Painted, portable, pocket lockets encourage kids to display personal treasures and items they value. The activity, combining art with social and character studies, is perfect for any classroom.

Use drama to study and practice dialogue. Creative minds discuss what dialogue tells about a character, and how it can be used to advance the plot. They read a play, think about what they gleaned from dialogue, and record their...

Inspire first grade artists to learn about abstract and realistic art while reading Eric Carle's Where are you Going? To See My Friend. Young artists design and make a mural collage by tearing shapes of paper while comparing English and...

Experience how a story can drastically change when the point of view is altered. Young scholars first read a review of Disney's film Tarzan, focusing on how the point of view in the classic story is important. They then select...

Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...

Young scholars examine fair use. In this character education lesson, students discover copyright and fair use laws regarding media. Young scholars discuss the ethics of movie and music sharing.

Young readers bring characters to life by working in small groups to script and perform stories that contain a community concept. Detailed questions and activities are outlined for the class. Consider having your groups create...

Eighth graders create self-portrait showing value and emotion, and gather information about color and emotion through different handheld applications.

Students identify short story elements. In this story elements activity, students review vocabulary about the elements of a story and then practice finding the elements in the short story links.

Students explore the importance of maintaining a democracy through philanthropic actions. In this character education lesson, students discover what the Japanese internment camps were, and why they were an infringement on personal...

Young scholars investigate the dramatic elements of The Crucible. In this drama lesson, students explore the elements and themes of the Arthur Miller play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Young...

When you look at me, what do you see? Young learners answer this question by creating a portrait that reflects the identity of one of their peers. First, class members create interview questions. Then, they interview classmates to...

What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...

Eighth graders investigate art appreciation and Renaissance portraits through time. They create a portrait.

Students study the different types of lines and create a drawing demonstrating what they learned.

Middle schoolers study about theatrical design by developing environments for improvised and scripted scenes. They develop focused ideas for an environment using visual elements.

Students examine the art of Edward Ruscha and make a three-dimensional model of a single word. They explore shading and value, and create a drawing of the model. They render ribbon strip letters in varied values to show 3-D quality.

Love, jealousy, hatred! Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera has it all. Whether or not you have used Gaston Leroux's novel with your classes, you will find much value in this resource. The guide includes background information, an...

Students compare and contrast likenesses and differences to others by creating a life-size picture of themselves. In this character building lesson, students dictate a sentence about comments on sharing and display them with their...

Students explore community service.  In this character development and community lesson, students sing a song based on the fable The Lion and the Mouse. Students participate in a discussion about kindness, and generate ideas for...

Students observe human psychology by completing a media analysis worksheet. In this parent and teen communication lesson, students identify the main programs on television today and how sex is used to sell the program as well as...

Students create a photo-biography of someone they consider a real life hero.  For this character sketch lesson, students define a hero and identify heroic characteristics in short stories.  Students use descriptive words to...

Students discuss acts of kindness. In this character education lesson, students use a large sheet of poster paper, tempera paint, and markers to create a graffiti wall. Students write down their ideas of kindness and share their wall...

Young scholars compare/contrast the media messages they see in two different communities in their city. They list the elements of art and the principles of design in the photographs they have taken in those two different communities....