Using their keen eyes and ears, learners build story observation skills which they will use to create sensory detail in their art. They note all of the things they observed on a walk, categorize them by sense, and then use the same skill...

Figurative language is the focus in the book Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. After reading Peggy Parish's book, class members dramatize idioms from the text, using dramatic strategies such as characterization, exaggeration, and...

Students examine figurative language in writing. Students demonstrate simile, metaphor, and personification in their own writing.

Students discover visual arts by creating sculptures in class. For this personal expression lesson, students research the Internet and examine different examples of modern sculptures and 3 dimensional art. Students utilize paper stock,...

Young scholars read the play "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare. In groups, they identify the instances of similes, metaphors and personification. They use the Internet to compare and contrast the events in the play with historical...

Students identify visual arts by identifying famous artwork on-line. In this sculpture instructional activity, students utilize the web to research popular sculptors and to see a video interview with Keith Haring. Students...

Students act out lines from Romeo and Juliet in a charade-like game.

Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities instructional activity provides a text that can be used to teach lessons...

Discover journalistic techniques by having learners prepare and write their own class newspaper. They discuss the five W's of investigative journalism and conduct interviews with school figures. They utilize video technology, podcast...

Young historians explore US culture by investigating the US flag. They will use their textbooks, prior knowledge, and sources provided by the teacher to research the history of the American flag. They will design and create a trading...

Students analyze lyrics and narration by reading poetry.  In this language arts lesson, students read and examine the poem Belfast Confetti.  Students discuss the topics and questions asked by the author Ciaran Carson.

Students examine the most common symbols of Canada and explain their importance. In this Canadian culture lesson, students identify the beaver, maple leaf, and Inuksuk and discuss why Canada feels these are representative symbols of...

Students explore art history by creating their own abstract art pieces. In this Pablo Picasso lesson, students read assigned text discussing biographical information about the artist and examine several of his paintings. Students create...

Students explore the concept of idioms as they learn about philanthropy. In this literature and service learning lesson, students read Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen and examine negative idioms. Students reflect on hurtful language...

Students explore choral reading.  In this oral reading lesson, students listen to the book Rat-a-tat-tat by Jill Eggleton and participate by reading certain parts chorally and adding sound effects with instruments and noise makers.

Study history through photographs. In this visual arts and history lesson, students learn to analyze photographs to discover details about life during the Civil War era. Students write journal entries as if they are the African-American...

This scripted instructional activity suggests using the journalist’s five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) to teach readers how to summarize a story and to how to distinguish between significant and supporting details. A template and...

Students create their own telenovelas. In this telenovela lesson, students use the graphic organizer to work in groups and create a telenovela based on the mysterious letter.

Twelfth graders hone descriptive writing skills by making a J. Peterman Catalogue. They bring to class a favorite piece of clothing or jewelry item and create their own description of it. They accompany each description with a hand-drawn...

Young scholars participate in a panel discussion to decide who was responsible for each development on the island. In this Lord of the Flies lesson, students divide into groups supporting Jack and Ralph with a third group acting as...

Help young learners unlock the joy of silent reading by explicitly teaching comprehension methods such as cross-checking to figure out the meaning of unknown words. Practice and model expectations for behavior, and then set the class...

Students inspect visual arts by examining images on the web. In this art history lesson, students discuss the history of art after researching Keith Haring's work on the Internet. Students analyze the style of...

Students analyze visual arts by creating drawings in their classroom. In this art analysis lesson plan, students identify the paintings of Keith Haring by researching the web. Students utilize paper and oil pastels to create...

Students research U.S. history by completing a worksheet activity in class. In this historical figure lesson, students identify the contributions and risks taken by the former African-American leader Martin Luther King Jr. Students read...