Students select books to read that include disease as a plot or theme component. They fill out a matrix for the disease in their novel and write a five-paragraph paper about their book. Students use the rest of the week's classes to...

Students complete an exploration of the 1930s. Using artwork and primary source documents, they compare, contrast and identify cause and effect relationships in the events of the decade. They discover how the events then affect people...

Third graders examine the role of the library media specialist in the school by listening to a read aloud of The Library Dragon and visiting Carmen Agra Deedy's website. They talk about respect for the books and the others using the...

Students perform a web scavenger hunt to find information about the author of the book, YANG THE YOUNGEST AND HIS TERRIBLE EAR. They develop an understanding of how writers use personal experience to add voice to their writing.

Pupils practice experiencing writing with appropriate language and incorporating the eight parts of speech. They assess that many words have multiple functions when used in different contexts. Each student free writes in response to a...

Students discover the literary genre of biographies.  In this creative writing lesson, students write about their own life experiences and personal stories.  Students create a poster about their lives, a biographical...

Students create a poster.  In this vocabulary lesson, students use vocabulary words such as squeak, creak, squeal, squawk and quack to identify the sounds and noises of each word.  Students come up with rhyming words and create...

Students participate in a variety of activities that are concerned with comparing different cultures through the literary genre of folktales. The stories are used to stimulate student interest and provide a context for how a society...

Third graders write to themselves or to known audiences, share news, explore new ideas, and record notes. They identify that holidays are days that people set aside to recognize a person or event that has made a great impression....

Students recognize that eggs have nutritional value. In this eggs lesson plan, students create poetry for a shape book on eggs. Students participate in additional games and activities about the egg.

A thorough lesson introduces learners to Hans Christian Andersen, the nineteenth-century author who created wonderful tales. They read the original texts of several of his stories, including "The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Mermaid,"...

Why do people commit crimes? Middle schoolers investigate characters' motives for committing a crime in a character analysis instructional activity. First, they read the book Chasing Vermeer and identify the suspects. They then record...

Students study fables in a broad context. In this literary lesson on fables, students define terms unique to them. Students use a variety of technological resources to gather and classify information into three categories. Students also...

Students develop a comparison worksheet using one non fiction book and one fiction book they have read to be put into a class scrapbook. In their comparison students must have title, author, point of view, setting, characters, and other...

Fourth graders learn about the genre of science fiction. In this science fiction lesson, 4th graders learn about the characteristics of science fiction as a genre. They write an original piece of science fiction.

Fifth graders determine what the Newbery Award is and why it is importance. They examine a number of Newbery Award winning books and listen to a book talk about William Pene DuBois', Twenty-One Balloons while watching a PowerPoint...

Fourth graders identify the characteristics of a tall tale. They read "The Seven Chinese Brothers" and analyze it for these characteristics. Students complete a comprehension worksheet and discuss why "The Seven Chinese Brothers" can be...

Students write a story using their journey to school as the setting. In groups, they discuss their experiences and browse through books to get ideas for their story. They practice using a thesaurus to find new verbs or adjectives they...

Students learn to identify numbers and to group objects in sets. The genre of artwork is used as a way of engaging students to develop this number skill. The creative project of making one's own hyperstudio card is made and this is where...

Students identify the elements of science fiction and write their own example.  In this Journey to the Center of the Earth lesson students complete several activities about science fiction, authors and novels.

Second graders identify people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, traditions, and careers. They explain how they contribute to the community. Students sing a song to display the different Christmas traditions that are celebrated in...

Students analyze the cartoons of Jules Feiffer and the art genre to then create their own comic book-style spread. In this cartoon art lesson, students read about the work of Feiffer and identify the techniques of the art. Students...

Students compare and contrast the Eight Immortals with American super- heroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman while examining the literary genre of folktales and its connection to art.

Students explore why clean water is essential. In this environmental lesson, students identify the "powers" we need to improve the quality of water. Students share their descriptions of world-water superheroes.