Curated OER
Theater: Create a Script
Figurative language is the focus in the book Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. After reading Peggy Parish's book, class members dramatize idioms from the text, using dramatic strategies such as characterization, exaggeration, and improvisation....
Curated OER
Mining Shapes
In this 2-D shapes lesson, kindergarteners review plane shapes attributes. They engage in a shape hunt in the classroom and create art using plane shapes. A good, hands-on lesson!
Sandra Effinger
Bulletin Board Project
Imagine a project that informs and entertains. Replace book reports with a bulletin board that highlights all the important elements of a novel. Readers research the author, create a timeline of events in the story, write a character...
National Center for Families Learning
The Summer Fun Summer Learning Dance Unit
Summer slide. Alas, not a term synonymous with a type of sliding board, summer slide refers to the fact that learning slips during summer break, especially in the areas of spelling and math facts. Enrich summer break with a...
Curated OER
100 Years...100 Movies
Students watch one of the top 100 movies to view, research critical reviews and then, write their own reviews.
Curated OER
The Sundance Kids
Learners discuss independent filmmaking industry, focusing on the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. As a class, students develop a storyboard for their own independent film, then write movie reviews from the point of view of a film critic on...
Classics for Kids
A Composer Leads the Way
What song is playing? A music activity focuses on composers throughout history, their famous works, and the instruments in each piece. As pupils complete the worksheet they play a short game to review music theory terms.
Curated OER
Using Songs in the Foreign Language Classroom
Students focus on their required lessons in Spanish by integrating music and songs as they complete their assignments. They assess the vocabulary, grammar patterns and culture associated with music and various different songs. Each...
Curated OER
Kudos by Kiddos
Students explore types of awards for children's books. They design a new award. Students review books and select one to receive the newly designed award. Students create a "medal" for the book jacket. They write an explanation of the award.
Curated OER
Writing a Personal Narrative
Students complete a variety of computer file pre-writing activities to help them prepare for writing a personal narrative. They focus on including a beginning, middle and end to their narrative. They make a class book.
Curated OER
Anasazi Basket Weaving
The Anasazi Indians of Mesa Verde are the focus of this art and social studies activity. Working in pairs or groups of three, pupils utilize computers and go online to search for websites about the Anasazi. Students will choose two or...
Curated OER
Are You Sleeping?
Here is a measurement lesson focusing on length. Learners use their feet as the unit of measurement for furniture in the classroom and at home, and sketch the pieces of furniture they measured.
Curated OER
Drawing Lessons
Seventh graders complete a visual acts project that focuses on eye level, center of vision, station point, cone of vision, vanishing points, true height, and drawing a box in two point perspective. They work on a number of still life...
Curated OER
Writing Through Art
Examine the works of visual and performing artists with upper graders. Using the works, they identify the comparisons among the techniques used. They will also review the six traits of effective writing and keep a writing journal...
Curated OER
History of Tiles: Early Tile Designs - The Middle East
Students create a presentation on Middle Eastern art. In this art history lesson, students will research Middle Eastern art, specifically focusing on the Alhambra Palace and Moorish-inspired tile design. They will use information...
Illinois Music Education Conference
Taking the “General” Out of Middle School General Music!
Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet.
The New York Times
Anatomy of a Scene
Casting, setting, context, frame, camera angle, lighting, soundtrack. Every choice a writer or director makes is conscious. Here's a worksheet that asks readers/viewers to examine these choices and consider how they are used to to create...
Curated OER
Frozen Seas
Learners research animal life in the frozen seas. For this researched based lesson, students use the Internet to create a poster about an animal that lives in an Arctic or Antarctic environment. Learners will focus on the behavioral and...
Curated OER
Making The Holidays Special
Students examine ways in which holiday television specials reflect some of the religious, historic and cultural themes of the holidays on which they focus. They create their own holiday television specials in groups, each focusing on a...
Curated OER
CREATE A NEW RHYME
Third graders develop basic narratives. They retell a focused story and create a basic publication using available resources (e.g., pictures, colors, computer, copier). They experiment with different forms of creative writing (e.g.,...
Curated OER
Watch Your Conductor Like a Hawk
Students focus their eyes on the conductor in music class. The teacher uses a music sheet to isolate the musical elements of tempo, balance, and blend.
Curated OER
Egg-streme Tesselation
Sixth graders view a video of tessellating an egg shape. They focus upon the problem solving strategies used and how tessellation geometry was used to construct the three dimensional figure. They create their own tiling patterns.
Curated OER
Illustrated Children's Books
Students create their own illustrated book. In this illustration lesson plan, students review books given the Caldecott award. They create their own illustrations for a book and digitally scan them to a computer to make their pages.
Curated OER
Tessellations
Young scholars learn and review basic geometric terms, definitions, and theory, including regular polygons, lines, angles, points, etc. They make a tessellating stamp and create a repeating work of art.