Shaped

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

Latest Posts

Margaret Walker Jubilee

Celebrating the Legacy of Author Margaret Walker and Jubilee

Honor author Margaret Walker and her book Jubilee, which tells the story of American slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction from the point of view of the enslaved people.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Teaching How To Write An Email

You've Got Mail: How to Teach Email Writing to Students

Learn how to teach email writing to students and focus on proper email etiquette so they can ask questions and send greetings to teachers, school staff, and even parents.

Sally Doulton
Teacher, Manhasset Secondary School, New York

Absolute Monarchy Lesson Plan

Teaching World History: Absolute Monarchy Lesson Plan and Resources

Download this absolute monarchy lesson plan to teach your students about rulers including Frederick the Great and Louis XIV.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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February 2020: Celebrate a Holiday in Class Every Day

Have fun every day with these February 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

College Application

Teaching Supreme Court Cases: Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Affirmative action in higher education gained national attention during the 1978 Supreme Court case University of California Regents v. Bakke.

Shaped Staff

How to write a persona poem

Unearthing Challenging History: Teaching Persona Poems in the Classroom

Teach your students how to write a persona poem with these tips from poet and teaching artist Glenis Redmond along with four persona poem examples.

Glenis Redmond
Poet and Teaching Artist

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Hook Students Through the Heartstrings With Poetry

Use this downloadable lesson plan by Poet Glenis Redmond in your classroom, and you can discover a lot of surprising and touching information about your students and their lives.

Charmion Mohning
Secondary Reading Coordinator, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

Dionna Smith
ELA and READ 180 Teacher, Thornton Middle School, Texas

Sandra Windham
READ 180 Teacher, Cypress Creek High School, Texas

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January 2020: Celebrate a Holiday in Class Every Day

Have fun every day with these January 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

Martin Luther King Discussion Questions

Martin Luther King Jr. Discussion Questions: Reflecting on His Legacy

On MLK Day, reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful message of equality and human potential with a list of Martin Luther King discussion questions.

Alex Honeysett
Former Director of Communications, Channel One News

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Science Activities for the Classroom: 7 Indicator Recipes for Students

Download these activities to teach students about indicators, chemicals that “indicate” the presence or absence of a substance or check on the strength of a solution.

Shaped Staff

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Teaching Supreme Court Cases: The Role of the Fourth Amendment in Schools

Use this New Jersey v. T.L.O. lesson plan to teach your students about the Fourth Amendment and unreasonable search and seizure.

Shaped Staff

Protestant reformation lesson plan Martin Luther

Teaching World History: A Protestant Reformation Lesson Plan

Download this Protestant Reformation lesson plan to teach your students about this period of upheaval in Europe. These Protestant Reformation activities for middle school and high school encourage critical thinking through writing and primary source analysis.

Shaped Staff

Renaissance Lesson Plan

Teaching the Renaissance: World History Lesson Plan and Activities

Use this Renaissance lesson plan and activities for middle school and high school to teach your students about this era of cultural "rebirth" in the 14th to 17th centuries.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

How To Write A Praise Poem

New Wings: Writing Praise Poems in the Classroom

Poet Glenis Redmond says teaching students how to write a praise poem is a great way to dive into metaphors and similes and have them flex their creative muscles.

Glenis Redmond
Poet and Teaching Artist

Reading Intervention In A Digital World

Reading Intervention in a Digital World: Q&A With Elmira City School District

Find teacher insights into how reading intervention has evolved in the past two decades as well as advice to maximize student outcomes, ensure a growth mindset, and more.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Tinker V Des Moines Lesson Plan

Teaching Supreme Court Cases: Tinker v. Des Moines and Freedom of Speech

Use this Tinker v. Des Moines lesson plan to teach your students about the debate surrounding Freedom of Speech in public school settings.

Shaped Staff

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3 Presidential Election Day Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Fun middle school and high school election day activities can help engage students in politics. Start with these classroom voting activities to teach the election process.

Tim Phillips
Social Science Teacher, Township School District 214, Illinois

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Science Activities for the Classroom: Fun Recipes for Solutions and Materials

Teach students about chemical reactions, the properties of matter, and other science topics by having them participate in fun, collaborative hands-on activities.

Shaped Staff

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