Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade 8 Social Studies): The Constitution and Federalism

Explore how the three branches, checks and balances, and federalism distribute power across federal, state, and local governments—and how real issues reveal shared, contested authority and constitutional limits.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Writing the Constitution

Explore how competing state interests and ideological tensions at the Constitutional Convention produced key compromises over representation, slavery and commerce, and executive selection—shaping the Constitution’s structure and influencing ratification.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade 8 Social Studies): From Articles to Constitution

Identify the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain how debates over power led to the Constitution’s structured government—branches, checks and balances, and federalism—to create a stronger, more effective union.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Midyear Project—Creating an Independence Exhibit

Research and curate a public-facing “Independence Exhibit” that explains causes, effects, and global impacts of the American Revolution—using diverse primary/secondary sources, evidence-based claims, balanced perspectives, and clear citations.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 8 Social Studies): The American Revolution—War and Strategy

Study how geography, logistics, blockades, and alliances shaped Revolutionary War strategy—from Saratoga to Yorktown—and argue which factors most decisively led to American victory.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Patriots, Loyalists, and Perspectives

Compare Patriot, Loyalist, and neutral perspectives across diverse colonial groups, evaluate source bias and credibility, and practice civic discourse through a town-hall style debate and evidence-based written/oral claims.

Paid-members only

K-2 Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan (Grades K-2): Emotion Emoji Diaries: Building Emotional Vocabulary through Storytelling

Build K–2 emotional vocabulary and empathy through an “Emotion Emoji Diary” as students pause during a read-aloud to choose or draw emojis, write simple “because” sentences, and collaboratively discuss characters’ feelings.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Ideas of Liberty and Natural Rights

Explore how Enlightenment ideals—natural rights, consent, rule of law, equality, and separation of powers—shaped colonial critiques of empire and inspired arguments for American independence.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Causes of the American Revolution

Trace how British war debt, new taxes, and escalating protests from 1763–1775 fueled colonial resistance; evaluate diverse perspectives and detect source bias on the road to revolution.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Roots of Self-Government

Compare early democratic institutions—town meetings, colonial assemblies, jury trials, and free press—to founding ideals like natural rights and consent of the governed, while examining who was included, excluded, and how these practices set the stage for the American Revolution.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Colonial Life and Regional Economies

Compare New England, Middle, and Southern colonies through geography, economy, religion, and culture—examining specialization, credit and taxation, and cause-and-effect relationships that shaped regional development in early America.

Paid-members only

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 8 Social Studies): Indigenous Nations and European Encounters

Explore how Indigenous nations and early European settlers interacted through trade, cooperation, conflict, and changing relationships with land—analyzing diverse perspectives, environmental impacts, and emerging interdependence in early North America.

Grade 8 Social Studies Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 8 Social Studies): The Geography of Early America

Geography and climate shaped how the thirteen colonies settled, worked, and governed. In this Grade 8 social studies unit, students compare New England, Middle, and Southern colonies using maps, climate data, and primary sources.

The Admin Angle

The Admin Angle: Administrators Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Remove a Child from Class

Protect learning with a clear, legal, and restorative process for brief student removal—prioritizing safety, rapid reset, reintegration, and equity-focused safeguards.

Blog

Mathematics in the Real World: Student-Driven Projects That Build Number Sense

Real-world, student-driven math projects build number-sense by applying decimals, fractions, budgeting, measurement, and data to authentic tasks—boosting engagement, problem-solving, and relevance beyond worksheets.

Parent Tips

Parent Tips: Defiance Into Dialogue—Coaching Respectful Choices

Support families and teachers in replacing defiance with teachable skills using shared scripts, replacement behaviors, consistent reinforcement, ABC logs, and a simple one-page BIP for calm, respectful starts.

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 36 (PreK Math): Cumulative Synthesis & Exhibition

Celebrate “Math All Around Us” as children count, sort, compare, build shapes, and act out add/take-away stories, then present their thinking with models, labels, and clear math language.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 35 (PreK Math): Shapes Everywhere Review

Review 2D/3D shapes and position words through hunts, art, and building; name and compare shapes in the environment and describe locations with in/on/under/next to/behind.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 34 (PreK Math): Teen Numbers—Show & Tell

Model teen numbers 11–14 as “ten and some ones” using ten-frames, cube bundles, and drawings; match models to numerals and explain thinking clearly.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 33 (PreK Math): Measure & Compare Review

Compare length, weight, and capacity using hands-on methods (line up, hold, pour), and justify which object is longer, heavier, or holds more with clear evidence.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 32 (PreK Math): Sort–Count–Compare (Data Project)

Plan and carry out a class sort, count each group within 10, build simple displays, and compare categories using clear data talk (more, fewer, same).

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 31 (PreK Math): Decompose & Make 5

Explore different part–whole combinations that make 5 using counters, fingers, and frames; decompose and compose numbers within 5 and describe parts and the whole.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 30 (PreK Math): Add & Take Away within 5

Act out joining and separating stories to 5 using objects, fingers, and five-frames; tell how many are in all or left with quick “show me” responses.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 29 (PreK Math): Read, Write & Match Numbers 0–10

Recognize numerals 0–10, trace/write 0–5, and match numerals to counted sets using one-to-one and clear “how many” statements.

Paid-members only

Pre-Kindergarten Math Units

Unit Plan 28 (PreK Math): Count to 20

Extend counting beyond 10 to 20 with songs, number paths, and ten-and-extras models while strengthening one-to-one counting and cardinality.