Some of the best information to include when writing a research paper doesn't come from books, magazine articles, or informational websites—it comes from dissertations. However, reading an entire dissertation is often a daunting task....

John Muir may be a friend to the natural world, but as a short reading passage confirms, he is no friend to rattlesnakes. As young readers learn about Muir's encounters with the dangerous creatures, they answer four comprehension...

Readers experience classic thrills and chills in the digital version of Mary Shelley's Dracula. The online version of the classic text has the look and feel of an old book with modern upgrades, such as buttons to navigate between...

Closed syllable words contain short vowel sounds. A phonics lessons introduces readers to consonant-vowel-consonant words. Guided instruction introduces the words with a series of dictation activities, and then learners practice reading...

Three paragraphs make up a practice page all about proper nouns. Young grammarians choose from 12 words to fill in the blanks and complete sentences with the correct part of speech. 

A reading of Kevin Lamb's short story "Lost in the Woods" launches a study of how writers use elements such as foreshadowing, mood, character development, setting, and conflict to engage readers. Class members then demonstrate what they...

Motion is the focus of ten hands-on activities that challenge scholars to build machines invented by Leonardo da Vinci. Following several steps, small groups work collaboratively to recreate machines including levers, pulleys, wheels,...

Deafening, dusty, debris. Such were the working conditions in the 1800s textile industry as portrayed in Katherine Paterson's novel Lyddie. Scholars watch a short video clip about life and work in the mills. Next, they work...

Following a brief mini-instructional activity on using dialogue in fiction, young writers continue day two of their writing workshop. They work on the second half of their Children's Book Storyboards, and then they turn and talk with...

We are living in a technical world. Scholars learn how to examine digital resources for their research on DDT. They explore a list of websites using a Digital Resources on DDT sheet. Learners examine their research notebook to...

Middle schoolers create a drawing from a written description and examine and discuss how European artists from the past created images of China that combined imagination with written descriptions and limited visual imagery.

Learners draw and describe their monster. They exchange papers with another student and recreate the monster based on the other student's description.

Explore descriptive writing and visual art. Listen to the story Go Away Big, Green Monster by Ed Emberley and generate a list of adjectives used in the book. Name familiar shapes and create a shapes list. Choose an adjective and shape to...

Students explore using descriptive words by playing a What Do You See? game, describing items in a Mystery Bag, and using Eye-Spy binoculars on an on-campus field trip. They read the book, I Went Walking, and write descriptions of a...

Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and drawings. First, they listen to an adaptation of William Clark's description of the sage grouse. They form mental images that they translate into...

Sixth graders write descriptive narratives about animals. For this descriptive writing lesson, the teacher models how to write a paragraph with interesting sensory words and exciting verbs. Students choose a picture of an animal they...

Students write using imagery. In this descriptive writing lesson plan students write a descriptive paragraph about their favorite season. They use a chart to compile words related to their senses and emotions.

Students explore Greek and Roman symbolism in art. In this visual art lesson, students draw portraits of ancient leaders based on the written descriptions they read about them. Students also design campaign posters using Greek or Roman...

Fifth graders discuss characterization as well as to define antagonist and protagonist. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders write questions for an interview of a character in the book "The Three Little Pigs" and then answer them....

Fifth graders work together to make simple menus more interesting by adding descriptive words. This plan works well with the Six Traits of Writing as it covers the trait of word choice. This is a really fun way for students to practice...

Students focus on the creation of personal metaphors, which are first illustrated in pictures and caricatures and then extended to descriptive/analytical paragraphs. They teach the lesson to others using their own personal metaphors as...

Learners create a descriptive paragraph conveying ideas utilizing a personal photograph as a prompt for their writing. This concept includes the writers emotions, personal issues, education, art and photography. They share insights to...

Students express the ideas of a poem. In this poem dramatization instructional activity, students analyze poems for meaning studying their descriptive words. Students role play the descriptive language of the poem. Students draw a...

Learners explore photographic works of art. In this visual arts instructional activity, students analyze selected photographs by Garcia, Ray, and Eggleston. Learners take their own photographs in the style of these photographers.