Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

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Literacy at Work: How to Write a Poem with Glenis Redmond

Watch this video on how to write a poem featuring Glenis Redmond to provide your students with insights and tips for writing poetry.

Shaped Staff

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Teaching World History: World War I Lesson Plan and Activities

Teach students about the legacy of the Great War with these World War I lesson plans and activities.

Shaped Staff

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 4: Explore Haiku and More

Have your middle schoolers write their own haikus, identify themes in works of literature, and create a character's social media profile.

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 3: Identify Figurative Language and More

Have middle schoolers identify figurative language, start a dialectical journal, and respond to daily dinner prompts.

Shaped Staff

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Teach Kids About Flattening the Curve on Coronavirus—with Activities

Population health researcher Drew Harris explains a simple chart that shows how staying home can slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Grades 6-8 Math Activity Set 1: Financial Literacy

Download financial literacy activities for middle school students and teach them about topics including wages, salaries, and careers.

Shaped Staff

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 2: Create a Word Cloud and More

Have middle schoolers improve their writing, critical thinking, and reading skills with these activities, which include creating a word cloud and summarizing informational texts.

Shaped Staff

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7 Tips for Helping Your Child with Math at Home (When You Hate Math)

Explore tips for parents, caregivers, and educators who are helping children with math at home but don't feel comfortable or competent in the discipline.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 1: Poetry Scavenger Hunt and More

Sharpen your writing, language, critical thinking, and reading skills with these instructional resources for Grades 6-8, including a poetry scavenger hunt.

Shaped Staff

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Teaching Linear Equations in Math

A linear equation in two variables describes a relationship in which the value of one of the variables depends on the value of the other variable.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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5 Social-Emotional Learning Strategies Teachers Can Use Now

Schools that integrate social-emotional learning into instruction equip students to persevere and master rigorous content. Start with these five tips.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

How To Calculate Social Media Engagement

How to Calculate Social Media Engagement: A Math Activity

Download these free math activities for students to teach them how to calculate the engagement of both real and fictional Instagram users.

Ally Zmijeski
Associate Learning Architect, Math

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Teaching World History: Age of Imperialism Lesson Plans

Use this Age of Imperialism lesson plan to teach students about the actions taken by Europe and the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to acquire new territories.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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Teaching Supreme Court Cases: Goss v. Lopez Due Process Lesson Plan

Download this Goss v. Lopez due process lesson plan to teach students about the 1975 Supreme Court case regarding the role of the Fourteenth Amendment in student suspensions.

Shaped Staff

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What Does It Mean to Have a Limitless Mind?

In Jo Boaler's book Limitless Mind, the author attempts to make the case that we are capable of learning anything and dives into the six keys of learning.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Coaching SEL Through Literacy: Ideas and Things to Look For

By folding social-emotional learning into instructional strategies educators already use to teach literacy, SEL begins to feel less daunting.

Sherry St. Clair
HMH Contributor

Talking To Students About Coronavirus

How to Talk to Kids About the Coronavirus

Children likely have questions, concerns, or fears about the coronavirus (COVID-19), and many experts and educators agree on the best ways to respond.

Glenn Greenberg
Shaped Contributor

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March 2020: Celebrate a Holiday in Class Every Day

Have fun every day with these March classroom ideas for elementary students. Ideas range from fun facts to share with the class to more detailed school activities and lessons.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.