Learners explore the concept of design, and identify items in their lives that have been designed. They explore the concept of book design and create and arrange their own page layout.

List and identify words for each part of the "Nym" family: synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. Middle schoolers place words in the correct category, then find the corresponding mate in a dictionary or thesaurus.

Incorporate sensory details into a piece of descriptive writing. First, elementary and middle schoolers improve a piece of writing by using precise, vivid language, as well as appropriate word choice. They then listen to a variety of...

Students discuss the importance and function of nautical maps for sailors. They, in groups, take soundings of a simulated bay in a shoebox and develop a nautical chart that enable them to navigate the shoebox safely.

Review sight words with readers. They will look over their sight words and come up with sentences for each of them. They also review the alphabet and identify unfamiliar words.

Bring writing to life with this lesson in which elementary and middle schoolers create a display of the imagery they identify in a series of Gary Paulsen books. They read the suggested materials, identify imagery and descriptive...

If your upper elementary or middle school marine biology learners are going to visit an aquarium, then here is a field trip activity guide for you. It is written specifically for The Maritime Aquarium, but the idea can be adapted to...

Explore words, definitions, their connotations and associations with brand names. Middle and high schoolers identify words used in commercials and determine their effect upon the consumer population. They explore how meanings are...

Using the poems "First Snow" by Ted Kooser and "Eating Alone" by Yi-Young Lee (or other suggested poems by Robert Frost or Sara Teasdale), middle schoolers search for examples of figurative language. Guide your learners by discussing...

Students study the /a/ phoneme by determining how the mouth move when it makes the sound by imitating a sneeze. They recite a tongue twister, practice writing the lowercase "a" and listen to a story while identifying the letter sound....

Students explore phonetics by participating in a letter combination class activity. For this word sound lesson, students discuss the combination of the letter "al" and the sound it makes. Students listen as their teacher says several...

Students study the phoneme /p/ both in written and spoken language while differentiating from the phoneme /b/. They think about the "put, put" sound that an old car makes, and work with at tongue twister. Next, they write the letter p,...

Students study the sound the 'ow' makes by picking out words on a poster that contain the sound and by listening to 'Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?' They raise their hands each time they hear a word with the 'ow' sound. Next, they find...

Pupils listen to a performance of the instrument, oud. After watching a video, they discover how many parts of the world it is used in and locate the countries on a map. They compare and contrast the oud with other instruments from the...

Learners create adjective riddles for various candies. They describe the sound, taste, appearance, and smell of the candy, using at least 10 different adjectives. Classmates try to guess the candy name.

Young scholars discover movement and expression to music/sound through a series of teacher-led exercises and role plays. This lesson is ideal for the middle school drama class with possibilities for adaptation to any level of drama or...

First graders read The Magic Apple and complete interdisciplinary activities related to the book.  In this folktale lesson, 1st graders answer comprehension questions, recognize and record short /i/  sound words and...

Students design an environmentally friendly home.  In this middle school math/science lesson, students watch videos on creating green design.  Students work in collaborative groups to determine what makes a house green and to...

Students respond to the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In this Red Riding Hood lesson, students retell and discuss story elements.  Students practice phonic sounds.  Students role play, make predictions, use picture...

Students investigate the world of bees and describe their characteristics. by identifying the bees' parts, they demonstrate how these parts function. In the lab, students dissect bees and view the various parts under microscopes. ...

Students identify American geography by participating in a national parks activity. In this road trip lesson plan, students view the Ken Burns documentary "National Parks" and identify the importance of automobiles in the park system....

Students examine the functions of the endocrine system.  In this body protective systems lesson students identify body reactions, define terms and complete an activity.

The first thirty-seven questions on this assessment check for knowledge of the events in Beowulf. The short answer prompt asks readers to identify five characteristics of an epic and to give examples from Beowulf in support. Finally,...

Students use their senses to help describe special place they have been. They write short sensory-image essay that incorporate all five of their senses, and identify sensory language while reading different pieces of literature.