One of the Common Core standards requires learners to make connections between literature or media of the past and the present. Provided here, are key elements found in medieval poetry and literature that are connected to several more...

Move to the end of the alphabet with some kid-friendly practice focused on the letters x and z that will inspire your scholars' artistic side. They connect the dots to trace the lowercase letters before copying them in the space...

Give young arithmeticians an applicable way to use their addition and subtraction skills with these five word problems. Each one presents a scenario requiring they add or subtract numbers with units (money, distance, weight,...

Now that geometers know how to solve for square units, can they solve for cubed units? Explore this concept as scholars examine four cubes to solve for volume in each. A detailed example explains this process, but you may consider asking...

Students read an article that tells how a young man turned his life around through the help of a local charity. They create inspirational scrapbooks and posters to help motivate their peers when they are facing adversity.

Middle schoolers map the ideas, people, and beliefs of a period of history. They analyze influences of historical eras. Students use mapping as a prewriting strategy. They use Inspiration to map the key events, ideas, and...

Students analyze various inspirational statements from graduation commencement speeches, and then write their own speeches that reflect lessons to help students succeed in the next stage of life.

Sixth graders compare and contrast various forms of artistic expression. They create an abstract painting.

Students complete a list of food adjectives based on the book Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. In this adjectives lesson plan, students also compose a 3 part piece of writing based on an entire day of raining food. 

Students explore energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. They conduct a home energy audit, a transportation campaign, and an investigation in the school. Students develop a plan to conserve energy and reduce emissions.

Students create their own self-portrait revealing personal information employing two types of aesthetics: imitation and expression. Emphasis is placed on the painting "Saint Helena with True Cross" created by Lucus Cranch the Elder.

Here is a very interesting story writing presentation. Young writers are prompted to write by responding to a variety of questions. Once their imaginations have been piqued, they are told to write the first three lines of an original...

Inspired by The Cat in the Hat, this printable can be used in a number of ways. The hat is made up of five stripes and a brim that kids can write on, color, cut out, and more.

Expand your study of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak with a question for each level of Bloom's Taxonomy. These questions focus on part four of the novel; each is paired with at least one quote from the text for context and teacher...

Young adults convey a message about a chosen health issue through research and poster production. This creative assignment could be an inspirational close to a health unit. 

Think about a moment, frozen in time. Now take a critical look at the painting, Better, Homes, Better Gardens. This painting works to provide learners the opportunity to analyze art, critique artist's choices, and write a story inspired...

A phenomenal activity on Shakespeare! Middle and high school learners create WebQuests about the texts and authors that Shakespeare himself studied when he was in grammar school. They use a variety of media in order to create dramatic...

Readers of all ages can work together in groups to create original poetry on the theme of "Imagine," inspired by John Lennon's classic song. They also create a mural to illustrate their poetry. A beautiful activity, inspired by a...

Celebrate diversity with a toolkit designed to inspire young poets to develop their own voices. After examining poems by African American poets, individuals craft their own poetic stories. The packet features poems by Gwendolyn Brooks,...

Use art museum paintings as inspiration for your class's creative writing works. Observing the paintings closely, middle and high schoolers list details and write descriptions. Their completed stories are displayed on bulletin boards...

This is an exceptional series that you can use in an environmental or engineering unit. There are four lessons: "Sustainable Transportation," "Designing for Safety," "Changing the Landscape," and "Engaging in Policy." Each lesson...

Amazing! Any 5th grader would be more than willing to participate in this project. Students are broken into groups, each group reads one book from a list of five. They use their book as the basis for choosing an animal and environment to...

Agnes Varda’s autobiographical “The Beaches of Agnes,” models for young filmmakers the cinematic self-portrait. Far from “old and plump,” Varda is a giant of filmmaking and will inspire your pupils. After watching a clip of this famous...

Students use iMovie to write, illustrate, and narrate a movie book to bring their story alive visually and capture the interest of and inspire nonreaders at their school.