Groups become experts in one aspect of the six traits of writing, prepare a PowerPoint presentation, jigsaw, and teach others about their trait. Writers then focus on these traits as they compose a persuasive essay about a person they...

Students identify American heroes. In this research skills lesson, students discuss the characteristics of heroes and examine society's definition of heroes. Students research selected American heroes of the 20th century and create...

As a culminating assignment for a unit study of heroes that uses The Hobbit as the core text, class members engage in a multi-genre writing project.

Ask your pupils to explore the sounds, forms, and language of poetry by putting together a portfolio of their own work. In a binder, learners collect the poems listed on the second page of the assignment sheet. Each individual creates a...

Learners explore the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Their research culminates in a Harlem Renaissance Fair celebrating the movement's cultural and artistic contributions to society.

Class members have an opportunity to compare how a film and a play handle the same source material by viewing the opening chapters of George Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope and acts I and II of Ian Doescher's play, William...

What a pair! Older pupils interview younger ones and use what they learn to write a short, illustrated storybook that features the youngster as the main character. The youngster responds with a thank-you note in which they identify their...

An extensive portfolio project encourages your kids to reflect on their personalities with multiple writing assignments. From activities on extended metaphors to writing about an important day in their lives, kids explore the way they...

What better activity is there for summer than reading? Provide your pupils with 25 book ideas for their summer reading pursuits. A variety of different genres are represented on this list, and each book is paired with publication...

Students investigate the concept of a hero. In this character education instructional activity, students define courage and discuss heroes they know. Students brainstorm ways to describe a hero and create an acrostic poem.

Students gain an understanding and awareness of the bias, stereotyping, and discrimination that is present in school materials. They review everyday printed materials and their textbooks for evidence of gender bias and/or stereotyping.

Observe the National Day of Service and Remembrance with a service learning lesson plan. After discussing the events of September 11, 2001, learners plan and implement their own service learning project in honor of American...

Students discuss what characteritics belong to a hero. They examine different mythological stories and identify the theme of each. They compare and contrast the origin of Superman to the mythological stories and report their findings to...

Students, after listening the "My Hero" story, are given four words in which they have to figure out which one does not belong with the others.

Heroic Trading Cards? Using a suggested list, class members use the Internet to find information about a memorable leader, select and transfer images, and craft a trading card celebrating their leader’s qualities and accomplishments. A...

The focus of this writing learning exercise is to have writers revise and edit a three-paragraph passage to eliminate wordiness and repetition. The paragraphs are quite long, and this should take most students quite a while to complete.

The opportunities are endless with a worksheet containing 24 biographical narrative writing prompts. Although there are no directions or specifications for the writing process, the prompts promote the use of narrative writing...

Pupils write a character sketch and present it in first person.  In this historical heroes and character sketches lesson plan, students "meet" Harriet Tubman (played by their teacher) and discuss her contributions. ...

Students define the meaning of the word heroes. In this personal heroes lesson plan, students complete a worksheet answering questions about their personal heroes.

In this plotting worksheet, students discuss the short term and long term problems of both the hero and the heroine.  Students track the problems as they worsen and are ultimately resolved.

Young scholars compose a creative writing piece based on a painting of a mythological scene. In this creative writing instructional activity,  students write about the scene in the painting and tie in  their original stories...

Crispin: the End of Time is the core text for this teaching guide, a valuable resource for those who use Avi's trilogy as whole-class reading, in book circles, or as independent reading.

Students evaluate a video about Nellie Bly, a famous reporter from the 19th century. They consider what makes a high-interest news article, write an essay in pairs and present it a literary tea.

A viewing of Disney’s 1993 film of The Adventures of Huck Finn launches an examination of the events in and themes of Mark Twain’s story. Viewers respond to prompts on a film story worksheet, engage in full-class discussions, and select...