CCSS Archives - A Lesson Plan for Teachers

Quick Thought Thursday: Scavenger Hunt Bonus

Posted on January 15, 2015July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

I have never been one to offer random bonus points to my students. Assignments were always valuable in my eyes, and I did not want to dismiss any lesson for the sake of a boost. However, I recently had a...Read More

Monday Mapping: Mapping Out Informational Texts

Posted on January 12, 2015July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

Students in upper levels are now required to read informational texts as part of state and national standards, yet many have never been taught the foundational standards for understanding those resources. With the new semester just beginning, start with a...Read More

Checking All the Boxes

Posted on December 8, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

As you near the end of the semester, it's time to check off all the boxes on your list of to-dos for each of your classes. If you are a CCSS or standards-based school, that means making sure you have...Read More

Living the Geography Lesson: Applying the Content

Posted on November 3, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

As a Social Studies teacher in the middle and high school grades, you are often asked why your course is important. In Geography courses, it used to be very easy to explain with skills like map reading and cultural investigations...Read More

Recognizing Holidays in the Upper Grades Classroom

Posted on October 30, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

As the Holiday Season approaches, and with Veteran's Day on the doorstep, we are often pressured to take time out in our upper grades classrooms to teach to the event. While this works well with some historic events, as we...Read More

Performing in the Classroom: Effective Role-Play for Learning

Posted on September 25, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner!" "If you build it, they will come." "Show me the money!" "Life is like a box of chocolates..." "You can't handle the truth!" "I see dead people!" "Just keep swimming!" As we all grew...Read More

Groups in the Interactive Classroom: How to Assign the Groups!

Posted on September 22, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

As we try to make our classrooms more and more interactive, the great challenge can often be creating groups that can work well together. While it is important to have mixed-ability groups, it is also important to keep them guessing...Read More

I’m Off To Make the Donuts: Your Boring Curriculum Problems Solved

Posted on September 12, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

Every Social Studies certified teacher could be assigned a number of different courses in the Social Studies Department. My first year of teaching was just that nightmare, with 6 different preps within 3 different courses. I taught both honors and...Read More

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

Posted on May 3, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

On May 5th, many across the United States of America and in Mexico will be celebrating their heritage. Most Americans misunderstand this celebration, thinking it is Mexico's independence day, just like Americans celebrate every July 4th. Cinco de Mayo is...Read More

I Got Nothing!

Posted on April 28, 2014July 25, 2020 by Michele Luck

Oftentimes in our classrooms, we hear our students complain that they don't have any ideas, or they have no inspiration for a writing assignment. We encourage them to brainstorm, create lists, do a Venn Diagram, write an outline... And the...Read More