National Endowment for the Humanities
Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: Crossing the River
Students analyze the multiple voices in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. In this multiple voices lesson plan, students explore the use of symbolism with the narrative voices of the text. Students write a detailed profile of one...
Curated OER
Why is it so hot when I sit next to the window?
Students investigate how energy travels through glass. In this energy usage lesson plan, students conduct an experiment in which they decide if window film affects how much energy travels through the glass. Students use a journal to...
Museum of Tolerance
Oral History Activity
Oral history has brought a multitude of lessons, stories, and factoids to our current knowledge of the past. Let us continue to use oral history traditions through a lesson that encourages pupils to discover and appreciate...
Curated OER
Science Current Events
Seventh graders write science current events articles using various media sources.
Carnegie Mellon University
Lab Report
A set of instructions and a 100-point grading rubric have been designed for writing lab reports. Appropriate for middle schoolers, this lays out what to include for each of the six steps in the scientific method: title, hypothesis,...
Curated OER
Experiment Report (Normal Form)
Here is a handy handout to give any science class as a guide to writing lab reports. It is a blank outline that you can have aspiring scientists fill out when they experiment, or imitate as they record their experiments in a lab journal....
Curated OER
Counting on Frank
Eighth graders read a book "Counting on Frank" with a partner. Using the text, they identify eight clues and use their mathematical reasoning in real-life situations. They participate in a game and turn in a notebook in which they write...
Curated OER
Dig A Little Deeper
Here is a great lesson on recognizing events and themes in a story. Students read chapters from a chosen book and then fill out a graphic organizer to further explore the purpose of the chapter. They write the events, themes, author's...
Curated OER
Michelle Kwan: Heart of a Champion
Who is a champion to your class? Elementary and middle schoolers think of a role-model from their lives. Then, in their journals, they write evidence of that person's perseverance. They identify the character trait of perseverance with...
Curated OER
Similes and Metaphors
Use the Civil War and important figures from that period to help your class write poetry. You'll need to create a list of similes and metaphors, but you could also consider having your learners create this the day prior. They will use...
Curated OER
Air Pressure is Powerful
Students make a barometer and write a paragraph describing how they did it.
Curated OER
Long Distance Phone Plans
In this long distance phone plane worksheet, students compare various phone plans and determine which long distance plan has the greatest savings. Students support their answers visually through the use of tables and graphs. They write...
Curated OER
Jumping Frogs - A Lesson on The Scientific Method
Pupils use origami frogs to experience the scientific method. They define different scientific terms. Also they test a hypothesis and draw conclusions from observations to go through all the steps of the scientific method.
Curated OER
Build Mastery: Making Inferences
Do your youngsters realize that they are constantly making inferences? Expose this inner process by bringing out the book they will be reading. Ask scholars what they think the plan is, and explain that their answers are the product of...
Curated OER
"Archeology Dig"
Students simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.
Curated OER
FBI Counts Mosques
Young scholars gather as much background as possible about this controversial FBI directive and what Muslim and civil liberties groups believe about it. They perform interviews with Muslim students to gather opinions and then form a...
Curated OER
Dental Health
Fourth graders investigate the types of habits that are necessary for good dental health. They use information provided from a variety of resources to make conclusions of the overall practice of dental hygiene. Then students produce a...
Virginia Department of Education
Ordering Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
Order up a resource on comparing rational numbers. Scholars order fractions, decimals, and percents by converting to a single form. They conduct a cut-and-paste activity ordering three sets of rational numbers.
Curated OER
Anticipation Guide
Young readers consider ten questions regarding murder mystery stories. The must choose from one of five options: strongly disagree, disagree, depends, agree, or strongly agree. A sample questions is, "A murder mystery must describe the...
Curated OER
International Trade Web Pages
Students describe how a country is currently engaging in international trade in terms of both imports and exports, as well as identifying trade barriers. They conduct research to identify the institutions and culture of a country. Using...
Curated OER
Muscular Dystrophy: A Walk in Their Shoes
Health and biology learners wear five pound weights on their legs for 24 hours to simulate the extra effort required when people suffer from muscular dystrophy. They research the disability online and write about how it feels to "walk in...
Curated OER
Using Children's Literature to Teach Writing: No, David!
Students review beginning, middle, and end of a story and how details add to a story.
Curated OER
Science: Fish Behavior Bingo
Fifth graders, working in groups, observe fish in the Aquademics aquarium and identify the behaviors pictured there on worksheets. They match the pictures showing the behaviors, such as feeding, with the descriptions listed at the bottom...
Curated OER
Making and Breaking the Grid
Learners examine the grid in terms of a method of organization in our society as well as graphic design. In this "Making and Breaking the Grid" lesson, students design solutions to common problems and draw conclusions about patterns and...