This is a collaborative research project about Canada's geography that requires students to role-play as product designers for a fictitious travel association, Travel Canada. An excellent example of differentiated instruction, students may research any of Canada's provinces or territories to find information that makes their chosen place unique: major landmarks, landforms, major and minor cities, symbols, fun facts, etc. Working with partners, the team members will then choose one of five products in this assignment to show what they have learned: a PowerPoint presentation, a three-fold travel brochure, a mobile, a game or game board, or a map on poster board. To meet Writing Across the Curriculum goals, a two-page report on what they learned in the project is also required.

This is a challenging set of 20 research questions for a 20th Century American History class studying the decade 1910-1919. The questions are organized chronologically, and there are two questions per year in most cases. Here is what is GREAT about this assignment: it's fully customizable! For instance, you might use only 10 of these questions instead of the 20 in the packet. You might choose 5 of the questions and ask students to conduct in-depth research for a full-length report. The possibilities are endless! I decided to make a research assignment that went beyond basic questions like "When did the Titanic sink?" and "Who was president during World War I?" Instead, I opted for questions that required strong critical thinking skills and better research skills and - above all - taught an appreciation for 20th Century American history.

This is a challenging set of 20 research questions for a 20th Century American History class studying the decade 1900-1909. The questions are organized chronologically, and there are two questions per year in most cases. Here is what is GREAT about this assignment: it's fully customizable! For instance, you might use only 10 of these questions instead of the 20 in the packet. You might choose 5 of the questions and ask students to conduct in-depth research for a full-length report. The possibilities are endless! I decided to make a research assignment that went beyond basic questions like "Which president was assassinated in 1901?" and "Which city did the Hurricane of 1900 destroy?" Instead, I opted for questions that required strong critical thinking skills and better research skills and - above all - taught an appreciation for 20th Century American history.

This is a challenging set of 21 research questions for a 20th Century American History class studying the decade 1950-1959. It has a strong focus on events during the Cold War and the American Civil Rights Movement. The questions are organized chronologically. Here is what is GREAT about this assignment: it's fully customizable! For instance, you might use only 10 of these questions instead of the 21 in the packet. You might choose 5 of the questions and ask students to conduct in-depth research for a full-length report. The possibilities are endless! I decided to make a research assignment that required strong critical thinking skills and better research skills and - above all - taught an appreciation for 20th Century American history.

Lord of the Flies RAFT Writing Project contains a Common Core-ready writing project for the English/Language Arts classroom.This is a culminating project to end a unit of study on William Golding's famous novel. What is a RAFT, you might ask? RAFT is an acronym for a powerful writing strategy that provides rigor, flexibility, and variety. RAFT stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. A RAFT can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres of writing (expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative or persuasive) to create one of several products (letter, television commercial, diary entry, etc.).

The Lightning Thief RAFT Writing Project contains a Common Core-ready writing project for the English/Language Arts classroom.This is a culminating project to end a unit of study on Rick Riordan's fun novel. What is a RAFT, you might ask? RAFT is an acronym for a powerful writing strategy that provides rigor, flexibility, and variety. RAFT stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. A RAFT can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres of writing (expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative or persuasive) to create one of several products (letter, television commercial, diary entry, etc.). I define this further in the packet.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. R.A.F.T. Creative Writing Project is an excellent assignment to use to wrap up a lesson about this iconic figure in American history. It is also a great idea if you wish to make a unit multidisciplinary: you can combine social studies and language arts into a fun, challenging creative writing project! What is a R.A.F.T., you might ask? R.A.F.T. is an acronym for a powerful writing strategy that stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. R.A.F.T.s provide rigor, flexibility, and variety. A R.A.F.T. can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres or types of writing to create one of several products including a letter, a television commercial, a journal entry, and several more.

