The second of seven related guides, this curriculum guide for eighth grade English outlines opportunities for students to use the skills they have acquired previously, to be involved in well-planned educational experiences in critical thinking and in oral and written expression, and to develop an understanding of others. The first half of the…

This board game encourages junior and senior high school student analysis of the German campaign against the USSR and gauges student decision-making skills. The World War II Russo-German Front is simulated in a standard board game format. A key element of the game is its analysis and results form. Using this form compels students to analyze and…

This fantasy unit focuses on C. S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Through the unit's 17 lessons (which correspond to the book's 17 chapters), students will read and analyze the text, using the literary elements of characterization, setting, plot, theme, character, climax, and resolution. The unit offers an overview;…

This unit of study is geared toward a heterogeneous eighth grade language arts class. The unit's goal is to show students that the American story chronicled in "My Brother Sam Is Dead" is not simply a story about a series of events that occurred in the past but about taking pride in your heritage and not being afraid to fight back when…

These Louisiana state social studies model lessons, developed and written with the assumption that the lessons would be presented by teachers who are certified in the content areas, are designed to be student driven instruction, is inquiry- and performance-based, and assessment is meaningful and authentic. The lessons focus on understanding…

The Civil War was perhaps the greatest turning point in U.S. history. The dual themes of slavery and power deeply divided the growing nation during the first half of the 19th century. The mission of the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) is to preserve the significant Civil War battlefields by protecting the land and educating the public about…

This eighth-grade lesson teaches about military battles and the lives of women during the U.S. Civil War. Students work both individually and in groups, assuming the perspective of a young woman who has left home to join the war effort. The lesson progresses along the following steps: (1) "Getting Started" (Focus on a particular woman's role); (2)…

Describes cooperative learning strategies used in a class of eighth grade U.S. history students representing a number of cultures and a wide range of abilities. Discusses the formation of groups and the aspects of class routine to which the groups are subject. Provides a form for recording points earned and suggests possible rewards for points.…

Describes a project in which students, in groups, wrote a chapter on factoring polynomials. Gives general format of the activity and excerpts from student writings. (10 references) (MKR)

Reports misconceptions identified in students with respect to the topic of parallel lines and the teaching strategies found to be useful in challenging those misconceptions. (11 references) (MDH)

This unit is one of a series that presents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. The lessons included in this unit attempt to make slavery comprehensible to students, showing its oppressiveness and yet explaining how white Southern culture rationalized and sustained it. The unit also explains how…

This unit focuses on a dramatic moment in the Renaissance from about 1420 when Filippo Brunelleschi single handedly created, defined, and engineered a new architecture by building the great dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The dome became the symbol of Florence's grandeur during the Renaissance, and a model for great…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. By relying on primary sources, this unit explores the Puritans' attempt to create a utopian community in New England, the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The unit is built around 7 objectives: (1) to study historical…

Designed to challenge students to think critically and to motivate them to relate their own personal experiences to a broader panorama of society, this curriculum guide presents a seventh-grade unit on "The Struggle for Equality" and an eighth-grade unit on "The Movements of People." The three related goals of the curriculum…

A drug abuse prevention curriculum for middle school students in grades five through eight is presented in this document, one of a series that is designed to provide educators with the curricular tools necessary to challenge students to take personal responsibility for their health. Each of the 11 lessons includes information of the lesson…