Have your class read the story "The Magic Lake," retold by Liana Romulo, from Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. Guide them to identify the problem, solution, and universal theme. They compare the theme of this story to the theme of...

That it is better to give than receive can be a difficult concept for little ones, especially during the Christmas holiday season. A reading of Jan Brett’s, Christmas Trolls, helps children focus their attention away from what they want...

Here is a hard-hitting, cross-curricular lesson on the effects that the deforestation of the Ozark forests in the 19th century had on the people, animals, and ecosystems of the area. The Dr. Seuss book The Lorax is used as a way of...

Mirroring Jerry Spinelli's style in Wringer, chapter 5, pupils use the "counting up/down technique" to recall an important moment in their lives. In the book, the character is being punched, and between blows he remembers details...

If you're reading Jan Brett's The Umbrella, a presentation featuring the animals from the story is an excellent way to augment your lesson. Featuring gorgeous photographs of rainforest animals, as well as Spanish phrases and English...

Students practice their reading comprehension while investigating vegetables.  In this children's literature lesson, students are read The Tale of Peter Rabbit in class and analyze the concept and themes.  Students complete...

Fifty eye-catching pages contain six lessons about Roald Dahl's novel, Matilda. Each lesson has a theme and covers a different subject—literacy, social-emotional learning, science, and geography. Scholars analyze characters, examine...

Students look at picture books and describe the story elements. In this picture book lesson, students retell a story and begin to understand the story elements of plot, setting, and characters. Students complete graphic organizers to...

Students draw a picture related to the book "Today I Feel Silly" using a computer drawing program. They listen to the story and answer discussion questions, view drawings on the teacher's Paint website, and create an illustration of...

Students consider the role of rhythm and meter in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry and use their music skills to set picture book poetry to music by creating "singable" poems.

Students write a story.  In this writing style and illustration lesson, students review elements of Dr. Seuss' writing and illustration style and read a few more books written by him, examining the writing style.  Students work...

Students create and write mini books.  In this Dr. Seuss instructional activity, students bring in their favorite Dr. Seuss book, share why it is their favorite with the class and write a paragraph explaining why they like it. ...

Students study iconic symbols Keith Haring would make in his artwork. They invent a background for the images, and draw the characters. Students create a Tunnel Book and a Pop-Up Book based on their drawings.

Students complete various activities based on the Flat Stanley books. In this Flat Stanley lesson, students brainstorm a list of supernatural qualities as an introduction to the book, then create story webs based on the book characters...

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...

Dr. Seuss wrote " A person's a person, no matter how small." The elementary resource uses Dr. Seuss's book Horton Hears a Who to explore children's rights in an engaging way. Young academics listen to the story, participate in group...

The world in Lois Lowry's The Giver is one without pain or suffering. Similiarly, your classroom review of the novel can be painless with a simple and straightforward crossword puzzle that covers characters, details, and setting...

Reader, writer, illustrator ... scholars wear many hats! Pupils become experts in recommending books to their classmates as they write reviews of their independent reading books. Next, after finishing the second draft of their children's...

A reading of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss and a nonfiction book of your choice begins a reading adventure pack comprised of three hands-on activities. Following the reading, scholars craft a food mobile made of colorful fruit and...

If your class is reading Jane Yolen's Letting Swift River Go, explore these vocabulary words in context: faint, quench, remain, and sacred. Before reading the story aloud, acquaint learners with these words briefly....

Supplement a shared reading of the children's book Dragon Gets By with this fun vocabulary PowerPoint presentation. Focusing on eight key terms from the story, this resource presented a handful of pictures representing each...

Literature circles give learners a chance to explore a novel in a unique way. An educator's guide for the book Savvy uses literature circles as part of the novel study. Additional activities cover elements of figurative language and...

This useful approach to determining themes based on specific details from a book is aimed at readers of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. It could also easily be adapted for use with other books or readings. The class identifies recurring...