Students investigate the process of making a newspaper using children's literature to create context for the instructional activity. The readers are asked to predict the events of the story as it is read to them. Then the teacher uses...

If you want some help with teaching themes and symbols in Animal Farm, this may be beneficial. After a class discussion about possible themes, class members write a paragraph explaining which they believe is the most important. Next,...

Do your middle school scholars need practice decoding words while reading or for spelling? The root word pan is the focus of a nine-step instructional activity that asks learners to discover ways to figure out the meaning of words built...

Create a cross-curricular learning experience based on the children's book Joseph Had a Little Overcoat with this collection of learning activities. Starting with a class reading of the story, children go on to learn about the...

Students explore a website about Latinos in the U.S., and answer worksheet questions about information on the website. They create a puppet show, organize a press conference, or create a brochure regarding Latinos living in the U.S.

The skill of prediction as a reading strategy is explored. Learners are shown how to use clues within a story, along with pictures, to make predictions as to what's going to happen in the story. A clever in-class game which uses objects...

Introduce your class to the techniques of proper writing. In groups, they brainstorm their ideas on family structures and discuss the importance of having a male figure in their lives. After listening to an African-American poem, they...

What sound do fish and ship have in common? Study the /sh/ sound with your young learners. They hear a common tongue twister, spell words in their letter boxes, and read The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Phister to hear the words in...

Examine three Cubism art pieces by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque with your students. They will research how Cubism was advanced due to Picasso and Braque. and then compare and contrast Cubist works through image based discussion. Your...

Examine author's purpose in a persuasive text using this scaffolded plan. You essentially have a verbatim script here, but it can definitely be used as an outline instead. Review questions that readers should ask themselves when...

Inspire thought around some of the themes of Pudd'nhead Wilson with a visualization activity. As you read a passage, learners close their eyes and picture the scene. A writing exercise and discussion follow.

Who are "the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth”? Readers of Gulliver’s Travels will learn the answer, as the journey with Lemuel Gulliver to Lilliput,...

Students explore literary elements through music. In this figurative language lesson plan, students examine imagery and personification in "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix.

In this vocabulary skills instructional activity, learners review the listed terms and figures related to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the bottom of...

In this figurative language worksheet, students read and study examples of simile and metaphor. There are 20 questions to be used with Smartboard and 10 questions in which students identify similes or metaphors.

Students study the life of Ellis Wilson. They examine the use of simple shapes when drawing human figures. They examine how to incorporate pattern into a background setting.

Students combine elements of music with poetry.  In this creative writing lesson, students examine poems from a variety of authors with varying writing styles.  Students explore the different elements of poetry, including tone,...

Middle schoolers stand up against bullying in a character-building activity. After discussing historical figures who became advocates in times of adversity, they brainstorm ways to end bullying at their own school, and use a formal...

Have your class participate in a variety of sports and craft activities using this resource. With sports as the theme, learners work on art projects. Learners create soccer ball prints, a three dimensional football, and a sports collage.

Use this roaring 1920s history lesson to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in the 1920s and...

Learning how to share with one's classmates is a very important skill to have in school. Here, the technique of sharing is taught. Pupils receive one piece of paper and are put into groups. Each group only has six crayons. They must...

Take your young word detectives on a hunt for the /i/ sound. Use the tongue twister about Iggy the penguin to help learners identify the target sound. Then learners are given several words, and they have to use their detective skills to...

The history of Greek drama is the focus of this multiple-choice quiz. Ten questions ask about historical figures and the roots of tragedy and comedy in Greek religious festivals. While studying Greek drama, use this quiz to test your...

Young writers will literally step into art and creative writing as they become the figures featured in the sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On. Begin by showing your class a picture of the sculpture and having a discussion about its most...