What is blank verse? Iambic pentameter? Meter? Use the attached document to review these ideas with your middle schoolers. This plan has learners get up and stomp to iambic pentameter, which is a fun change from just clapping the...

Do your young readers know that poems can be performed as a team? They listen to a few examples from Paul Fleischman's book Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, paying attention to how the how readers work together....

Decode and acquire new vocabulary! Readers use new vocabulary in their writing and use synonyms to determine meanings. Visual learners label pictures and group words together to increase understanding.

To set the stage for reading Paradise Lost, class members compete an anticipation guide containing statements that connect to themes in Milton's epic poem.

Reading aloud is a great way to engage learners in pacing and pronunciation! They practice using voice, pitch and intonation correctly. The teacher introduces the lesson by example, correctly stressing punctuation and using appropriate...

Students explore the characteristics of winter and use invented spelling processes to describe their observations. A word wall is utilized to assist the learner through the independent writing exercises.

After answering comprehension questions (good for a homework reading check), class members analyze "Comin' Thro the Rye," and using the included guidance questions, discuss Holden's misreading of Robert Burns' poem. The URL to text of...

We often see other countries depicted in movies, but getting a close look at a typical day in the life of a young person from another country isn't as common. Give your pupils such a look with a resource that helps class members...

Young scholars participate in activities to determine their macro process and elaborative process abilities. During macro processes readers organize and summarize ideas as they read. They look at the big picture of the entire text as...

Sixth graders apply the division and multiplication of decimals to convert dollars to various international currencies. In a travel simulation activity, they convert money, distance, and temperatures. During their "trip," students...

Students write a story from the perspective of a water droplet on a journey through the water cycle. They use the 6+1 Traits writing method to focus on voice in the writing as they create characters that their water droplet has...

As a way to help your students understand tolerance, personal space, and cultural diversity, this instructional activity has them give up personal space for three minutes. There is no discussion prior to this activity and seemingly very...

Young scholars review the notes they took for "The Little Prince". After identifying the instances of responsibility in the text, they discuss them with others in English. As a class, they watch parts of "Children of Heaven" and write...

Students describe various medical facilities and the services they provide. Working in pairs, students research and list the location and telephone number of community medical facilities and the services they provide. Independently,...

The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...

Middle schoolers discuss what they expect out of their education. After reading a story, they answer comprehension questions and match the meaning of the word to the vocabulary word. To end the lesson, they write a story about a time in...

Students investigate and measure using the metric and customary units. In this math instructional activity, students investigate which method is used most worldwide, the metric or the customary. They convert from unit to...

Students discuss philanthropic behavior. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students read Shel Silverstein's Hug O' War and brainstorm ways of working together.

Students develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a famous...

Students participate in a discussion about the Spanish influence on the Caribbean islands. They define the Spanish words in the book, Isla, and respond to a question about cultural influences in a response journal.

Students explore the publishing roles of author and illustrator. Stories are written and the illustration done by other students. Answers to several questions act as a motivating force for the creation of the stories.

Fifth graders discuss what narrative writing represents. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders review the ten strategies for engaging reader. Students listen to and read good examples of each strategyand write engaging beginnings in...

Fourth graders explore the childhood of Lincoln and pioneer life in early Indiana. Students respond to literature and write a story using historical fiction. Students explore the writings of President Lincoln and the pioneer community...

Second graders will master verbs. In this language arts lesson students will spend extra time working with verbs, and mastering the past, present, and future tenses of commonly used verbs. The students will engage in several activities...