Penguin Books
Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald
A reading of Tanya Lee Stones' biography of Ella Fitzgerald lets middle schoolers get up close and personal with the First Lady of Jazz. Stone recounts details of Fitzgerald's life from her early days through her experiences as a teenage...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Stitch It Up!
Ever think about combining the art forms of painting and embroidery? Then this art instructional activity is right up your alley! Given a piece of white cloth, young artists first create a grayscale painting and then highlight certain...
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Missing Masterpieces
Young scholars investigate a fictitious crime involving stolen art masterpieces. They work collaboratively in teams to solve the fictitious crime. Students return the stolen paintings in a Microsoft PowerPoint "portfolio" to their owner....
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Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement lesson plan, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period. They prepare...
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Historical Figure: A Monologue
Fourth graders develop their speaking skills. In this monologue lesson, 4th graders watch their instructors model a monologue regarding Abraham Lincoln. Students apply these skills as they research a historical figure from their state...
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Egypt's Greatest Leaders
Students study about seven of Egypt's most famous pharaohs. They discuss leadership styles and draw conclusions about the success of each of these pharaohs. They, in groups, create a project about a pharaoh they studied.
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Contributions that Martin Luther King Jr. Made to Society
Second graders discover the positive effects Martin Luther King, Jr. had on society. In this U.S. history instructional activity, 2nd graders investigate racial tensions from sixty to seventy years ago and view a video about MLK, Jr....
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Explorers’ Experience
Students investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills lesson, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Students design and create relief maps that feature exploration...
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"War of the Worlds": A Broadcast Re-Creation
Why did Orson Welles' 1938 Broadcast of a adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds cause such a panic? To answer this question, class members listen to the original broadcast and research the panic that resulted. They then engage...
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Five Artists of the Mexican Revolution
Students discover details about Mexican Revolution era artists. In this Mexican Revolution activity, students research the events and people of the time period. Students then research the artists of the time and create their own artwork...
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Migrant Workers Through the Lens of Dorothea Lange
Students explore the lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students examine photographs and song lyrics to gain an understanding of the conditions for people living in the era. Students...
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Peking Opera Mask
Students design and create their own masks using the symbolism evident in Peking opera masks.
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Land, Liberty and the Struggle for the American Dream
Students investigate equality by reading a historical fiction book in class. In this civil rights lesson, students read the story Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with their classmates and define the Jim Crow Laws that kept blacks...
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Classical Greece and Rome
Covering the playwrights and characteristics of ancient Greek dramas, this presentation would be a good starter to a unit about the culture or about the genre of tragedies. Though titled "Classical Greece and Rome," there isn't any...
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Preferences
In this oral language worksheet, learners work in pairs to ask and answer questions. The first student asks 6 questions about the preferences of Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz. When the partner answers, it is checked and marked as...
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Mysteries of Egypt
Students investigate the Egyptian civilization. In this cultural lesson, students watch the film Mysteries of Egypt and create a replica of an ancient Egyptian artifact.
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Playing Historical Detective: Great Grandmother's Dress and Other Clues to the Life and Times of Annie Steel
Students draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. In this drawing conclusions instructional activity, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This instructional...
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Social Studies: Renaissance
Students explore Renaissance architecture. In this Renaissance lesson, students view a slideshow featuring architecture of the era and then discuss the math skills used to the build the structures. Student build their own replicas of...
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Trustworthy Reputation
Seventh graders explore psychology by writing reflections about quotations. In this human behavior activity, 7th graders read a list of famous quotes about trust by men such as Benjamin Franklin and William Shakespeare. Students complete...
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Who am I?
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...
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Introduction to Architecture
Students complete independent studies about famous architects or buildings. In this architecture lesson, students discuss what they know about the subject with their teacher. Students then select European architects and/or structures to...
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Things That Make Us Want To Scream
Students create a drawing of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and draw items that make them want to scream in this creative Art lesson for the Middle or High School classroom. The lesson includes resource links for artwork and background...
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Zora Hurston Teacher's Guide
Students explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real life...
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Grandfather's Journey
Third graders explore world cultures by reading a children's story in class. In this Japanese heritage lesson, 3rd graders read the book Grandfather's Journey and identify the characters, setting and plot that takes place. Students...