Middle schoolers become more familiar with the setting of the instructional activity. They know who Dr. de Bono is and what he invented. Students know the lessons ground rules. They have sparked their creativity to be stimulated.

Upper graders analyze the work, Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase by Maria van Oosterwyck. They consider the value of her paintings and how they are still relevent and sought after, 350 years after they were created. The blending of...

Students dramatize the wonderful world of nature, without making a sound. In this early childhood creative thinking lesson, students dramatize different aspects of nature to develop creative thinking, reading, memory, and motor skills.

Students explore the shape of things as they bend, twist, and turn. In this early childhood lesson plan, students develop social, creative-thinking, and language skills and spatial awareness as they use their bodies to create geometric...

Learners work with big boxes to connect big ideas. In this early childhood problem solving lesson, students develop social, language, math, creative-thinking, and problem-solving skills as they work together to plan and design a...

A reading of Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter opens a discussion of justice and fairness. Using a Venn diagram and an Idea Wheel graphic organizer, class members consider the similarities and differences in these two terms. They then...

Take a closer look at the impact of war in this language arts and social studies lesson. Middle schoolers use primary sources to conduct research as they relate to the effects of war on children. They compare and contrast the effects of...

To truly teach through the arts means one must tackle both art and core content in one lesson. This quick activity does just that. Learners make skeletons out of cotton swabs in order to study relief sculpture and the skeletal system....

Do talk back! The transcript of one side of a telephone conversation launches a study of dialogue. Class members imagine the response of the speaker on the other side of the conversation and record these responses on the provided...

Seven major abstract art movements are analyzed by learners in groups. Each group analyzes various works by determining which work belongs to which movement. They then read Flatland, engage in an art and literary analysis discussion,...

Learners discover competition and trickery by participating in a class game. They participate in a role-playing game called "Survivor" in which students utilize critical thinking skills to identify who is the "Bad Guy." Students win the...

Learners social skills blossom as they work together on this mural-making activity. In this early childhood visual arts lesson, students develop creative-thinking, fine-motor, language, and social skills as they work together to plan,...

Ahoy, matey! Here is an engineering expedition that mini mariners are sure to be swept away by! After reading a brief description and history of periscopes, they work in crews to construct one. Use this activity to enhance a lesson on...

Learners discuss Sol LeWitt and conceptual art, then analyze the differences in expressing a concept through model-based inquiry and aesthetic art criticism. They develop a geometric, scientific, or mathematical concept, then create an...

Many indicators of health are beyond a teenager's control, but there are many changes they can make in their daily life that can improve their health. Middle schoolers think about their physical, social, and mental health status before...

Travel back in American history to the era of slavery and abolition. After reading about the Underground Railroad, young historians examine a painting depicting the event, and write a narrative from the point of view of a person in the...

Creative kids read, discuss, play-act, and sketch to examine the cultural significance of Old Man Coyote. They listen to several stories involving Coyote, analyze the Harry Fonseca painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo, and write Coyote...

Discuss the people, history and geography of North Dakota using this resource. Learners use a variety of sources to do research on North Dakota and present their findings in a PowerPoint presentation. They answer questions involving...

Pupils use creative thinking skills while writing a good description of possible future jobs.

In this comprehensive reading comprehension lesson, students complete an indepth look at the introductions and history of cell phones. Students research, analyze and determine the answers to twenty two questions regarding what a cell...

Students complete an art creation where they are given a squiggle and have to design a picture around it. In this squiggle art lesson plan, students use flexible thinking, and draw 6 pictures around 6 different squiggles.

Engage learners in persuasive writing, research, and creative thinking. They research the series of events that led to the Boston Tea Party and create brochures that include propaganda intended to rally Patriot support or dissuade...

Shadow puppetry has an ancient past, it is also a great way to build oral expression and reading fluency. Young thespians research folk tales, compare and contrast reality and fantasy, then create and perform a shadow puppet play based...

In this nature art lesson, young scholars take a nature walk and collect items with different sizes, textures and colors. Students use the items they collect to make a collage.