Use this presentation as a means to spark discussion and promote critical-thinking skills in your classroom. Learners read and discuss a series of questions such as whether animals can talk. This presentation provides a good way to have...

Kids may be a little resistant to this rainy day idea, but it could produce some amazing art. They paint a watercolor picture of anything they like. When they are done, they take their paintings outside and let the rain work its magic!...

An informative list compiled with quotes, authors, and discussion questions, along with 20 out-of-the-box application ideas, make up the collection of lessons geared to spark dialogue and creative thinking about quotations. 

How many different ways can you represent a whole? In a picture that represents six parts (two of which are shaded), learners are asked to label the parts appropriately to show how three different mathematical interpretations can be...

Encourage critical thinking with a grammar exercise that focuses on adverbs and adverbial phrases. Kids read the first parts of 16 sentences, then decide which question to answer (how, how much, where, or when) based on the context, and...

Think outside the box - and think about education beyond the classroom walls - with a resource that has your critical thinkers watching a video about a nursery in Scotland that lets youngsters roam wild in a forest....

Students discuss creative writing—what makes something creative writing? Each learner starts writing a story and after 15 minutes, they pass their story to another who adds to it. After another 15 minutes of writing, the story is passed...

Young scholars create a play in which each person in the group is a "character" or part of a system.  In this creative instructional activity students are assigned a process in which they write a script about with characters. 

Kids usually love crayon resist projects. It is so fascinating for them to see how the dark paint accentuates and resists the waxy crayon. Here are instructions for executing a crayon resist project of your own. Tip: Make the project fit...

In groups, learners design sets for the play, "Shakespeare Stealer." They sketch a scale model of a set and present it to the teacher, who will choose which group gets to design the entire set. 

A classic Japanese print is attached to this lesson and its up to your class to write a story about it. Pretending the image is an illustration, they use what they know about Japanese mythology to compose a short story describing the...

Sometimes short lesson outlines are enough to give you a great idea. Young writers draw any object inside an image of a jar, that doesn't belong in a jar. They can draw a tree, truck, or dinosaur. Tip: Have kids write a short story...

Every class has a puzzle or two with missing pieces, don't trash them, use them for art. Great for framing a picture or self-portrait, this frame idea really comes together. Learners use old puzzle pieces to decorate a picture frame....

Create a village and learn about recycling at the same time! A materials list is included, as well as instructions for what you need to do to create a recycled carton village with your kids. Two great book links are included.

This is a very simple idea, learners make note cards or stationery out of their recycled art work. Note: I have done a version of this, where I've had my special needs learners paint on card stock or watercolor paper. I then cut each...

You want to make a sandwich out of fabric and paper? If so, this art project provides the instructions needed. Learners will use a variety of fabrics and paper to construct a sandwich through collage. Tip: Have leaners describe the...

A little tin foil can go a long way. Middle schoolers create relief sculptures out of card board and foil. The step-by-step procedure and materials list are included. Note: This project can be done with children as young as seven.

Kids create a free-form art piece using paper, water-based paints, markers, and imagination. They allow the paints to randomly bleed, mix, and move on the paper, then they look for forms in the organic images. They black-line the shapes...

Sponge painting is a technique that is fun for learners of all ages and it can be adapted to fit a variety of skill levels and subjects. Here, little ones use sponges and paint to make geometric patterns. Tip: Sponges can be cut into...

Letter J can be found in the image provided, but it will take a keen eye to locate it. Little ones can find and color the letter J found in the elephant's trunk. Tip: Have them draw a different image where the letter J is the foundation...

Open-ended art projects are great for allowing students to use what they've learned to create something original. This is a printable instructional activity the class can use to create their own Coat of Arms. Have them incorporate what...

You can write some music scores using images rather than musical notation. Kids learn how they can become musical composers by using graphics or images in place of musical notation. An interesting slide-show, but a more interesting...