Students share the difficulties they have in determining what to write or draw for a project. In groups, they view examples from three different artists and discuss how their personal experiences affected their art. They brainstorm a...

Students analyze a graphic from an article and predict what the article might be about. After reading an article, they discover a journalist's experience of traveling across the United States to compare fast food restaurants. They...

Students discuss President Bush's goals for his second term in office. After reading an article, they identify the major themes of his second inaugural address. In groups, they brainstorm ideas and create murals to illustrate them...

Students investigate the importance of community service by creating their own project ideas.  In this volunteering lesson, students research stories of Peace Corps Volunteers and how they were able to have a positive effect in...

Learners inquire about the Holocaust. In this Holocaust instructional activity, students read books and discuss their thoughts. Learners also collect current event articles from newspapers. Students investigate ghettos, Pearl Harbor and...

What does a philanthropist do? Help your class explore philanthropy using character development and literacy ideas. Learners will define and give examples of philanthropy, listen to The Lion and the Mouse, discuss how the characters help...

Discover stories about women's history in beautiful stained glass windows. The second in a three-part series teaches scholars about a famous artistic style of stained glass windows and the influential women that used art to impact...

Students brainstorm a list of possible topics for their essay. As a class, they review the characteristics of anecdotal writing and the form they take in newspapers or autobiographies. To end the lesson, they decide on their topic for...

Students brainstorm ideas about how and why legends are created. In groups, they discuss how legends show cultural ideas. After watching a video, they use descriptive language to write their own legend using different cultures...

Students read a New York Times article in order to explore the use of handheld electronic devices in schools. They investigate, through surveys and essay-writing, the pros and cons of this technology.

Students explore how one uses examples from history to inform themselves of past and present events. After reading an article, they examine the significance of renaming a base in Germany after a soldier who survived the Holocaust. They...

Introduce your class to the techniques of proper writing. In groups, they brainstorm their ideas on family structures and discuss the importance of having a male figure in their lives. After listening to an African-American poem, they...

High schoolers explore connections between non-verbal language and art. In this visual and auditory art lesson, students investigate the science of sound and principles of drawing. They then use various genres of music to directly apply...

Sixth graders brainstorm the ways a person's actions can affect a community. As a class, one classmate is given a ball of yarn and pass it along to another student creating a web. Next, some classmates are asked to drop their part and...

Students practice brainstorming ideas about different topics. They discover how to come to a consensus about a given situation, by evaluating their brainstorming ideas.

Students examine samples of writing and discuss the score it received. They brainstorm what qualities make a good writer and stories.

How smart is your home? Middle and high schoolers write a journal entry describing the types of technology found in their homes. After reading an article, they are introduced to "smart" home technology. In groups, they identify and...

After discussing their opinions of performing community service, young learners read an article about different benefits of serving the community. They participate in a debate about whether their school should require pupils to perform...

Third graders practice brainstorming with their classmates as they discuss a role-play situation.  In this group discussion lesson, 3rd graders must present ideas of ways to survive on a deserted island by discussing with their...

First graders discuss different milestones in their life such as bathing, dressing, eating, walking, etc. They brainstorm ideas of how the changes affected their life from the moment they occurred to the present. Students brainstorm and...

How do people transport fresh water long distances to ensure everyone has access to it? The final lesson plan in the 10-part Fresh Solutions unit encourages individuals to design their own solution, or solutions, to that very problem....

Learners examine events that lead to the building of war memorials. They analyze the reasons why people build them and go to them. They create their own ideas for a memorial for the Mexican War.

What is a ‘Zine? Although the referenced PBS video that launches this study of self-published magazines is not available, the activities detailed and the step-by-step directions for creating ‘Zines would engage young writers. This...

Students brainstorm a list of characteristics that friends should and should not have. In groups, they are given a set of hand puppets in which they role-play different scenerios in front of the class. To end the lesson, they are shown...