Teaching 19th Century Industrial Innovation to 8th Grade Students
By the time eighth graders start the second half of the year, the weight of the Industrial Revolution often feels like a blur of dates and factories. It is exactly the right moment to pivot toward the actual machines and thinkers that turned that period of history... read more
Teaching 8th Grade US History Expansion and Conflict
When you start a discussion about the Homestead Act, 160 acres seems like a straightforward figure to students. It sounds like a gift of opportunity. However, in an 8th grade social studies classroom, that number marks the beginning of a much harder conversation about... read more
Teaching Wave Interactions in 8th Grade Science
When seismic waves move from an earthquake, they hit dense rock layers and bounce off. This simple observation is the starting point for Understanding Wave Interactions. In this 8th grade science lesson, students move past the idea that waves just carry energy from... read more
Teaching Functional Writing in 8th Grade ELA
A fellow teacher once stopped me near the copy machine and asked why her eighth graders could not seem to separate their casual texting language from the formal writing required in a school environment. She was frustrated because, by the time students hit 8th grade... read more