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Pine Wood Derby Prompt
Eighth graders use Newton's Laws of Motion to assist a troop in making a winning car in the Pine Wood Derby.
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Tunes for Bears to Dance to: Questioning Strategy, Discussion Web
Readers of Robert Cormier's Tunes for Bears to Dance to are asked to consider the morality of the central character's actions
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Levittown, White Picket Paradise?
Middle schoolers study the origins and happenings of Levittown, Pennsylvania. For this Pennsylvania history lesson plan, students use primary and secondary sources to research the beginnings of Levittown, PA. As a culminating activity,...
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Baseball Cards
Students read a short story on baseball cards and reflect on Honus Wagner's decision to withdraw his card. In this baseball cards lesson plan, students study how children used cards in the 1930's and express their understanding of Honus...
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The Human Body, Incorporated
Second graders research each body system and writer a letter t Joe, the CEO of the Human Bdy, Incorporated, who is downsizing. In their letter, 2nd graders tell him which body parts to keep as employees.
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play
Students read Shakespeare and Macbeth: The Story Behind the Play by Stewart Ross. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the play and Shakespearian culture. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...
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Saving Big Cats from Extinction
Students explore extinction. In this biology and environmental science instructional activity, students define extinction, identify what living things need to survive, and create a persuasive poster about "saving the big cats"...
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Language Arts: The Three Appeals
Students are able to identify and describe the persuasive techniques used in editorial writing. They are able to label persuasive techniques with the logos, pathos, and ethos terminology.
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Decision Making and Assertiveness
Fourth graders identify a problem and write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience, to correct the problem. They demonstrate effective decision making based on positive self-worth. Students need to write a paragraph about their...
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Summer Fun! Vacation Destination Postcards
Pupils design a postcard with a graph and text. They research their favorite vacation spot. Pupils write a friendly letter to their parents requesting to visit this vacation destination. Students use a Circle Map, to help fill in their...
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The Game of Persuasion
Students study vocabulary words and explore persuasive speaking. In groups, they support a given argument and generate ideas for a a persuasive speech. They discuss powerful words and strategies for persuasion. Students write a...
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Build Your Own Adventure
Sixth graders write a narrative. They choose options for plot and climax within the context of an outdoor survival story.
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The Diary of Anne Frank
Eighth graders apply knowledge of the Holocaust in general and The Diary of Anne Frank in particular to their writing. Acting the play out in class provides them an almost firsthand knowledge of Anne and the other characters.
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Is Seeing Believing...Or Decieving
Seventh graders investigate media protrayal of railroad trespassing incidents. They write a legal action letter against one of the media companies.
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A Sure Bet!
Ninth graders analyze Chekhov's "The Bet". They repsond to a journal quesiton and use examples from the novel. In groups, they take on different roles analyzing the novel and then write one of my prompts to complete the lesson.
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Sportsmanship and Spectator Behavior
Sixth graders listen to the story BEING A BAD SPORT as teacher reads to the class. They identify good and bad sportsmanship by reading and writing activities. They then go to the gym and simulate a game situation recording examples of...
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Immigration
Eighth graders examine the American immigration experience. In this immigration lesson, 8th graders watch a video about Ellis Island and discuss the processing that took place there. Students write letters in the voice of American...
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The Pioneer Experience
Tenth graders consider the move westward. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 10th graders compare and contrast the experiences of 2 pioneers by creating t-charts. Students analyze diaries, photographs, and political...
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The Wyandotte Constitutional Convention: The Issue of Suffrage
Seventh graders discover details about the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention. In this Kansas history activity, 7th graders tackle civil rights concerns as they draft persuasive speeches to secure the rights of young voters in the state.
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Observing Capitalization Rules
In this capitalization worksheet, students complete three activities that help them follow the rules for capitalization in their writing.
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Seeing the Forests for the Trees
Learners explore changing logging practices in the Congo Republic and research the many roles of tropical forests as a natural resource. To synthesize their understanding, students write letters to loggers in Africa, urging them to adopt...
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Understanding Science Fiction
Fourth graders learn about the genre of science fiction. In this science fiction lesson, 4th graders learn about the characteristics of science fiction as a genre. They write an original piece of science fiction.
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Art or Artifact?
Students analyze and discuss illustrations of the New World by John White. They examine the images, answer questions about each one, and write an essay.
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Voting and the U.S. Constitution (Past, Present, and Future)
Students discuss the 26th Amendment, then write letters to a future guest speaker. Students listen to the guest speaker and ask them questions about voting and voter turnout. Students then create handbills urging citizens to vote.