Explore San Francisco's Chinatown in a lesson about the first few chapters of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Kids research Chinatown on the Internet and create a virtual tour of the neighborhood, including the foods, cultural events,...

Teach kids about the beginnings of the Braille writing system with a lesson about Louis Braille. A series of discussion questions guide young readers though A Picture Book of Louis Braille by David A. Adler, and once they finish the...

How highly does your class value family? What about familial advice, individual rights, and cultural identity? Examine the literary themes in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club before opening the book with an anticipation guide. Class...

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man tops the reading list for the AP Literature exam. A five-page guide offers instructors and book clubs discussion questions designed to get readers to think deeply and critically about the inspection of...

Readers of The Joy Luck Club, use a double-0entry journal to record and reflect on passages from Amy Tan's novel.

Students explore the concept of community helpers.  In this community helper lesson, students brainstorm the community helpers in their neighborhood after reading a book about jobs in the community.  Students then host a...

Sometimes, sensory details can bring you back to a familiar place. Study the setting descriptions from a critical chapter in Amy Tan's A Joy Luck Club, and discuss how they enhance the book's plot and contribute to a central theme.

Prepare for a mid-unit assessment based on Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club with a brainstorming and discussion lesson plan. Focused on two chapters from the novel ("Rules of the Game" and "Two Kinds"), the lesson plan guides tenth graders...

Students identify the function of organizations, then read a news article about an organization called Room to Read that is sending books to poor countries. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is an illustrative source of rich prose, deep character development, and strong literary themes. Use two of the book's key chapters, which focus on Waverly's relationship with chess and with her mother, to...

Students read chapter 17 in the story NUMBER THE STARS and think about the author's purpose for writing the book. They are encouraged to share with the class their personal reactions to the story.

Sometimes explaining an argument can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Narrow down the details in written arguments with a group activity in which learners pretend to be aliens from another planet, struggling to understand each...

Out of the classroom and into the streets! With Ben Franklin’s Junto society as inspiration, learners develop their ideas for improving their communities and put them into action. After analyzing meeting notes to discover what the Junto...

Students observe John Muir Day by visiting Websites containing fact sheets, excepted writings, as well as songs, pictures, and educational sources. They use April 21 as a day to reflect on Muir's accomplishment and environmental legacy....

Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...

“There is no story that is not true, . . .” And uncovering the truths in Things Fall Apart is the focus of a 68-page resource packet designed to provide instructors with a wealth of materials that enhance understanding of Chinua Achebe’s...

Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...

Prepare your special education class for a healthy life. They visit with a nutritionist, practice simple exercises, and discuss healthy food choices. They then make goals for weight loss and management. Additional supporting activity...

Students explore the European Union Constitution and the impact on the various countries involved. They discuss the countries that have rejected the rules and the countries that have accepted them. They imagine they are the head of a...

Students examine concept of discrimination and explore difference between appropriate and harmful discrimination. Students discuss relevant Australian legislation and International Law, choose example of discrimination, and write...

Students brainstorm what they know about Judaism, participate in question and answer session about Judaism and its relation to World War II with guest speaker of Jewish faith, and write journal responses about their feelings on...

Students discuss Japanese culture and the functional and artistic uses of fans and create paper fans using watercolors, popsicle sticks, and tape in this Art lesson for the elementary classroom. Can be used as an introduction to...

Students create "little clouds" after reading the story "The Little Cloud" by Eric Carle in this cross-curricular Art and Language Arts lesson for the early-elementary classroom. The author suggests using this with a "Raindrop Picture"...

Study African American inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger and create imaginary monsters using texture.