Shakespeare's Macbeth (Act II, Scenes I and II) lacks explicit details of the murder of King Duncan, yet the author creates an atmosphere that allows us to visualize the event. Readers interpret the "Dagger Speech" by writing stage...

The danger of mob mentality is on display in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Get your class thinking with some challenging quickwrite questions, then assign characters from the play to be read aloud altogether. Links to worksheets...

Students 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 facts....

Students complete a unit on poetry. In this poetry lesson, students complete 19 lessons that focus on reading and writing poetry as well as learning about literary elements and sound devices. Students read poetry orally, debate poetry in...

What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...

After reading Julius Caesar 1.2 and 1.3, break your class into pairs for this role-play. Each pair will receive one of four prompts (or more, if you create additional examples), in which one person tries to persuade the other to do...

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.

Third graders recognize and identify the three types of balance. They analyze and identify the type of balance used in various works of art. Students create a symmetrically balanced work of art. They use a ruler, shape templates, an...

Students analyze the literary element mood in Chapter 10 of the novel Number the Stars. They explain why the literary element mood is a feeling that a story creates in readers. Students share their thoughts on the topic of mood and its...

First graders read and follow a map in a treasure hunt to find the location of the treasure. They demonstrate their knowledge/understanding of symbols, keys on a map, and directions by following the map with ease.

Young scholars discover enunciation and alliteration by reading tongue twisters in class.  In this language arts lesson, students listen and repeat some of the classic childhood tongue twisters along with their teacher.  Young...

Learners analyze the importance of a fresh water supply in Cape Verde, researching five methods of obtaining and conserving water there. Students create and present displays demonstrating their understanding of the methods of water...

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

Twelfth graders use an Internet scavenger hunt, vocabulary, sample essay questions, and short answer questions suitable for study and review of the play, The Crucible.

Student groups retell stories from Iroquois storytellers. They role-play Iroquois women, men and children and explain their roles. They read "Knots on a Counting Rope" and make up their own stories. They create timelines. They visit a...

Students investigate the 1968 Olympics by identifying their mascots.  In this Olympic history instructional activity, students participate in a group activity where they match countries with their representative mascots....

Students practice using vocabulary words to write alliterations.  In this language arts instructional activity, students collaborate with classmates to create ideas for fun alliterations as they create their own using a children's...

Young scholars study how imagery affects their comprehension of stories. They participate in a guided journey of The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body. They compare the information from the book and their guided journey.

Students read Mr. Peabody's Apples. In this reading lesson, students complete pre-and post-reading activities to improve comprehension skills. Students role play scenes from the story to analyze.

Fifth graders write poetry using imagery and practice poetry presentation. In this poetry lesson, 5th graders listen as the teacher reads a humorous poem using different voice modulations and presentation techniques. They discuss the...

Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.

Students explore storytelling through pantomime, improvisation, and dramatization. They watch an online video, discuss Native American earth stories, role-play various situations, explore websites, and present an oral story to the class.

Fourth graders use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast various versions of the story The Three Little Pigs. They write a Cinquain, and then act out their version of the Three Little Pigs in a skit.

Eighth graders explore storytelling by listening to a reading of a classic poem.  In this language arts lesson, 8th graders listen to an audio recording of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.  Students examine the life of...