This was written for ESOL learners, but could work for any elementary class. Learners read about the American dance style known as Square Dancing. They explore its use in literature, write a friendly letter about it, and then use their...

Middle and high schoolers identify how to discover a word's meaning by exploring context clues and any pictures, diagrams, photographs, and charts that might be included. They continue this process with other examples and locate one on...

Students explore, analyze, study and read a variety of poems and listen to jazz that have their roots in the Harlem Renaissance. They then discuss the similarities and differences of themes in the works of different poets and composers.

Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...

Students answer questions after a story is read aloud, identify and recall the three major body parts of a spider (head, body and 8 legs), construct a spider when given parts of a spider on a handout, and draw and decorate a spider using...

Second graders listen to a read aloud of Charles Shaw's, It Looked Like Spilt Milk. They complete an art activity in which they spill white paint on blue paper and fold it to make a design. They write about their design following the...

Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.

Third graders examine the layers of the earth during a teacher led discussion. They listen to a read aloud of "How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World," as they "visit" each layer. They work a worksheet while small groups design...

Fun awaits both you and your class as you embark on a musical activity. After discussing different rhythmic meters they choose a poem to set to music. The poem must rhyme and be set to a melody in the key of C Major. Because the activity...

Engage and entertain young learners with this collection of readers theatre activities. With over 25 different scripts, a wide range of topics are covered from simple counting and rhyming exercises to adaptions of popular children's...

Fourth graders, while working in centers read Richie's Rocket by Joan Anderson, and then create a puzzle using ideas, emotions, and experiences from the story. In addition, they write specific definitions for certain words, use those...

Fourth graders, after reading with intonation and expression the book, "Richie's Rocket," by Joan Anderson, circulate in centers to create a puzzle with emotions and experiences from the ideas in the story, write the definition of words...

An engaging biography of "Hoosier" poet James Whitcomb Riley serves as a springboard for study of his unique dialect-based verse. Several activities illuminate differences between spoken vernacular and formal language. Learners record...

Students recreate characters from the story, "The Fairytale Cake." In this fairy tale characterization lesson, students first listen to fairy tales read aloud. They then use play dough and plastic bowls as pretend "cakes and icing", and...

Students recreate the order of animals they read about in a book. In this relative positions lesson plan, students color and cut out pictures of animals in the book. Sudents glue these onto construction paper and line up like the...

Yes, Virginia, there really is a reader's theater script for "The Night Before Christmas." The exercise is a great way to productively channel pre-holiday energy.

Students experience the different types of poetry in order to classify them. In this poetry lesson, students discover the multiple types of poetry while reading in the library. Ultimately, the students create their own poetry and share...

Third graders read the story "Pompeii...Buried Alive." They locate Italy on a world map and define the term artifact. Students conduct an artifact dig on the playground. Students study the characteristics of mosaics and their...

Sixth graders explore equality by reading a story with their classmates. In this discrimination activity, 6th graders read the story Esperanza Rising and discuss the tensions between Latin America and the United States. Students view...

Students explore foreign cultures by reading a story in class. In this Hispanic history instructional activity, students read the story Radio Man by Arthur Dorros and identify the times discrimination is used in the story. Students...

Learners demonstrate the concept of friendship. In this character education lesson, students read the book Best Friends and discuss what friendship means. Learners create a picture book about their likes and dislikes.

Learners investigate the major themes in fantasy maps, expand basic map reading skills, write imaginative narrative essays based on the OZ map, and create their own fantasy map detail based on a core map.

Students create their house to add to a class "neighborhood". For this lesson on family and community, students read the book Family by Todd Parr and discuss how all families and houses are different. Then, students create their own...

Students complete two activities related to their reading of The Royal Raven by Hans Wilhelm. In this interdisciplinary literacy lesson, students explore their own talents, interests and the external differences found in others based...