Consider purchasing this quick vocabulary assignment to introduce your elementary or middle school students to some basic terminology about Islam. You might even use it as a vocabulary quiz. The choice is yours! I believe this assignment would be best for kids between the ages of 10-14. There are twelve terms found in the complete assignment, with kid-friendly definitions, and an answer key for quick, simple grading. Additionally, I have created and included four puzzles you might consider using: a word search, a crossword puzzle, a fallen phrase puzzle, and a cryptogram puzzle. All answer keys are also provided. Last, please find a handful of websites you might consult to build a lesson or unit plan about Islam. The vocabulary words include: Allah, the Five Pillars, Hajj, Kaaba, Mecca, Minaret, Mosque, Muezzin, Muhammad, Quran, Prophet, and Ramadan.

Would you like to enliven early American history with a fun, challenging writing project? The Salem Witch Trials RAFT Writing Project contains a RAFT writing project for the social studies or Civics classroom. What is a RAFT, you might ask? RAFT is an acronym that stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. It is a powerful writing strategy that provides rigor, flexibility, and variety. A RAFT can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres of writing (expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative or persuasive) to create one of several products (letter, television commercial, diary entry, etc.). I define this further in the packet.

My students asked me to explain Kwanzaa recently. I decided to write this assignment to guide the process. "Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Life and Heritage" is a Common Core-ready reading assignment and critical thinking activity. It is intended for upper elementary and middle school students. Consider using it in reading, language arts, or geography class. It is quite flexible! Students will read a two-page passage that explains aspects about the holiday. They will then complete ten questions related to the reading. First, they must use the reading (or a dictionary) to define seven vocabulary words. Some of which are "Tier Two" and "Tier Three" vocabulary words. (If you are not familiar, the "tiers" refer to language objectives in the Common Core standards.) They will also answer three critical thinking questions in sentence form.

This packet contains 15 worksheets spanning several disciplines and subjects including social studies, science, physical education, and reading. All assignments will align easily with the Common Core research standards, if this is a necessity. Students are asked to utilize reputable websites or a good online encyclopedia to find information to complete each task with fun and engaging topics! Assignments are available in different formats: multiple choice, matching, short answer, and short essay. In some cases, extension assignments are also available, which might provide excellent springboards into large-scale research projects and presentations. I hope these are helpful! Additionally, there are two assignments in this packet – Keyword Keepers and Subject Searches – that introduce students to the challenging world of Internet research. If your students are inexperienced online searchers, consider starting them on these two assignments.

Thank you for your interest in Lifesavers: Last-Minute Language Arts Lesson Plan Worksheets for Grades 5-8. Why is the packet called Lifesavers? Simply put, these little worksheets are ready-made to slide into a lesson plan at a moment’s notice. Let’s imagine you need to leave lesson plan worksheets in a hurry for a substitute teacher about synonyms and antonyms. You will find them on pages 10 and 14 respectively. You might wish for students to review concepts like similes, metaphors, and personification. Find these worksheets on pages 40, 44, and 48 respectively. In addition to the worksheets, I have included answer keys for easier, time-efficient grading and a (hopefully) handy table-of-contents page to find worksheets quickly. The packet includes 25 worksheets on several topics including similes, metaphors, alliteration, and more.

Are you looking for a way to introduce a discussion about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights into your planning? Looking for a way to teach "Constitution Day" in your Social Studies curriculum? This assignment will do the trick. Students are introduced to some basic facts about the Bill of Rights in the first page of the assignment. The remaining pages ask students to read, analyze, and explain each of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. They must also imagine a nation without these rights to protect its citizens. They will then explain how they believe life in America would differ without these protections. I have used it successfully in middle school Social Studies classrooms in the past as either an individual assignment or as a team project. What I find especially helpful about this document is that you do not have to teach with all ten amendments. You can pick and choose only a few of them if you wish.

This 50-page visual dictionary/workbook assignment gives students an opportunity to learn up to 50 landforms and bodies of water in a fun, completely visual way. Give your students the 21st geography skills they will need in an increasingly "globalized" world. Students must define each geography term, list examples, and then provide a photograph for each. The nice aspect about this assignment is that it is fully customizable to your students' abilities and needs. You may not need all 50 pages, but you can always mix-and-match to fit your curriculum. Let's imagine you are introducing landforms and bodies of water to elementary school students: you might choose ten basic terms from this workbook to teach.

