Shaped

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

 

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Teaching Students How to Write an Expository Paragraph

Want to help your students develop their organizational, analytical, and research skills? Teach them how to write an expository paragraph.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Student reading

7 Middle School and High School Reading Intervention Strategies

Support students with these seven tips to maximize middle school and high school reading intervention and help your students become better readers.

Shelley Branine
Instructional Coach, HMH

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Math Talk Moves: Engaging Students Through Discussion in the Math Classroom

Students should be engaged in solving and discussing tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving.

Dr. Matthew R. Larson
Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM); Senior Fellow, Math Solutions

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Teaching the Renaissance: World History Lesson Plan and Activities

Use our 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

WF1309635 Shaped 2021 Blog Post Math at The Met Hero

Teaching Math Through Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Here are three specific ways that teaching math through art from The Met can enhance your students’ learning experience.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Multiply or Add First? Teaching Order of Operations Rules

Use this lesson to teach students about the order of operations: complete operations in parentheses, multiply and divide from left to right, and add and subtract from left to right.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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2025 National School Counseling Week Ideas: How to Show Appreciation

When is National School Counseling Week in 2025? Explore counselor appreciation week ideas for your school to help celebrate.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

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Teaching Rational Numbers: Decimals, Fractions, and More

Use this lesson to teach students about rational numbers, including decimals, fractions, and integers.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

How to write a rap

Literacy at Work: How to Write a Rap with Dr. Chris Emdin

Teach your students how to write a rap with Dr. Chris Emdin using this rap lesson plan, complete with a writing template, rubric, and teacher guide.

Shaped Staff

HMH Elementary 2017 48114

All About Me Activities: Celebrate What Makes You ‘Different’

Explore “All About Me”​ activities for elementary and middle school students. Help your students to celebrate what makes them different.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

National Nutrition Month

7 Nutrition Lesson Plans and Activities for High School Students

Kick-start a commitment to healthy eating this National Nutrition Month with these fresh and fun nutrition lesson plan and activity ideas for high school students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Black Friday Classroom Activity and Lesson Plan: Teaching Math and Money

This Black Friday classroom activity can teach elementary students about spending and budgeting as well as decimals and percentages.

Shaped Staff

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What Is Oral Reading Fluency?

This article answers the question, what is oral reading fluency? It provides fluency teaching strategies after defining fluency and explaining why it's important.

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

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Teaching Flat Plane Shapes and Solid Shapes

Teach students about plane shapes, or closed, two-dimensional figures, and solid shapes, which include many of the everyday objects with which students are familiar.

Shaped Staff

What is translanguaging

What Is Translanguaging in the Classroom?

What is translanguaging? Learn the definition of translanguaging and strategies for translanguaging in the multilingual classroom.

Drs. Yvonne and David Freeman
Authors, On Our Way to English, Professors Emeriti, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley

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Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas from Principals and Administrators

Looking for the perfect way to say “Thank-you” to educators? We’ve collected Teacher Appreciation Week ideas from principals and administrators across the country. Feel free to steal or revamp them as you please.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

WF1313637 Shaped Blog Post Pi Day Scavenger Hunt 2025

Pi Day Scavenger Hunt for Middle School Students

Celebrate Pi Day with a Pi Day scavenger hunt for middle school students. Have students scour the classroom for objects relating to the number pi.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Inspiring Black History Month Classroom Door Decoration Ideas

Use these Black History Month classroom door decoration ideas to honor the achievements of African Americans throughout history and shed light on the triumphs and challenges they have faced.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor