Curated OER
Responding to Literature: James and the Giant Peach
Fifth grade reader/writers create an alternate ending to an episode in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach in which our protagonist "loses" the chance to magically solve all his problems. Prompts students not only to write creatively...
Curated OER
Scary Short Story Writing Lesson
There's nothing like the prospect of writing a scary story to get your middle schoolers' writing juices flowing! In the lesson presented here, pupils listen to scary short stories read to them by the teacher. Then, a discussion ensues...
Digital Forsyth
Restoration Project
In need of a neat idea that incorporates technology skills, art, and history? Young art historians will each select an old photograph from a local archive to digitally restore. The primary focus is to add color, clarity, and remake the...
Curated OER
Holiday Greeting Cards
Students create holiday greeting cards using digital images and Photoshop elements in this great holiday art activity for the elementary school classroom. The lesson plan includes step-by-step procedures, a student example, and resource...
Curated OER
Fill a Jar
Sometimes short lesson outlines are enough to give you a great idea. Young writers draw any object inside an image of a jar, that doesn't belong in a jar. They can draw a tree, truck, or dinosaur. Tip: Have kids write a short story...
Curated OER
New School Mural
Young muralists use digital images they take of buildings, locations, landmarks, or places inside the school to create an original work of art. After locating sites of importance and researching to find information, members try to...
Curated OER
Zany Wire Sculpture
Young artists create a freestanding 3-dimensional sculpture using wire and modeled "clay" pieces. This immensely creative and engaging lesson should get your kids excited, because the medium is unusual to work with. Everything you need...
Curated OER
Hatchet: Before Strategy- Problematic Situation
If you were stranded on a desert island, what items would be the most important to have with you? Decide whether you'd want a five gallon can of water, a radio, shark repellent, or any other item with an activity designed to prepare kids...
Curated OER
"Weighing the Elephant"
Can your class solve the problem presented in the Chinese folktale, "Weighing the Elephant?" Read your class the description before having them attempt to solve the problem. After they've come up with an answer (or attempted to!), finish...
Creative Visions Foundation
Introduction to Pre-production: Developing Ideas
Continue with creating documentaries with the fourth lesson in a series. After explaining the concept of preproduction, send groups off to make some decisions about their films. Groups can use the handout and the four provided questions...
Curated OER
Collaborative Editing
With the use of an online editing site, budding authors revise their writing. This is a creative way to have your class practice essay revision. Instead of being a tedious process, editing and revising can be fun.
Curated OER
Use of Literature in SDMPS
Students demonstrate their knowledge of the eight step problem solving process. They describe how the story would change according to the solution chosen, then rewrite an ending to the story based upon a solution other than the one in...
Curated OER
Problem Solving
Pupils listen to a story about a cat and dog fighting all the time. They must develop and explain a machine that stops the cat and dog from fighting. Then they have a discussion about machines and inventions.
Curated OER
Technology as a Design Tool for self-portraits
Students create self-portraits using the technology of digital cameras mixed with other media. Adobe Photoshop is a requirement for this specific three week project. State standards for the arts are addressed.
Curated OER
Crayon Resist
Kids usually love crayon resist projects. It is so fascinating for them to see how the dark paint accentuates and resists the waxy crayon. Here are instructions for executing a crayon resist project of your own. Tip: Make the project fit...
Kelly's Kindergarten
April Daily Resources
Spring has sprung in your classroom! An entire month of activities relating to spring prompts learners to color, draw, write, and work on phonics.
Dream of a Nation
Big6 Research Project
Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...
National Gallery of Canada
My Upside-Down World!
M.C. Escher is famous for creating optical illusions. Examine this effect in several of his works and discuss the techniques involved. Inspired by the discussion, learners create an imaginary 3-D world inside of a box using various...
Curated OER
You've Got Chocolate on my Peanut Butter
Students solve design problems. In this art and design lesson plan, students create a picture by analyzing two others, and make a prototype of a building. The small group activities call for creativity and ingenuity as well as the...
Curated OER
The Odyssey
Students write a dramatic scene based on The Odyssey and perform it for the class. In this living literature lesson, students work in small groups to discuss the way the characters look, act, and sound. They then choose scenery and...
Curated OER
Adapting a Musical
Students transform literature into musical productions. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss how musicals are written and produced. Students then select literature they are familiar with to adapt into musical productions.
Curated OER
The Princess And The Painter
Students discover Baroque art techniques through the research of Diego Velasquez' work "Las Meninas" and other Baroque art. This leads to an exciting creative art project of "everyday life" by each student.
Curated OER
The Monkey Dance: Exploring Balinese Culture
Young scholars explore Balinese culture. In this Balinese integrated fine arts activity, students listen to a podcast of "The Monkey Dance," taking notes about important features of the dance. Young scholars participate in a jigsaw...
Curated OER
Digital Poetry Books
Students, after reviewing the writing process and assessing how to use a digital camera to take creative photos, create a Digital Poetry Book. They incorporate the use of Microsoft Photo Draw and Publisher for the creation of their...