Browse lesson plans

Postcards of the past

Students will participate in Heritage Day activities that will enhance students' awareness of their heritage. They will take digital pictures of activities to include on a web page and research and report on information gathered. Students will create a web page to present their information.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

By Karol Leaptrott, Rebecca Watt, and Regina Welsted.

Visualizations: Black poet, Langston Hughes

Third grade or fourth grade students will have an opportunity to read and appreciate selected poetry of the African-American poet, Langston Hughes.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

By Floanna Long.

Resources on the web

Ad dissection 101

According to David Shenk, author of Data Smog, today's children watch an average of 22,000 hours of television before graduating from high school. These hours of television contain over a quarter of a million commercials, and it is these commercials that... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: IDEAS and Ryan Anderson

Campaigning for fair use: Public service announcements on copyright awareness

This multi–media unit introduces students to fair use and copyright rules. After evaluating their personal usage of text and media, students research actual laws using kid–friendly Internet sites that explain intellectual property rights. Students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Critical media literacy: Commercial advertising

After taking a media literacy quiz, students discuss and evaluate their personal television viewing habits and media usage. Activities for this unit include analyzing television and print advertisements for hidden messages and interpreting the effects of... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Identifying and understanding the fallacies used in advertising

In this lesson, students learn to analyze fallacious images and messages in advertisements and present their understanding of the fallacies through a multimedia presentation format. In order to acquaint students with the strategies of advertising campaigns,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Let it grow: An inquiry-based organic gardening research project

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students learn about organic gardening by developing their own research questions, conducting research, and gardening at their school. They then create signs about their plants and present their research to the class... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Points of view in the news

This Xpeditions lesson will help students sort through the myriad points of view offered on the Internet and evaluate the sources and purposes of news articles and websites. Students will read articles from National Geographic News and answer questions... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Research building blocks: Examining electronic sources

Children are naturally curious—they want to know “how” and “why.” Teaching research skills can help students find answers for themselves. This ReadWriteThink lesson plan, taken from the “Research Building Blocks”... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Research building blocks: Hints about print

Children are naturally curious—they want to know “how” and “why.” Teaching research skills can help students find answers for themselves. This ReadWriteThink lesson plan, taken from the “Research Building Blocks”... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using technology to analyze and illustrate symbolism in Night.

This lesson integrates technology with the exploration of symbolism in Night, by Elie Wiesel. A series of activities introduces students to modern narratives of hate crimes, genocide, and ethnic cleansing and prepares students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink