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Masks Across Cultures
Middle schoolers examine various masks from different cultures. In groups, they review vocabulary related to expressing emotions in art. They work together to create a mask using the techniques described to them and representing a...
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Contrast Listening
Students listen to two different excerpts of the same music piece. In groups, they collectively write descriptions of the tempo and dynamics of the piece and assign a color to the music. They relate the color chosen to the tempo and...
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Snow Day
Eighth graders work in small groups to design and build a snow remover while looking at a snow design brief. They combine 2 or more simple machines to form a compound machine following the design brief in order to meet the required...
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Ready, Set, Go!!
Students work to improve reading fluency by practicing oral reading skills. They read and reread sentences, noticing the effect repeated reading have on speed and accuracy. In groups, they complete timed readings and work to improve...
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Exploring the Library
Students explore ways to use the library as a resource for accessing research material. Working individually, they participate in a teacher created library scavenger hunt to aid in locating fiction and nonfiction material as well as...
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Crazy Critters Creative Writing
Students brainstorm animals with unusual characteristics such as a giraffe with a short neck or a zebra without stripes. They write paragraphs about their animals and work in peer editing groups to refine their stories.
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What Do Parts Do?
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they identify and describe the components and functions of all of the parts of a plant. Using a diagram, they label the parts of the plant chosen and share...
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Magnetic Force
Pupils are introduced to the attraction and repulsion of magnetic forces. In groups, they observe how the forces react with different materials and record their data. They develop their own conclusions about the poles of magnets and...
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Where In the World Are the Resources?
Students use the internet to research the amount of natural resources in a specific area on Earth. In groups, they locate the supply of each natural resource on a map in that area and what can be done to reduce their usage. They also...
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Threats to Validity
Pupils review the components of the scientific habits of mind. In groups, they use this information and relate it to scientific investigations. They develop strategies to evaluate information and evidence and how to question sources of...
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Doing Science Safely
Students are introduced to how to practice science experiments safely outside of school. In groups, they create a poster showing the safety guidelines and responses to specific situations should they occur. They also practice using...
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Space Program Spin-Offs
Students brainstorm types of accommodations needed for space travel. They create a table of categories for these accommodations and work in groups to research the categories. Each group puts together a five minute presentation to present...
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Producers of Goods and Services
Students use newspapers to brainstorm a list of the producers of goods and services in their community. In groups, they organize coupons based on the good or service and create a chart to organize the information. They discuss the...
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Transportation History
Learners research the major developments in transportation. In groups, they use this information to plot them on a timeline. They also write a paragraph about how advances in technology have changed the world. As a class, they discuss...
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World Wide Web Historical Timeline
Students use newspapers and magazines to identify six recent political and social events from around the world. In groups, they use a timeline template to place the events on the timeline in chronological order. They share with the...
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Slave Narratives
Pupils examine many different slave narratives living in the 1700s. In groups, they identify and describe the major events in their lives and arrange them into chronological order. They use this information to create a timeline and...
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Nonviolent Resistance: Gandhi and King
High schoolers use the internet to research the major events and dates of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In groups, they use this information to create a poster to present to the class. They reflect on how these two men...
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Creating and Comparing Climographs
Students are introduced to the importance and usefulness of climographs. In groups, they create a climograph of two cities on about the same latitude. They compare and contrast the locations and climates of the two cities and write a...
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The Columbian Exchange
Middle schoolers examine the process of the Columbian Exchange. In groups, they create a poster showing the good exchanged and the people affected. They note the impacts of the Exchange on the world and present their poster to the...
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Famous People and Cultural Diffusion
Students use the internet to identify cultural traditions throughout the world. In groups, they examine each culture and determine the effect they had on life in the United States. They use this information to write a family history...
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Clay Animation
Eighth graders create a visual story without using words. A study of the history and process of clay animation is explored and discussed. Students storyboard a plot of a story and students divide up into groups designing characters and...
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Website Evaluation
Students examine how to differentiate between authentic and unauthentic websites on the Internet. They view and discuss a photo of a shark that is a hoax, then discuss the eight ways to evaluate websites. Students then evaluate three...
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Regular And Irregular Plurals
Sixth graders engage in a lesson that covers the use of regular and irregular plurals. They practice using four different games which work for keeping the student level of engagement high. Students review the rules of basic plurals and...
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Plot Summary for Story Elements
Ninth graders identify story elements utilizing a plot summary organizer. For this plot summary lesson, 9th graders discuss the elements of a good story and listen to the story of the three little pigs. Students complete a group plot...