The Henry Ford and the Model T R.A.F.T. Creative Writing Project is an excellent assignment to use to wrap up a lesson about this iconic figure in American History. It is also a great idea if you wish to make a unit multidisciplinary: you can combine social studies and language arts into a fun, challenging creative writing project! What is a R.A.F.T., you might ask? R.A.F.T. is an acronym for a powerful writing strategy that stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. R.A.F.T.s provide rigor, flexibility, and variety. A R.A.F.T. can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres or types of writing to create one of several products including a letter, a television commercial, a journal entry, and several more. I define this further in the packet.

Consider purchasing this quick vocabulary assignment to introduce your middle school or high school students to some basic terminology about Judaism. You might even use it as a vocabulary quiz. The choice is yours! I believe this assignment would be best for kids between the ages of 13-18. There are twenty-five terms found in the complete assignment with definitions and an answer key for quick, simple grading. Additionally, I have created and included four puzzles you might consider using: two word searches and two double puzzles. All answer keys are also provided. Last, please find a handful of websites you might consult to build a lesson or unit plan about Judaism.

This is a variation of an old creative writing assignment to teach the importance of powerful adjectives using the five senses. This activity has been around for quite a few years. You may have seen it performed with lollipops, Hershey's Kisses, etc. I have tried both pieces of candy with my students with success. However, when I modified it slightly I found that this assignment works even better with Starlight Mints. My students' responses were much more varied and colorful. I have included the student assignment sheet and an idea for an extensive assignment you may consider using also. A quick note about the assignment sheet: One column says "strive for five," which is my way of challenging students to think of five powerful ways to describe what they are experiencing. You may modify this portion, if you wish, to fit your students' needs.

Would you like to enliven ancient history with a fun, challenging writing project? The Gladiators of the Roman Colosseum RAFT Writing Project contains a RAFT writing project for the social studies classroom. This project may be used as a creative research project or as a summarizing assignment to end a unit of study on Caesar or Ancient Rome. **Students are also reminded in the instructions that the writing MUST be school-appropriate! ** What is a RAFT, you might ask? RAFT is an acronym for a powerful writing strategy that provides rigor, flexibility, and variety. A RAFT can be implemented in all content areas, thus making it an excellent Writing Across the Curriculum resource. Young writers might pursue one of several genres of writing (expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative or persuasive) to create one of several products (letter, television commercial, diary entry, etc.).

“Hamlet: The Social Network” is an excellent way to bring differentiated instruction to the classroom for a complicated Shakespearean play. We hear a lot these days about how our students enjoy communicating with one another on sites like Facebook, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Twitter. This project is essentially a character analysis assignment in the form of a “mock social network.” Students must imagine that characters from Hamlet have social networking pages where they post their thoughts, concerns, activities, motivations, and more. There have been many creative ways to teach Hamlet over the years including mock newspapers, mock trials, and the like. This project puts a 21st-century spin on those assignments and allows students to express themselves in a familiar medium. This packet includes pages for eight characters in Hamlet.

Just in time for those snowy winter months: "How hard is it to predict snow?" is a Common Core-ready reading assignment and critical thinking activity. It is intended for upper elementary and middle school students. Consider using it in reading, language arts, science, or geography class. It is quite flexible! Students will read a two-page passage that explains why forecasting snowfall is no easy process. They will then complete ten questions related to the reading. First, they must use the reading (or a dictionary) to define seven vocabulary words. Some of which are "Tier Two" and "Tier Three" vocabulary words. (If you are not familiar, the "tiers" refer to language objectives in the Common Core standards.) They will also answer three critical thinking questions in sentence form. There are no multiple choice or true-false questions here. I want my students to really use their noggins to succeed on this assignment!