Discussion doesn't always need to be spoken. Before you begin The Tempest by William Shakespeare, have kids connect their ideas and experiences to central questions of the play with a silent discussion activity. Once they have...

Fourth graders create their own stories with a life lesson and illustrate them.

Personal narrative writing is usually a favorite form of writing for youngsters because they get to write about a personal experience. The lesson here asks pupils to take a piece of narrative writing and improve it by following...

Students compose songs about recycling. In this ecology lesson, students use vocabulary and concepts related to recycling to generate lyrics for an original song. Students construct musical instruments out of discarded materials.

Through an informative WebQuest and group work, learners explore the human body and cell structure. They create a cell diagram, research a disease, write a letter explaining the causes of human disease, and work in small groups to create...

Students use perspective observation sketches to understand verbal description. In this subjective writing lesson, students practice writing subjective conversations using the cartoon worksheets.

Young scholars read a variety of short stories that focus on teenage protagonists. In groups, they answer comprehension questions and discuss the characters and setting for each story. Individually, they choose one writing assignment to...

Students create a poem on the subject of war. In this All Quiet on the Western Front lesson, students create poetry using phrases or lines that they brainstorm during a pre-writing session. Students enhance their poetry with sensory...

Eighth graders use creatures created from their imaginations to practice hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and alliteration in association with creative writing. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to guide their writing.

Students participate in a simulation where they act as detectives to locate a missing item using questioning and prediction techniques. Then they read a portion of a story, write a prediciton paragraph, and then finish reading the story.

Sixth graders write a short story about being stranded on a deserted island. After a brief geography review of locations at various latitudes and longitudes, 6th graders draft their story about being stranded. They use sensory and...

Students write a Fairy Tale from the point of view of the "bad guy".

Students practice experiencing writing with appropriate language and incorporating the eight parts of speech. They assess that many words have multiple functions when used in different contexts. Each student free writes in response to a...

Second graders read fables by Aesop and learn about the famous storyteller. For this fables lesson plan, 2nd graders discuss questions about Aesop and then write their own fable.

Young historians explore the underground railroad and life as a slave during the Civil War. After internet research, they discuss the hazards of travel as a slave and the benefits of freedom. Individually, young scholars write a short...

Students create their own monsters that exist in their imaginary closets and decorate their environment. They then write a short story to describe their illustration using a prompt.

Students investigate Sikhism. In this Sikhism lesson, students research the different aspects of this religion. They work in small groups to research details about Sikh practices, language, and culture. They design a presentation such as...

Learners read Knots on a Counting Rope, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. In this guided reading lesson, students evaluate the characteristics of a realistic fiction piece. They are asked comprehension questions during and after...

Students examine and discuss art objects from the Silk Roads. They analyze images of artifacts, create a word map, and develop and write a short story or poem based on the slides viewed.

Eleventh graders read The Great Gatsby and explain the jazz age. They use jazz age terms to create their own short story, scene, or letter.

Students discuss the importance of trees, and characteristics of trees. They imagine themselves with their favorite tree. And discuss their imagery; the different trees, time of day, and location of trees. Student write a short story...

Students view the film "Dogs: The Early Years" from PBS then participate in different activities revolving around dogs. After researching different breeds, students select a dog that best fits their personality and living situation as...

Students explore the culture of classical Greece by examining The Statue of Zeus at Olympia. For this Seven Wonders of the World lesson, students will expand their understanding of Greek mythology, the Olympics and the Greek Isles....

Fourth graders determine when to use a capital letter. In this spelling activity, 4th graders discuss which groups of words need a capital letter. Students then apply that knowledge by proofreading a short story and determining which...