Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators
Persuasive Essay: Grade 5
Improve your fifth graders' persuasive writing skills in four weeks. Working independently, in peer editing groups, and with instruction, writers work over the 17 sessions to craft an argumentative essay. They craft a well-organized...
Space Race
Sensory Detectives
Test your learners' sensory awareness with three hands-on activities that ask pupils to use their other senses to identify and describe everyday objects hidden from sight.
California Academy of Science
Food for Thought: Defining a Problem to Find a Solution
Scholars approach a problem trying to plan a meal for a class party. They learn about the restrictions and must decide what information they need to plan the meal. The first lesson in a 13-part unit on Our Hungry Planet encourages...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Animals
Scholars explore the animal kingdom with help from two texts, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and A Bed for the Winter by Karen Wallace. The literature and informational text set the learning stage for thoughtful discussion and...
Beyond Benign
What is Biotechnology
Examine the sequence of key events in the history of genetics. An engaging lesson asks scholars to sort events to create a timeline of biotechnology milestones. Arranging the events gives learners a perspective on the development of...
Workforce Solutions
Professional References
To gain an understanding of the importance of professional references, class members engage in two projects. First, individuals examine an online review site (Yelp, for example), paying particular attention to the positive and negative...
Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some conversations are easy and enjoyable, while others are horrific! To begin a activity on communicating constructively, class members list examples of conversations that are easy, average, and those that are difficult and identify...
Overcoming Obstacles
Introducing Conflict Resolution
Conflicts come, and conflicts go, but it's how to resolve those conflicts that learners need to know. After identifying the states of conflict in a news article and engaging in a role-play activity, class members reflect on recurring...
Overcoming Obstacles
Accessing Resources
Everyone needs help achieving their goals. The trick is to figure out how to access resources that will be of help. Participants engage in activities that teach them how to identify what help they need to achieve their goals and how to...
Overcoming Obstacles
Working In Teams
Working in teams can be a challenge but also offer many rewards. Developing the skills necessary to work effectively in teams is the focus of the third lesson plan in the Getting Started Module designed for middle schoolers. Participants...
Overcoming Obstacles
Setting Expectations
As Don Quixote asserts in the musical Man of La Mancha, it is possible to achieve your dreams. For the last lesson plan in the Getting Started Module, participants learn the importance of having dreams and setting goals that help them...
Overcoming Obstacles
Staying Healthy
The third lesson in the Building Confidence module focuses on healthy habits. Middle schoolers engage in activities that underscore the need for a healthy diet, daily exercise, and a good night's sleep. They create customized food and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Clarifying Values
The fourth instructional activity in the Confidence Building module asks participants to think about what they value and how these values influence their decisions. Class members engage in activities that help them identify what they...
Overcoming Obstacles
Managing Your Time
Identify tasks, prioritize these tasks, and schedule a time for the tasks. As part of the Managing Personal Resources Module, middle schoolers practice these three good time management steps by engaging in a series of activities. They...
Overcoming Obstacles
Being Accountable
Taking responsibility for our actions is the topic of a instructional activity about being accountable. Middle schoolers engage in a series of games and activities that ask them to demonstrate accountability as they create solutions to...
Overcoming Obstacles
Taking the Initiative
We can all use a little help sometimes. Middle schoolers engage in a series of activities that teach them about taking the initiative, how to make the effort, how to ask questions, and who to ask for help. They then listen to a guest...
Overcoming Obstacles
Perservering
Hang in there! To conclude the Goal Setting module, class members reflect on the importance of perseverance by engaging in an activity that asks them to revise a plan when faced with obstacles. They then review their stepping stone goals...
Overcoming Obstacles
Stepping Stone Goals
Often the most challenging part of any journey is the first step, the getting started and figuring out where to start. Middle schoolers engage in a series of games and activities to learn the importance of setting short-term goals,...
Overcoming Obstacles
Gathering Information
Before making important decisions, gathering as much information as possible is best. That's the take-away from the second lesson in the Decision-Making module of the Overcoming Obstacles course. Middle schoolers engage in a series of...
Overcoming Obstacles
Expressing Opinions Constructively
Everyone has opinions. The trick is to learn how to disagree in a way that doesn't cause problems. The activities in the final instructional activity in the Communication Module focuses on learning how to express opinions constructively....
Overcoming Obstacles
Understanding Nonverbal Messages
The Overcoming Obstacles course for middle schoolers continues with a unit module on communication. In the first instructional activity, participants engage in a series of activities that help them recognize nonverbal clues and the...
Overcoming Obstacles
Listening
Focus, confirm, respond. Middle schoolers engage in a series of activities designed to help them improve their listening skills. They listen to and try to solve a riddle and play a version of the telephone game. Participants learn that...
BBC
Rivers
The water cycle, rainfall, and the flow of water into rivers then out into the ocean are the main ideas covered here. After a teacher-led discussion and activity, learners pair off and write a commentary about the water cycle that is to...
BBC
Code Calling - Working Out New Words
Young readers practice deciphering new words by using context clues and grammatical rules. The online activity embedded in the plan is especially engaging, and should be enjoyable for all pupils who work through it. A good printable...