Learning about literature can be so much fun; it can also be made more accessible through projects and dramatic play. As they explore theme, character, and setting, the class gets creative and makes a dramatic recreation of a classic...

Launch your poetry unit in a very dramatic way. Divide your class into groups, and give each group a different poem. After discussing the poem, each group member selects a stanza to study. The group then develops a skit that represents...

Students dramatize the wonderful world of nature, without making a sound. In this early childhood creative thinking lesson plan, students dramatize different aspects of nature to develop creative thinking, reading, memory, and motor...

Students make homemade puppet characters that have faces that tell it all. In this early childhood dramatic play lesson, students create stick puppet characters that encourage language and story development, creative-thinking and...

Students study imitation or pantomime. In this creative drama lesson, students pick an object to imitate and state the reasons why that object should not be taken out of the room pretending to be that object.

Students write a story about an animal using rhyme. In this literacy lesson plan, the teacher shares different versions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with the class and that becomes the basis for the creation of a picture and story for...

Here you will find three simple and engaging American Revolution projects that will allow your learners to not only express their comprehension of major events and key terms during the war, but also offer the opportunity for great...

Students examine the process of cooking a meal. In this cooking background instructional activity, students explore cooking utensils, recipes, songs, and literature. They go through stations that encourage dramatic play and hands-on...

A lesson turns young historians into playwrights to understand and speak out against social injustice. Pupils work individually or in groups to write and perform monologues that deliver personal messages on social justice. Writers then...

Third graders practice creative writing by making a book.  In this book publishing lesson, 3rd graders investigate the steps needed to publish anything by researching the Internet.  Students collaborate on a list of 5 steps to...

There's no doubt that dramatic play and creative movement are both essential for a healthy early childhood education. Here is a lesson plan that promotes both. Youngsters think of activities and emotions. The words are written on pieces...

Explore character, plot, and setting through dramatic puppet play. Second graders discuss basic story elements and then practice making a character with their sock puppets. After they've crafted a dynamic puppet, they pair up to create a...

Introduce the topic of water conservation with a little drama. Dressed as snowflakes, hail stones, or rain drops class members dramatize the events in a narration of the water cycle. The series of lessons that follow focus on...

Young scholars analyze primary and secondary sources to explore slavery and emancipation, and write letter or diary entry from point of view of slave Hannah Harris or plantation owner Robert Carter. Students then dramatize their creative...

Help your class create collective poetry following a simple, engaging model from Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org). Each young poet writes five things on an index card: sayings from others, favorite sound, favorite place, favorite...

Young scholars participate in the production of a play that highlights the direct linkage between storm drains and natural river, stream, or creek ecosystems. They explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions through dramatic...

Students write a dramatic scene based on The Odyssey and perform it for the class. In this living literature instructional activity, students work in small groups to discuss the way the characters look, act, and sound. They then choose...

Fourth graders practice their creative writing skills by describing fame.  In this writing prompt lesson, 4th graders identify fame and how their life would be dramatically different if they were wildly famous.  Students...

Seventh graders examine creation myths of China, discuss how myths reflect Chinese culture, differentiate between Chinese and Greek creation myths, and explore place of myths in Chinese culture as compared to their place in other...

Students explore historical importance of fish as food source, examine works of Robert Harris, create their own fish, and compose accompanying poetry. Students then explore dramatic tradition of Chorus inspired by Greek theatre,...

Young scholars listen to the poem "Shapes" by Shel Silverstein in order to accurately and specifically describe shapes' rules/traits in their journals. They illustrate the poem and take turns reading during a creative shared reading...

Students investigate pantomiming by going on a fictitious bear hunt.  In this performing arts lesson, students collaborate in groups to sing songs and perform pantomimes based on a hunting trip.  Students create their own dance...

Students explore the concept of theme. In this fairy tales lesson, students read several tales and complete hands-on activities, art projects, and dramatic play that lead to an awareness of the themes of the tales.

Fifth graders complete activities to help them sequence events in a story. In this sequencing lesson, 5th graders read a story and work in groups to retell the story by creating a flowchart of events to reconstruct. Students create their...