Do you find the idea of having a science fair with all of your students intimidating? Use a guide that provides everything you need to know to make project-based learning manageable. The resource includes options for four...

Oh the joys of love! As a special Valentine's Day assignment, budding authors research the life of one of the most romantic poets, Keats. They read the letter, "To Fanny Brawne, 13 October 1819," then compose a love letter of their own....

Writer's workshop is an idea that's been around for years. Students write, read, and comment on each others writing in an authentic and thoughtful way. Here is a 21st century twist, 6th graders will use the class blog to create a...

Fifth grade reader/writers create an alternate ending to an episode in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach in which our protagonist "loses" the chance to magically solve all his problems. Prompts students not only to write creatively...

Here's a fresh approach that combines research, business and personal letter writing, and creative story telling. Student groups research different decades in the life of a famous Japanese astronomer. They then craft a decade fact sheet,...

Explore narrative writing by participating in a role-playing activity. In this perspective instructional activity, learners define first and third person in writing and discuss how it changes the mood of the reader. The first activity...

Explore communication through writing by analyzing individual sentences with young writers. They practice writing compound sentences and identifying sentence fragments. The next step has them learn the five parts of a friendly letter....

Incorporating To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, narrative writing, and friendly letters, this lesson is ideal for any number of units in your classroom. First, read chapter 10 of the novel, noting Scout and Jem's reactions to their...

Designed specifically for lower elementary pupils, this is a great biographical research project in which students research a famous American, and then design creative poster boards to help them "become" the famous...

Young scholars write a business letter. In this factual writing lesson, students complete an online activity. Groups also draft a reply to a complaint letter. A worksheet is included for extra practice.

Students, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...

Students participate in the Read-to-Feed project. In this fundraising lesson, students read books to purchase a farm animal for a family in need. Students write a letter to the family that will be receiving the farm animal.

Second graders use the writing process and submit a story to www.kids.com.  In this story writing lesson, 2nd graders choose a topic for a story contest.  Students develop their stories.  Students complete a  her...

First graders explore the holiday of Ramadam. They listen to stories, create a class penny jar to collect pennies to give to a charity, and write a class letter to parents explaining about Ramadan and the penny jar.

Bring life to your next California geography lesson with this great project! Learners design a three-dimensional wall relief map of California, painting and decorating regions using a variety of materials and labeling major geographical...

Students generate more expressibe and receptive language by send emails to a friend. They improve their word processing and technology skills by sending and receiving emails. A rubric is included in this lesson plan for assessment purposes.

Students discover the postal service through a letter writing activity.  In this U.S. Government lesson plan, students read the book Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, and discover the life history of President Abraham Lincoln.  Students...

Create a picture dictionary for one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays. After readers finish The Tempest, they assign each letter of the alphabet to a concept or character, and add a description and evidence from...

Using technology, learners create and deliver a multimedia autobiographical presentation to present to the class. This ambitious lesson plan has learners use a variety of sources both old and new; magazines, poster board, the Internet,...

After a class discussion where learners make predictions about what will happen in a book based on its cover illustration, pupils are asked to compose a written response about an aspect of the story and include some of their own...

Students read "If you give a pig a pancake" then write the letter P with pancake batter on a griddle tablet for a yummy treat to eat!

Upper elementary learners read about jobs on a cattle drive and the lives of cowboy during U.S. Westward Expansion. They create a "Help Wanted" poster for one of the jobs. After reading primary source accounts of cowboys, they write...

Gratitude is the focus of a discussion that sets the stage for pupils to take part in a service-learning project in which they deliver notes of kindness by way of social media or mail. A reflection closes the learning experience.

Students make a Thanksgiving meal based on the nutrition of the colony they were assigned. In this nutrition lesson plan, students' parents come in to taste the food after the students explain their colony to them.