Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the processes, structures, and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce, and carry out the basic functions of life. Often, other living organisms’ need to perform life functions interacts positively/ interferes negatively with humans’ life functions. In this task, students will research protists’ interactions with humans for an online news website.  Students will compose non-fiction essays that relate the positive aspects of protists. The real-world and interdisciplinary aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the earth science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on understanding the cycling of matter in and out of Earth’s atmosphere. In this task, students will research five weather phenomena and use this information to create five “recipes for disaster” to be compiled for a class analysis for similarities and differences and a general understanding of the importance of temperature, pressure, and humidity in weather. The web/text research and result analysis, as well as the creative writing nature of this lesson, allow students to build content understanding while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This is a digital anchor chart that uses the acronym CARS to help students evaluate resources.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 7th Grade English Language Arts.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 7th Grade ELA. 

In this lesson, students create a multimedia PowerPoint presentation about proper telephone procedures.

Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the processes, structures, and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce, and carry out the basic functions of life. In this lesson, students will work in groups to create an annotated diagram explaining how the major systems (except reproduction) are involved in the process of running. The real-world and collaborative aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Students will use scaffolding to research and organize information for writing a research paper. A research paper scaffold provides students with clear support for writing expository papers that include a question (problem), literature review, analysis, methodology for original research, results, conclusion, and references. Students examine informational text, use an inquiry-based approach, and practice genre-specific strategies for expository writing.

Students learn how to create well defined search strings and to use tools and techniques such as bookmarking, browser filters and search engine preferences to avoid unwanted material. (This four lesson unit on search skills and critical thinking teaches students how to target and specify their online searches to avoid unwanted results, how to judge whether a link, search result or website is legitimate or phony and how to find legitimate sources online for media works such as music videos and movies.)

Traditionally thought of as gun-free zones, more and more schools are now allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms— an effort that is meant to increase school safety, particularly when it comes to stopping school shootings. But this move is sparking controversy nationwide, as many opponents question whether arming teachers with guns would actually make schools safer.

Have your students watch the video and respond to the question in KQED Learn.

Many factors contributed to the eventual success of the American colonies as they revolted against British rule. American leadership, the timely support of international allies, and international respect and recognition played major roles in the struggle for independence. Several documents and engravings held by the National Archives help to illustrate these important factors that led to the founding of the United States.

This lesson focuses on the American Revolution, which encouraged the founding fathers' desire to create a government that would, as stated in the Preamble, insure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense.

In this lesson, students use source cards to create a works cited list for a report.

In this lesson, students study issues related to independence and notions of manliness in Ernest Hemingway’s “Three Shots” as they conduct in-depth literary character analysis, consider the significance of environment to growing up and investigate Hemingway’s Nobel Prize-winning, unique prose style. In addition, they will have the opportunity to write and revise a short story based on their own childhood experiences and together create a short story collection.

Students will compare and contrast Times Topics pages with Wikipedia as potential sources of information and use Times Topics pages to tackle classroom research questions.

A handout/tutorial on correct citations. Included in this resource are guidlines for APA, MLA, and Chicago style plus a citation building resource.

This handout will discuss strategies to evaluate secondary printed sources—books, journal articles, magazines, etc.—based on three criteria: objectivity, authority, and applicability to a particular assignment.

Students will choose a topic to research that relates to their career path and write paper on that career in Microsoft Word using MLA formatting for the report.