Students explore an annotated online version of the Constitution before sharing what they learned about one aspect of the document through the Trading Card interactive.
Constitution Day is observed today in the U.S.
Celebrate Mandela Day today.
After reading Kadir Nelson's Nelson Mandela, students explore the Mandela Day website before using an online tool to start working on a service project of their own.
Music in Our Schools Month is in March.
Students explore the effects of music on a story by reading a story, novel, or play, viewing the musical version, and comparing the two. Students can then select a text read in class and create a musical adaptation.
César Chávez was born on this day in 1927.
Students work in small groups to research a civil rights leader and do a creative writing piece, followed by a short story, with their group.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, was born in 1896.
After reading The Great Gatsby, students work in pairs, select a chapter from the novel, and rewrite it from the point of view of a different character.
Celebrate International Literacy Day!
Celebrate International Literacy Day by starting a literacy movement in your community.
Rhyme Time With Madeline
Children love books that rhyme and to create their own rhymes. It's a fun way to learn how words sound similar to one another!
Add Seasons to Rhyming Poems and Songs
Choose favorite rhyming songs or nursery rhymes then replace the rhyming words with seasonal themes.
Practice Letters and Sounds Using Online Games
Find three fun online games that are designed to help children learn to recognize letters and how they sound.
Cooking and Creating in the Kitchen
After reading If You Give a Moose a Muffin, have a "Muffin Party"! Children will write invitations, follow a recipe, and enjoy sharing their homemade muffins.
Become a Young Archaeologist
Want to visit a museum without leaving your computer? Virtually dig for famous historical artifacts from around the world found in the British Museum.
Unveiling Idioms: A Game of Concentration
Brainstorm popular expressions with friends and family, then explore their meanings through game play and writing/drawing/cut-and-paste activities.
Follow the Word Trail: Organize a Treasure Hunt
Create a treasure hunt out of word-puzzle clues hidden around the home or yard.
Today is the International Day of Peace.
Students brainstorm a list of current conflicts and why people fight. Groups discuss and present possible solutions and create posters that promote their particular solution.
Hispanic Heritage Month begins today.
Students brainstorm all the various aspects of Latinx culture and compile topics to research. Groups then research topics and present their information to the class.
The first English printer, William Caxton, was born on this day in 1422.
Students consider how the printing press affects their world by completing a printing inventory, comparing lists, and developing a "super" list of all printed materials that they interact with.
Ernest Thayer, author of the famous poem "Casey at the Bat," was born in 1863.
In small groups or individually, students make baseball cards for the players in the poem "Casey at the Bat." Students can use a word processor or the Character Trading Cards interactive to create their cards.
Afterschool and Summer Reading with LGBTQ Content
Motivate your middle school reader with books that include LGBTQ characters.
Go Wild with Webcams!
Can't make it to a zoo? After reading a book about apes, observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many Webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world.
Bill of Rights Day is observed.
Students identify a students' rights issue and explore the ways in which the Bill of Rights does protect and does not protect students.