Students identify and discuss six traits of writing and complete some beginning drawing and writing utilizing the traits. Six lessons on one page.

Students examine the elements of mystery stories and read Rage in Harlem. In reciprocal teaching groups, they discuss the author's development of the story, and complete dialectical journals.

Learners examine Rembrandt's self-portraits and discuss important events in his life. They also examine "Aristotle with the Bust of Homer" and try to identify with the person in the paining, predicting what his life might have been like....

Students explore language arts by reading a children's book in class. In this tier two vocabulary lesson, students read the book Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and identify the use of specific vocabulary words....

Fourth graders are taught how to outline a fictional narrative essay. They review the definition and structure of narrative essays. Students use the activity to brainstorm specific ideas for narrative essays. They are given a...

Learners explore writing techniques by comparing fiction vs. non-fiction. In this literature analysis lesson, students read stories from Aesop's Fables and compare the themes and characters to stories from their own life. Learners...

Pupils analyze the genre of detective fiction through stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Anna Katherine Green. In this detective fiction lesson plan, students read "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Second Bullet." Pupils read the summaries and...

Learners discover journalism by writing about themselves.  In this non-fiction writing lesson, students discuss the outline of a personal narrative and write a paper about an experience they've had.  Learners reflect on the...

Fifth graders utilize the library in order to find the answers to three questions about The Revolutionary War. In this writing and library skills lesson, 5th graders pretend they are a Spy, and write the answers in a fictional letter to...

Students learn how to read a short section and parepare a sentence to share with the group. Students listen to the reading of expository text, restate, in sentence format, one fact learned from that text, and produce a report.

Young scholars practice the skill of summarizing in writing the content of a passage or text and point out the main points in the story. They revise their skills on note-taking that they took the semester before and fine tune them more...

It's no masquerade! If Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is part of your curriculum, check out this three-page packet loaded with suggestions for before, during, and after reading activities.

Open your heart with a refreshing yoga session designed for Valentine's Day. With visual cues of hearts and other festive decorations, participants begin a series of yoga poses designed to open their heart chakras and to reflect on...

Students read historic or contemporary fiction that is set in and around castles. Then they build castles and characters to use in retelling stories, demonstrating their understanding of fiction texts and period architecture. Students...

Students read both fiction and nonfiction books with desert themes. Then they write desert stories and reports, reviewing texts for information to include in writing. Students also design desert scenes with details and setting elements...

After gathering information about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), high schoolers engage in two activities designed to educate themselves and others. They begin by using what they have learned to write a speech for a friend who...

Young voyagers face the challenge of the wide dark sea, travel with Yunmi and Halmoni, and even get trapped by the ice as they explore the reading selections offered in these enrichment activities designed for the Houghton...

Young children read the story, Berlioz the Bear and complete various reading and writing activities. They learn about fiction and non-fiction, and complete graphing and writing activities for the story. Youngsters draw the bear and use...

Aesop’s Fables offer young learners an opportunity to study figurative language. After reviewing theme, simile, alliteration, and metaphor, model for your pupils how to identify examples of these devices in the fable. Class members then...

Eighth graders recognize what makes them special through class participation and discussion of rap music, writing a poem about themselves, and designing their own special hat while working in groups.

Read The Horse Dealer's Daughter and The Rocking Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence, then write an essay comparing and contrasting the two stories. Learners choose some aspect to write about, such as themes, characters, setting, or plot.

Students examine the use of dialogue while writing stories. They decide what two different characters would say to each other based on their character traits of being nasty and nice. They complete an activity page.

Students investigate the different seasons that occur and how the weather is characterized according to the regions of The United States. They conduct research using the internet and then conduct classroom discussion while considering...

Sixth graders brainstorm the reasons authors write, and they list their responses on the board. Students discuss each purpose they have listed.Students work independently to read the selection  "Tarantulas and Typhoid" by...