Designed to be used with a showing of the 1951 version of The Red Badge of Courage staring Audie Murphy, this learning guide includes discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and topics that can be discussed with parents.

Students read a story of the Masai people The Orphan Boy. They create a list of characteristics of the Masai people. They write a descriptive poem about the Masai people.

Learners observe and demonstrate a variety of strategies to improve their reading speed. They observe the teacher model a book talk for the book "Just My Luck," and observe the teacher modeling how not to read. In pairs they time each...

Flotsam by David Wiesner and The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen, begin a reading adventure pack focusing on oceans. With story listening and thoughtful discussion, scholars complete several...

Kenzuke's Kingdom is a wonderful adventure about a boy sailing around the world, it's also the focus of this lesson plan. Students read the novel as a class then use the Comic Life website to create a two-page comic based on the story....

Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...

There's a pot of gold at the end of the school year! Use a month's worth of reading, writing, and counting activities to keep kids learning through the month of March.

What causes sound? Groups of sound detectives use a variety of tools including ping pong balls, pasta noodles, raisins, rubber mallets, and a tuning fork to investigate what causes sound. The young Sherlocks conduct a series of...

An inventive and engaging lesson on nutrition, food groups, and the food pyramid is here for you. In it, young dieticians learn about the basics of nutrition. They use the book, Frog and Toad are Friends, to help them foster discussion...

The Chief, the Bad Boy, the Best Friend, the Charmer, the Lost Soul, the Professor, the Swashbuckler, the Warrior. After examining the criteria for each of these archetypes, viewers are ask to generate a list of their own examples of...

Bring multi-cultural experiences and literature into your language arts class with this instructional activity. Here, young readers explore the points of view of first and second-generation Asian immigrants with a list of various fiction...

Students read a picture book called Jim and the Beanstalk to investigate measurement. They determine that a measuring tape is used to measure the giant and see that a measuring tape is like a flexible ruler that allows you to measure...

Develop automatic, meaningful counting skills with your class by using everyday classroom/school items, objects, and opportunities. Counting skills should be practiced during the year using objects and items they are familiar with and...

If you are reading Frank Asch's book Moonbear's Bargain, here is an excellent way to practice vocabulary in context with budding readers. Although you could include others, the recommended words for this text are: blossom,...

Use Norah Dooley's culturally inspiring book Everybody Cooks Rice to explore delicious new vocabulary in context with beginning readers. The recommended words here are: delicious, grumbling, and gulp; pre-teach them...

Patricia Polacco weaves an engaging tale for budding readers in her book Some Birthday!, an excellent resource for vocabulary in context. You can use this text to introduce the following words: investigate, snarl, and squawk....

Fifth graders research a topic of their choice using the internet, magazines, and books. In this research lesson plan, 5th graders are graded on their research and delivery skills of their presentation.

Students explore the Civil War by reading a children's book in class. In this underground railroad lesson, students read the story Henry's Freedom Box and discuss the plot, settings and characters. Students create their own "freedom box"...

Learners retell a story using the correct sequence of events for a story they have listened to five times. They identify the characters and the setting for the story, and sequence the events using a dissembled copy of the book.

Students discover the process of chocolate production. They read stories from boys in Ghana and Brazil who work on cocoa plantations. They illustrate the principles of fair trade.

Students inquire about the Holocaust. In this Holocaust lesson, students read books and discuss their thoughts. Students also collect current event articles from newspapers. Students investigate ghettos, Pearl Harbor and Navajo Code...

Students investigate what boys and girls can do after participating in readings and class discussions. They examine how gender stereotypes and name-calling can influence what students think they can and cannot accomplish.

Help your class explore the world of Harry Potter. Learners visit selected websites to learn the background about the book series, discover details about the marketing of the books, and investigate book banning.