Students explore how artworks can become symbols of national identity. They examine and analyze Song of the Nations, a site specific sculpture by Quebecois artist Armand Vaillancourt that expresses his views of Quebec's position...

Students view and discuss a video on the legend of the Hope Diamond then compare and contrast other tales such as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed. They analyze basic characteristics of these legends then use descriptive...

Students explore role of music in storytelling by watching and discussing effect music has on perception of scene from movie, and using Sibelius program to compose single excerpt of music, considering dynamics, timbre, and articulation,...

Students imagine and create their dream house.  In this comprehension and interpretation lesson, students read The Big Orange Splot, answer comprehension questions about the story and  complete a character traits web. ...

Fourth graders view song lyrics and identify similes in the song text.  In this similes lesson, 4th graders define and identify similes on a worksheet.  Students write their own similes using various adjectives.

Third graders create sentences. In this sentences lesson students use onomatopoeia words to write sentences. They make a movement to match their onomatopoeia word. The students discuss why an author might use onomatopoeia in their writing.

Students explore the attributes of American tall tales. In this folklore instructional activity, students read several tall tales, describe the elements of tall tales, and then use hyperbole to write their own tall tales.

Have your class practice alliteration using this lesson. Learners listen to stories with alliterative elements and create their own sentences illustrating this technique. The lesson is incomplete, but could be enhanced to provide a...

This Fun Trivia Quiz tests readers' understanding of Poe's "The Raven", including allusions. Because these online quizzes can be made by anyone, you will want to scrutinize the questions and answers prior to assigning this to your class.

Need a quick review of some of the elements of poetry? Eleven key terms are defined and illustrated.

Students conduct a literature study of John Steinbeck's classic "Of Mice And Men". They write in reflection of the author's influence upon 20th century literature. Students take apart the story to focus class discussion upon major themes...

Eighth graders analyze Emily Dickinson's poem, I'm Nobody. After discussing it, they create their own bio poem. They draw and label mandalas and display them in class.

Sixth graders discover idioms. In this idioms lesson, 6th graders evaluate idioms and discover their meaning. Students read Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein and create unique idioms. Assessment rubric is provided.

In this figurative language worksheet, students read and study examples of simile and metaphor. There are 20 questions to be used with Smartboard and 10 questions in which students identify similes or metaphors.

Students discuss and create their own patterns. They practice and improve on making patterns of their own using red, white, and blue paper for a national theme. The symbols are based on what the teacher picks for the class.

Students interpret proverbs as part of an analysis of the book The Witch of Goingsnake. In this literary analysis activity, students interpret a proverb and complete a KWL chart for the proverb. Students then research the proverb and...

Students explore figurative language.  In this figurative language lesson, students look up, define, and give examples of a list of literary terms.

Students explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict for a book that they are reading. Sample book covers are provided and students apply what they have learned by designing a book cover.

Twelfth graders read and discuss poems by Jewel., Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes They examine poems for examples of metaphors and similes. After discussing Jewel's poem Lost, they write their own poems. They hold a poetry reading in...

Fifth graders use the internet to research the history of cultures throughout the world. In groups, they disucss the meaning of various symbols and view Tenochtitlan as a center of power and wealth. They use everyday materials to...

Using Alpha Smarts, 3rd graders write a "Story-in-the-Round". The end result of this project is one story for every student in the class that has been written by the entire class. Students create a PowerPoint presentation with a...

Young scholars view and discuss visual symbols around them every day, analyze symbols on United States one dollar bill, explore variety of meanings of same symbols depending on context and culture, and create their own money with symbols...

Students, after reviewing the writing process and assessing how to use a digital camera to take creative photos, create a Digital Poetry Book. They incorporate the use of Microsoft Photo Draw and Publisher for the creation of their...

Learners write creation stories and design stamps to use on banners accompany them. They discuss the use of stamps in African culture to take the place of words. Students use a handout of stamps and their own creations to create banners...