Upper elementary and middle school writers learn how to craft an expository paragraph by following the six steps detailed in a 48-page instructional guide. Learners learn how to write six different types of informational paragraphs:...

Writing teaches us so much. One can identify the many characteristics of a newspaper, use the Internet to gather information, and communicate with others. Primary students create a class newspaper for publishing and dispersal.

To underscore the importance of practicing good listening skills class members engage in a series of activities that model poor listening skills. In pairs and then as a whole group, class members enact different, more positive techniques...

Reading fairy tales is so much fun! Learners use dramatic play to assist them in defining and expressing the main theme found in the story of Cinderella. Each group is given a story card and will create a tableau based on the main point...

There is a difference between actions, motives, and the appearance of a character in a narrative text. Fourth graders explore character analysis through the dramatic arts. They create a series of movements, tableaus, and pantomimes to...

New to using Tuesdays with Morrie? Check out this five-page resource that provides an overview Mitch Albom's book, its features, themes, and literary devices. The packet also includes suggestions for research projects.

Use drama techniques to recreate the story, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni. They engage in problem-solving as they identify the roles they will fufill in their groups for the performance. This is a motivating way to...

Young community members explore philanthropic foundations. They discuss the work of community foundations, and then they listen to a guest speaker describe the vision and activities of a local foundation. Is there a way they can join the...

Explore the text, Cold and Hot, with comprehension strategies for young readers. First, give them a purpose for reading: find out what the boy wore outside in the snow! Then have them use one-to-one matching and picture clues to...

To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that...

Students work in small groups to create a topographic map of Italy. They must include labeled line drawings of bordering countries and bodies of water. Students use salt and flour clay to make Italy three dimensional, showing the many...

Students participate in three different activities in a PE lesson. Students warm-up by dancing and following instructions in a song, stretch and work on flexibility by playing a game of Steal the Bacon and finish up with juggling.

Young scholars take personal fitness inventories. In this personal health lesson plan, students take measurements of their heights and weights. Young scholars record the data, calculate their BMI, and then chart their physical...

First graders identify, comprehend, and evaluate the content and artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations. Then they participate in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas. Students also create...

A fun art project, this lesson plan incorporates math and listening skills as young artists play with a new painting technique. First the teacher models how to draw a cat using shapes, an oval for the body, triangles for the ears and so...

Natalie Babbitt's award winning fantasy, Tuck Everlasting, is the anchor text in a unit plan that focuses on identifying similes, metaphors, imagery, and personification in the text and analyzing how these elements effect the...

Students measure their body. For this measurement lesson, students use a string to measure their height and the circumference of their head. They record this information on the worksheet provided and answer questions as a group. 

High schoolers make connections between music and visual art. In this integrated arts lesson, students design paintings that challenge them to examine the relationship between art elements and principles.

Sixth graders access a database to search for desired information, using "and" or "or" connectors where necessary. They choose a connector and search a prepared database of European countries to locate which countries border certain...

Life science learners view an online animated mini textbook comparing two types of cell division. Working in groups, they use a digital microscope to capture images of cells in different stages of mitosis and meiosis. Then they create an...

Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...

Students learn how to preserve flower buds and blooms. For this gardening lesson, students explore the methods of air drying, using drying agents, and pressing plants to preserve them.

Scholars read articles and have a class discussion on California's efforts to fight obesity. They will read and discuss the effects of sugar on the body and the soda tax that is being proposed in California.

Students are encouraged to have a sense of tolerance, including racial differnces, in order to enjoy the richness and diversity of life. They are shown readiness to look beyond surface impressions. Students appreciate that other's...