Surprise! is the theme of this series of challenge activities. The surprise comes from the information your scholars will discover when researching topics such as alligators and crocodiles, living in other countries, becoming a...

Learners discuss the subject and meaning of examples of visual art. They analyze various paintings found on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website, answer discussion questions, complete online interactive activities, and write an essay.

Young theatre artists engage in a scavenger hunt to acquaint themselves with set design. The challenge is to search the site and match a separate maquette with each of the 24 clues.

With What Do You See at the Pond?, young readers explore pond life and practice reading strategies. Learners first make predictions and then read the simple story independently. After a second read-through with a partner, kids come...

Strap on those backpacks, it's time to travel through history with this literature unit based on the first four books of The Magic Tree House series. While reading through these fun stories, children create story maps, record...

Youngsters complete a unit of lessons based on the story "Little Miss Muffet." They predict what will happen in the story, and use context clues to look for meaning in the words. They research information about spiders using the Internet...

Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing lesson. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The lesson includes several options to complete...

Students complete a variety of activities as they study Washington, D.C., the Presidency, and George Washington. They take a virtual trip to Washington, D.C., and visit the National Portrait Gallery, the White House, and the Library of...

Develop fluency with a variety of works. Help kindergartners use multiple strategies to understand text and decoding. They will create an alphabet poem book on Kid Works 2 to illustrate and write their own poem. In the end, they will...

Every family has a different story to share. Your learning community examines the checklist that applies to the lesson, share some of the teacher's family photos, and look for clues in their own family photos in order to complete a...

Young scholars read various Mercer Mayer books. They discuss the enhancement of family and relationships within the family. Students write a book with their peers about their relationship with a member of their family. They practice...

Cut magazine pictures into three sections, having your youngsters piece the pictures back together. With this fun activity, they discover the importance of sequencing a story. Then they use a fun template (shaped like a burger) to write...

Students create a KWL chart to start the discussion on ocean animals. They practice sorting the animals into their different classifications. They use indexes, table of contents and glossary to find information.

A simple idea, this exercise will help young learners practice metacognitive and language arts skills. At the end of each day of school, have each member of your class record, in their own words, what they learned that day. Merely...

Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...

Students analyze Alexander Gardner's photograph of Abraham Lincoln and complete related activities. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students describe Abraham Lincoln as he is presented in Gardner's photograph. Students read a biography...

Young scholars complete a variety of activities related to the short /o/ sound. As a class they recite a tongue twister, then trace and write the letter O. Students listen to a list of words and identify the words containing the short...

The teacher models a Picture Walk by using a "think aloud" method while reading a picture book to the class. On the second day, 3rd graders use a worksheet as a guide for a second picture walk. This time, students complete the "think...

Students create a PowerPoint presentation on the information they research about the ice cores and what they tell us about Earth's past. In this ice core lesson plan, students research radioactivity, air pollution, sodium, snowfall...

Young scholars predict outcomes of a text. In this comprehension strategy lesson, students read a poem and compare it to the play A Raisin in the Sun. Young scholars discuss their similarities and the power of dreams.

Third graders read part of the story "Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome". They make predictions about the story ending and identify the picture clues and textual information they used to form their predictions. They discuss the story's ending.

First graders explore human psychology by reading a book in class. In this friendship lesson, 1st graders identify the benefit of friends and strong relationships while reading the book The Rainbow Fish. Students analyze the images from...

Students explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson, students view the diary...

Scholars study a historical photograph to make predictions of what happened right after the picture was taken. They research a variety of different topics and use primary sources to answer questions about common food, fashion trends, and...