thinking skills for...
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Space: Stars and Planets
Students observe and report that the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. They describe how changes to a model can help predict how the real thing can be altered. Students explain the essential fact of the...
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Focusing with Anticipation Guides
Students write with a sharp, distinct focus identifying topic, task and audience. They discuss anticipatory statements with supporting details. Students create an essential question at the beginning of a composition, novel, or unit.
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Across Five Aprils/Civil War
Eighth graders study the Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. They review vocabulary and literary elements and write a "Brother Against Brother" essay about coming face to face with a brother in one of the battles of the...
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Determining Importance
Students observe pieces of art and look for the principle story the artwork portrays. They compare the techniques artists and authors use to focus on and support these essential stories. They create a piece of art that portrays a given...
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Folk Dance Explorations in the Choreographic Work of Modern Dance
Tenth graders participate in a activity guided by an essential question: in what ways does choreographer, Mark Morris' work, "The Office," reflect Eastern-European traditional folk dance? During the activity's first sessions, students...
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Native American Tribe Cultures
Third graders choose two Native American tribes to compare and contrast using an assigned website. They complete a chart that shows how the tribes are the same and different. Using information gathered on their charts, they answer...