Model for emergent readers how to write a story by interpreting picture clues. For guided practice a second book is used, and then pupils work independently or with an adult to write their own stories based on illustrations.

Teaching about fiction genres can  be challenging. The lesson here, designed for library media specialists, offers a fun way to do it. In the lesson, learners visit the library and learn about the different types of fiction...

Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...

There are so many authors of short stories, and your class can have the chance to study quite a few. This seventh lesson in a series of fourteen continues the decision-making process for the final assessment: a short story author study....

Here you'll find a great collection of worksheets to supplement your instruction of Greek mythology, including informational texts on the Olympian gods and goddesses, a matching quiz, graphic organizers, and myth-writing activities.

Young writers personalize their journals by making their own. Whether they make covers for existing journals or make their own books, the activity encourages kids to express themselves in words and images.

Explore a variety of fables to learn life's lessons through engaging stories. Add rigor to the learning process with activities that include matching a a fable to the story's moral, short answer exit slips, and a three-column graphic...

Who keeps animals safe? Who keeps us safe? Discover the helpers that make learning and growing possible through a medley of activities that focus on habitats—ours and those in the rainforest. Scholars are asked to identify one...

To gain insight into the many different types of habitats, individuals must first get to know their own. Here, scholars explore their school environment, draw a map, compare and contrast their surroundings to larger ones. They then...

Explore ocean habitats with a lesson that showcases the home of manatees and loggerhead turtles in Belize. Here, pupils compare and contrast the homes of ocean animals to those of humans, listen to an original short story about...

The Fantastic Voyage is becoming close to reality. The class reads an article on the use of nanotechnology in the medical field and participate in a discussion about what they read. The discussion method helps class members become more...

Set in Oklahoma in the 1930s, The Grapes of Wrath presents a powerful view of life during the Great Depression. An insightful lesson plan takes a closer look at the characters in John Steinbeck's classic novel, combining the...

Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.

Scholars complete a mid-unit assessment by analyzing a narrative text, In the Middle of the Storm. Learners determine the gist of the text, identify synonyms, make inferences, and answer text-dependent questions to demonstrate...

Students focus on the development of the language used surrounding racial segregation, particularly in schools. They identify the key issues surrounding Brown v. Board and identify the effects of the Court's decision. They analyze the...

Students will read historical realistic fiction, examine and recount the cultural similarities and diffferences between life and times of those characters in the story and their own life. Listen to music and learn a dance to accompany...

Eighth graders, in pairs, discuss what they already know about Haiku poetry. They try to remember the rules, history, and focus of traditional Japanese Haiku. they read more examples of Haiku and then write and illustrate their own...

Students study pandemics through the investigational research of the 1918 swine flu. They apply the information by choosing a current virus and role-playing a member of the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).

Learners, through demonstration and example, write and answer questions at different levels of Bloom's taxonomy.

Ninth graders analyze connections between Asia and Europe in the pre-Renaissance period. They identify and analyze elements of Japanese and Chinese culture similiar to that of feudal Europe.

High schoolers discuss the possibility of a treasure lost in the Sierra Madre mountains that could be considered the American holy grail. After reading a novel, they examine the relationship between the grail, gold, and characters. To...

The learners choose and read a Native American Folktale, analyze and sequence the story-line using a graphic organizer, then make a "woven" story blanket (from construction paper) depicting character, plot (including problem) and outcome.

Fifth graders individually sing and record "Child of the Universe" and play their performances back to the class for evaluation. Next, in groups, they sing "Deck the Hall," and sing the countermelody for evaluation. Then students...