Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional...

In this language lesson, scholars use Greek root meanings to determine the meaning of words. After being shown how Greek roots are used in many words, such as, photosynthesis, pairs are given two excellent black line masters...

Students explore economics by creating a budget. In this financial goal setting lesson, students investigate their use of time by completing a worksheet. Students identify financial goals they would like to achieve in the next several...

Third graders practice dictionary skills. They use a digital camera and insert pictures from a floppy disk into a document. They play a game in which they are handed an anonymous definition of each other and must find each other in class.

Second graders create a reading, vocabulary,picture dictionary on the computer. They participate in becoming familiar with some basic capabilities of a word processor. They build vocabulary, spelling, and dictionary skills, reinforce...

After going over the five steps of the writing process, pupils fill out "Getting to Know You" worksheets. They trade papers with each other, and have the task of writing a descriptive paragraph about the person whose worksheet they...

Duke Ellington, jazz, and jive kick-off a fun and creative lesson on responding emotionally to music. The class will learn about jive talk used in the 1920s and the life and music of Duke Ellington. They'll listen to a selection of his...

Here is lesson 5 from a 7 lesson unit on using blogging to create a community of writers. The aim of this lesson is to get students writing about what Archaeologists do and how they use material data to study the past. They compose a...

Second graders use the writing process and create a silly story.  In this silly story lesson plan, 2nd graders will review person, event and setting and complete a chart for each.  Students will put a person, event and...

Students create picture dictionaries to encourage the development of letter-sound recognition. In this alphabet project, students cut out pictures from magazines and glue them onto tagboard, and then write the name of the picture below...

An Online NewsHour article about scholarly ethics launches this study of plagiarism. Since historians are supposed to bring original ideas and perspectives to their publications, they must give credit to the ideas of others. After a...

Oú est la cuisine? Several activities are suggested here to develop and further vocabulary acquisition for your beginning French speakers. They draw pictures of different rooms in a house and place objects around the room. Then, using...

Students study life cycles including developing their understanding of the human life cycle. They decide where they are in the human life cycle and provide reasons for that placement. They compare the human life cycle to that of the...

Students design to explore the world of objects as related to lace. Students will create a lace mural highlighting what they learn about the world of lace. Students brainstorm ideas via the internet websites.

In this language arts lesson, 8th graders verify the meaning of a word in its context, even when its meaning is not directly stated. After a class discussion on how to use context clues, students pairs are given a worksheet of "mystery...

Students create dictionary of terms for citizens of a democracy, using events and biographies from both their state's history and U.S. history.

Fourth graders analyze the song "Home on the Range" and identify its meaning and setting.  In this timeline and retelling lesson, 4th graders use dictionaries to find definitions of unfamiliar words, create a timeline and retell the...

Students explore ways in which they are smart. In this "getting to know you" classroom team building lesson, students discuss various ways people can be smart and describe ways in which they are smart. Students listen to "Smart" from...

Third graders examine the concept of alphabetizing. They develop a class dictionary, creating definitions of themselves, and typing in their names, pronunciation, and the definitions, and inserting their picture into their document.

Students study patriotic symbols of America. In this American history lesson, students construct a KWL chart on United States symbols and examine visuals of the Great Seal and bald eagle. Students create another symbol for America.

Elementary schoolers discover that the world is at their fingertips as they acquire new vocabulary. Several suggested activities and strategies are provided here, building new reading and oral vocabulary. 

Third graders make a picture money book. In this money lesson, 3rd graders read The Monster Money Book, discuss money terminology, watch a video on money and draw an example of the barter system. Students use the Internet to find...

Pupils examine how language evolves. They discover that language reflects changes in society. Students guess the meaning of words. In a group activity, pupils become wordsmiths by inventing new words. Students devise alternative...

Third graders express and interpret information and ideas. They identify a variety of feelings and their effect on people. They explain how someone's actions can cause someone else to have a specific feeling.