Students create individual representations of Chinese calligraphy symbols in this cross-curricular lesson for the elementary Language Arts or Art classroom. One enrichment activity is included.

If your class is reading the historical fiction novel, Out of the Dust, then you are in luck. Here are a few slides that will help you provide historical context for the book, as well as define main characters, setting, symbolism, and...

Third graders generate a list of adjectives about a Reese's Cup using their sense of sight, touch, and taste. Then they write a descriptive paragraph about the Reese's Cup.

Students work as a class to compose an original four-measure rhythm. After a brief review of a sight reading Gordon rhythm patterns, students compose their own rhythm with each student selecting a part for the composition. All...

Third graders make observations about the temperature of items in direct sunlight. In groups, they discuss why asphalt, brick and cement are warmer than items surrounding them. To end the instructional activity, they examine how heat...

Students write free verse poems. In this poetry lesson, students use a three-step method to create a free verse poem. Students brainstorm ideas, let their ideas "incubate," and write a free verse poem.

Students discover the culture, society, geography, and history of Asia through games, food, art, and literature in this multi-day lesson plan about China and Japan. An exciting lesson plan for upper-elementary or lower-middle school...

Students investigate the quality of writing while focusing on the use of sensory words to convey meaning and ideas. The power of similes and metaphors is emphasized while they create and edit works of writing. The skill of descriptive...

Students observe a teacher demonstration o classifying matter by its physical properties of shape and size. After discussing the definition of matter, students describe the state of matter. They sing a song to the tune of "Bingo." In...

Young learners recognize a shadow and witness how shadows occur when light is blocked. They access streamed video, standard video, and websites in order to engage in their study of how light is naturally blocked to create shadows. An...

Students read about and discuss how chemical engineers use different states of matter to create substances. In this chemical engineering lesson plan, students also give examples of the 3 kinds of matter.

Students examine the use of adjectives in a product review, then write their own descriptive review. In this writing and word usage lesson plan, students first analyze the choice of adjectives in a New York Times article about the...

Students identify and name different geometrical shapes. In this math lesson plan, students distinguish odd from even numbers. They describe the properties of 2 and 3 dimensional objects.

Groups explore illumination with NASA's Lighting Environment Test Facility (LETF) as a context. Using the TI-Nspire app, groups determine the lux equation that models their simulation. They then use the lux equation to...

Use this lesson plan to discuss inventions that have changed your class's world and have impacted society. Middle schoolers investigate important inventions of their time and design an invention in a simulated business atmosphere. Modify...

Students list different ways of caring for their eyes. They collect magazine photos of people wearing glasses. Organize eye exams for the class. They ponder the consideration that wearing eye wear protects one's eyes.

Young scholars observe pictures of themselves using film and discuss how they think the image is processed to produce a photograph. They are introduced to photogram paper comparing it to photograph paper but understanding that no film is...

First graders explore the basic structures and functions of the human body and how they relate to personal health.

Eighth graders conduct Internet research about Constitutional Amendments and present oral reports on their findings. Their reports also include visual representations depicting their chosen amendment's focal point. Students discuss the...

Students listen as the teacher reads several poems from the book "Hailstones and Halibut Bones," "My Many Colored Days," and a teacher created poem. Students choose a color and share some brainstorming ideas with the class. They write a...

Students use scientific tools. In this Applied Science instructional activity, students investigate the use of scientific tools to enhance observation and discovery. Students indicate how each tool assists scientific work.

Students investigate the difference between living and non-living things.  In this life science lesson plan, students discover the different characteristics of living things and the natural or human created non-living things....

Students listen as the novel "On My Honor" is read to them. They identify similes and the characters differences in the novel.

Students create haiku poems. For this poetry lesson, students listen to the sound of the ocean from an audio file and write a haiku poem about oceans.