Students explore ecosystems. They read or listen to Dr. Seuss' The Lorax to draw conclusions and make predictions about the environmental impact and use of resources. They write poems about real forests and the wildlife which inhabit...

Students consider the question, "How do I want people to see me?" as they examine the self-portrait of Judith Leyster. They develop and refine characterization of a subject through poetry writing

Students explore Nazi Germany by completing several worksheets. In this Adolf Hitler lesson, students identify Hitler's role in the holocaust, his role in the German community and his mindset. Students read the poem "The Hangman" by...

Young scholars complete a research project  In this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Young scholars research and write a report on the red-cockaded...

Students read and compare Cinderella stories using a worksheet. They write and illustrate original tales with a twist.

Students examine how the environment as affected people farming in New Hampshire. They visit a field trip to a local farm to make observations. They create a poem based on their observations.

Students explore an imagist poem. In this poetry lesson students write a poem in the imagist's style using "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams as an example. The poems are read aloud and discussed.

Students create a bio-poem for themselves or characters in stories they have read. They explore common character traits.

Students study selected poetry to gain an understanding of influences on values and personal identity. They explore language terms such as personification, imagery metaphors and allusion. After reading a poem and discussing it,...

Learners explore paper cranes. In this Japan and paper cranes lesson plan, students discuss Japanese culture and history prior to creating their own paper cranes. 

Inspired by magazine photos, your young writers hone word choices to create a meaningful haiku. Charged with brainstorming 100 words associated with a photo of their choosing, they whittle their list to the top 10%, make three sentences...

Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...

Students create a motivational star banner to inspire the writing of poetry. As a class they read poems, songs, and quotes about stars and night skies, view and discuss "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh, then create a star banner on...

Students investigate the chemistry of fireworks. They research and experiment with the visual patterns of explosive fireworks. They then write appropriate messages such as holiday greetings, thank you notes, and poetry on personalized...

Students research information about pigs and their habits. They read fictional books or poetry that include pigs as main characters. Students desgin and create a poster-sized pig on which to write and illustrate a detailed book report...

Students draw a picture of an original animal and then write a poem with words that begin only with the same first letter as the animal. Individually, they must decide how it might sound, where it lives and eats. To end the lesson, they...

Learners figure out and discuss the irony of this coin-centric poem. They also practice persuasive letter writing, and identify and count coin/money values.

In this poetry lesson plan, learners listen to stories that contain alliteration. While listening to stories, student pairs make a list of words that they then use to construct "silly sentences" that contain alliteration. Each student...

Students put writing pieces into categories to show different organizational features in writing. In this writing lesson plan, students are shown examples of speeches, poems, editorials, cartoons, parodies, historical fiction, and more.

Flowering learners explore the concept of figurative language as it relates to poems, songs, or creative written expression. In this creative writing instructional activity, they complete several phrases using similes, metaphors, and...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Love To Langston. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...

Fourth graders look up the definition of "Limerick" in the dictionary. They listen to the teacher explain a limerick and read an example of a limerick. Students brainstorm rhyming words and write their own limericks.

Students paint a symbol representing themselves. In this painting instructional activity students discuss symbols and view the Interpretive Wall. Students write a poem to generate their personal symbol.