Fourth graders discuss life in a coral reef, and view photographs and a computer program about coral reefs. They design and create colorful watercolor, ink, and crayon drawings of coral reefs.

First graders listen to a variety of Noah's Ark, based on the story in the Old Testament. They hear another "flood story" for comparison.

Students are divided into two teams in which its members are to gather as many objects in the pool as possible gaining points for different objects.

Young scholars research the historical and multicultural uses and forms of whistles. They design and create a clay whistle.

Students explore living and working environment of both slave and free African Americans from places throughout the United States.

Students research quilt designs by Bertha Stenge. They make a list of things that they could stylize as a design motif. They create a quilt design based on local history and landmarks and sew it onto a pre-made quilt block or quilt.

Students read and analyze a play that examines a cultural defense case. They analyze case studies, formulate an argument, write about the Japanese Festival of the Dead, and answer discussion questions about the play.

Students investigate and discuss the use of the dragon in Chinese folktales and art in this middle school lesson plan introducing Chinese art and culture. Lesson extensions are included for additional activities.

Learners examine the Chinese poem "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" by Li Po while comparing the different ways of "reading" an artwork in order to understand the differences between Chinese and American painting.

Young scholars analyze an event where a person or groups of people were singled out because of their race, religion, nationality or sexuality. They interpret the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and apply the lyrics to the events...

After being read a story, the students attempt to identify one individual difference, and one thing about themselves that is similar to other students in the class and one thing that makes them special. For the art lesson, students...

Young scholars play "Willie Wonka" tag (a form of freeze tag). They are in two groups, runners and taggers. The runners' goal is to find a golden ticket under a gum drop (spot marker). Runners try to avoid being tagged with a licorice...

Students particpate in an introductory instructional activity to skipping. They move in and out of spaces, whenever they come to a line on the floor they must jump over it. They repeat the actions just practiced, but they use a jump rope...

Students explain how geographic/cultural setting influences identity by comparing/contrasting Esmeralda's Puerto Rican self with her American self. They closely read text to pinpoint when Esmeralda was no longer Puerto Rican. Students...

Learners participate in a Wiffle Tag game. Students tag other classmates by touching a designated body part. The name of the body part changes each time someone is tagged. Learners practice listening and following directions.

Young scholars review "slap leather." They practice each of the individual steps they will need to perform the Watermelon Crawl. Students perform the Watermelon Crawl on their own and perform a peer or self assessment of the performance.

Learners investigate whether rabbits should be considered pests even though they make good pets. They extend this to determine what, when, and where other organisms are considered to be pests, and examine why the concept of a pest is a...

Students and their families visit a pretend bowling alley created in an activity room at school. They help their family members to bowl, set up pins and have fun without keeping score to engage the students and culminate the end of the...

Third graders examine items that make sounds. When given craft sticks, 3rd graders practice making different sounds with them. Sticks are rubbed together or placed partially on a desk and plucked. Afterward, students discuss the types of...

Students recognize James Van Der Zee as an outstanding photographer who documented and reflected life in Harlem during the 1920s. They identify important aspects of Van Der Zee's life and artwork and compose and shoot their own...

Students are introduced to Act II, scene 1, lines 188-244 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." They explore and analyze how dramatic lines can have varied interpretations by playing a game of sound ball utilizing a list of vocabulary words...

In this similar words instructional activity, students complete word groups with words or phrases of similar meaning, using a word pool given at the top of the instructional activity.

Students examine Japanese culture. In this multicultural lesson, students taste rice crackers and create Japanese fans from paper and paint.

Students engage in creative bead making while discussing Africa. In this diversity and arts lesson, students create African necklaces while being introduced to the African culture.