Use this resource as an evaluation tool, or have your class assess their own letter writing skills. They will use a checklist that they create during some interactive writing sessions as criteria for their self-evaluation. Teachers can...

Young scholars engage in the process of problem solving with the help of children's literature story of how the whale was trapped and then freed. The story illustrates the power of teamwork and commitment. The students practice the skill...

Second graders compare and contrast the city and the country. After reading books about animals, 2nd graders create picture cards of animals in both the country and city environment. In partners, students draw pictures of animals,...

The whys and wherefores of anticipation guides are detailed in a resource that models how to craft statements for this reading strategy.

Middle schoolers who are about to read the chilling tale, The Lottery, do some writing beforehand. They are asked to write how their lives would change if they won a huge lottery jackpot. Then, they read the short story, and will be...

Here is a lesson designed for pre-schoolers and kindergartners that will pique their imaginations. They study images of a very interesting ceremonial hat from China's past called a Summer Official's Hat. These hats were worn by people of...

Fourth graders go to an outdoor area and are assigned a specific native plant to observe. They read about and answer questions about their tree. They draw the tree. Finally, 4th graders teach the rest of the class about their tree.

Here is a language arts instructional activity that can be used with virtually any grade level. The only thing that changes is the reading level of the books. Learners compare and contrast different heroes and the characteristics they...

Students investigate the history of America with the help of children's literature. The story is structured as a timeline that begins at the time of Columbus and progresses to the present. The teacher reads the story with the class and...

Evaluating a variety of narrative texts can help build strong writers. Pupils identify plot elements and their relation to personal experience, then apply what they gleaned from the class discussion to create their own narratives.

Students complete a variety of computer file pre-writing activities to help them prepare for writing a personal narrative. They focus on including a beginning, middle and end to their narrative. They make a class book.

Students verbalize, analyze and practice various research steps including using the Internet for searches and how to use bookmarked sites. They use these skills to research animals.

Students examine the economic roller coaster involved in the production of a Broadway musical. They read online articles to investigate similarities and differences between nonprofit theater production and Broadway, or commercial,...

A reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech launches a study of rhetorical devices such as hyperbole, allusion, metaphor, simile, personification, connotative language and parallel structure. Class members then...

Eighth graders recognize what makes them special through class participation and discussion of rap music, writing a poem about themselves, and designing their own special hat while working in groups.

Author Faith Ringgold uses quilts to illustrate her books Tar Beach and Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad. In this integrated trio of activities, young scholars read stories, identify and create patterns, and design quilt squares of...

Students explore how people in earlier times used art as a way to record stories and communicate ideas by studying paintings from the Cave of Lascaux and other caves in France. Three lessons on one page.

Study order of operations using a peanut butter and jelly sandwich activity as your guide. The class watches you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich based on a volunteer's instructions. They discuss the importance of following...

The whole class with get when to use an apostrophe after this activity. They use apostrophes to show possession or ownership. This activity includes a discussion starter, a practice exercise, a story activity, and a practice...

Study the fabric folding techniques introduced and lead your class in applying them to quiltmaking, home decorating, fashion design, and other sewing projects. This lesson is geared to making items themed for halloween, but could be...

Students explore the meaning of unique and special. They study about why a birthday is significant. They investigate how families celebrate birthdays in different ways and they reflect on why growing up is a good thing.

Young writers choose a person from American history, their community, or their family to use as the subject of a persuasive essay. The process begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a hero, the completion of a prewriting web,...

The plan is that future physicists take an "Energy Misconceptions" quiz before completing a series of activities that are focused on energy concepts. The activities, however, are not outlined in this resource; only the quiz and detailed...

Oh no! The kittens have lost their mittens! Help young learners develop fine-motor skills by drawing straight lines from three kittens to their pair of mittens. Use this to show young learners that things move left to right, just like...