Middle schoolers explore the concept of a community. They identify and group various kinds of communities. Students create a concept map exemplifying their membership in different communities. They write a narrative describing their...

Students examine how animals create a unique space in which they can live. Students read a poem about animals' habitats discuss the habitats. They draw a space of their own and write a poem that describes their habitat.

Your students already know when they like a story and when they don't, but they may not know that the plots of these stories are shaping that opinion. Like all resources in this series, the two activities and quizzes provided here deal...

First graders recognize and write numerals from 1 to 10. They estimate and count to identify sets with more, fewer, or the same number of objects, listen and respond to others in a variety of contexts, and take turns speaking in a...

Fifth graders re-read the story "The Highwayman" understanding the term "narrative verse". As a paired activity, they predict who or what might be the audience and provide feedback.

Students identify and describe the types of narratives that made Tolkien the writer he was. In groups, they examine different myths and folktale motifs. They discuss what Tolkien meant by "faerie" and "eucatastrophe." As a class, they...

Seventh graders examine words of Greek origin and discuss character development in fiction. They read a list of Greek word parts and create words on a worksheet. Students then read and discuss an informational handout about character...

Students investigate how to create a vegetable garden and complete related activities. In this vegetable garden lesson, students receive agriculture notebooks to complete vocabulary for the gardening lesson. Students read 'Still-Life...

Students study Robert Munsch's style of writing. In this literature lesson, students read many of Robert Munsch's books, write a list of the characteristics found in his books, and write or orally tell a story using...

Students read and discuss a selection of news clippings, sermons, and narratives that depict the continued struggle for equality and mistreatment of African American citizens. They present a "60 Minutes"-style news program with the...

A thorough and well-designed resource for older students, this lesson focuses on Chaucer's character the Wife of Bath from his classic novel, The Canterbury Tales. As a way of understanding Chaucer's complex characterization and...

Young scholars read and retell a story form out of the newspaper. They write to communicate ideas, stories, letters, simple explanations, and short reports. They edit and perfect their projects for homework, and they share their work...

Students write a story using their journey to school as the setting. In groups, they discuss their experiences and browse through books to get ideas for their story. They practice using a thesaurus to find new verbs or adjectives they...

Students create a haiku and illustrate it on the computer. In this haiku lesson plan, students review the history of the haiku while they are outside and then write their own. Students then use a computer program to illustrate their poem.

Students create a poem that expresses the physical and emotional turmoil of living through the Dust Bowl.  In this Out of the Dust lesson, students research facts about the time period and discuss the cause-effect patterns...

Students chart the order of events in literature. In this literature lesson plan, students read The Odyssey and summarize the epic journey in their own words. Students then write about journeys they have taken in their own lives.

Students perform an original piece in the style of a Medieval troubadour.  In this troubadour lesson, students discuss the role of the troubadour and identify facts from a story that a troubadour might share.  Students listen...

Students discover how moods and perceptions can be affected by colors. As a class, they create their own color wheel and identify primary and secondary colors. They draw their own cool and warm color mosaic and discuss how each one of...

Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...

Sixth graders investigate tall tales as a literary genre. They listen to a number of tall tales to discover how exaggeration is used as a story element. They write and publish a tall tale using word processing software. They illustrate...

Students consider a variety of well-known proverbs that refer to the weather. They research the scientific validity of these proverbs, conduct interviews about public perception of the proverbs and summarize their findings in writing.

Ninth graders read and discuss part 1 of The Odyssey and create a mind map and visual images to represent vocabulary. In this reading lesson plan, 9th graders are introduced to poetry, and the Hero Cycle.

Students survey several concepts in literature, science, history, and geography as a preparation for the CSAP standardized testing experience. This nine lesson unit provides exposure to the format and content of the test.

Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus. In this literary comparison lesson, students read the two stories and discuss the characters Telemachus and Eucharis. Students view an image by David...