Upper graders analyze the work, Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase by Maria van Oosterwyck. They consider the value of her paintings and how they are still relevent and sought after, 350 years after they were created. The blending of...

Primary learners are introduced to Lewis Carroll's whimsical poetry. They read "The Nursery Alice" Carroll's adaptation for younger readers, view story illustrations, listen to poetry and write whimsical verses of their own about food.

Readers of all ages can work together in groups to create original poetry on the theme of "Imagine," inspired by John Lennon's classic song. They also create a mural to illustrate their poetry. A beautiful instructional activity,...

Demonstrate gift giving as an act of caring about someone versus gifts for show (or gifts from the purse). Elementary learners practice giving gifts from the heart by creating a poem for someone special to them.

Help your class create collective poetry following a simple, engaging model from Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org). Each young poet writes five things on an index card: sayings from others, favorite sound, favorite place, favorite...

After reading Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (and possibly shedding a few tears), middle schoolers work on their own sixteen-word poems with a Six Trait writing activity. They focus on word choice in this activity to capture an...

Improve readers' comprehension with a pair of visualization opportunities. First they listen, eyes closed, as you read a description from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, and discuss ideas about what they "see." After you read...

Students use descriptive and imaginative words and images in poetry.  In this poetry lesson, students choose a picture to describe to the class.  As the student gives the description, the classmates choose the words and images...

Third graders create visual poems using crayons, making a connection to an important aspect or event in their lives.

Students write an acrostic poem and analyze a work of art. In this art lesson plan, students look at a picture and answer questions about it, write a poem, write about the setting in the painting they saw, and answer short questions...

What a fun idea! The class discusses, and then writes free-verse poems using sensory detail. They get into small collaborative writing teams to compose their poems. Next, they pantomime the actions from the poem while their teammates...

Students are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...

Good readers visualize. And in our image-rich culture it is imperative that children are provided with opportunities to practice this important skill. A selection from Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends and Bridge to Terabithia,...

Poems by O. Henry, Marion Dane Bauer, Monty Roberts, and Langston Hughes provide the text for a study of symbolism, hyperbole, and imagery. Employing the “think-pair-share” strategy learners generate definitions of these terms and locate...

After reading a story or informational text describing an animal, your class gets creative and collaborative with paint. In groups, they brainstorm all the parts of an animal, they then take turns painting those parts. One child starts...

Learners with multiple disabilities need to engage in projects that push them to know their full potential. They need to be able to express themselves in a variety of ways, and this very thoughtful lesson does just that. They make a...

Young scholars read poetry  for gist and find images to create a visual narrative.  In this poetry activity, students read Green Lane and Flies and Nettles to examine the relationship between humanity and the nature. Young...

Young scholars read a story by Dr. Seuss and create characters from the story. In this lesson about reading a story, students will read I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! And Other Stories. Young scholars make a tiger tail with a felt strip,...

Students employ poetry as a medium to relay information and express views about significant environmental issues that exist today and to assess their effects on The State of the Planet as we enter the next millennium.

SStudents view examples of O'Keef's work and watch a video about her life. They use colored pencil to create a 6" x 6" reproduction of a 2" x 2" square cut from a magazine picture, finding and using the most interesting shapes in the...

Students create an artistic response to the book, The Polar Express. In this creative writing lesson plan, students read the book and visualize an imaginary journey they would like to go on. Students create a train car from construction...

Students compose a piece of poetry modeled after the poetry of Carl Sandburg and share their poem(s) with their colleagues. They use a cluster diagram to organize their thoughts and brainstorm their ideas.

Young scholars explore the advantages of recycling paper. In this environmental activity, students produce recycled paper by ripping up paper and putting it into a blender with water to create a mixture. Young scholars use their recycled...

Young scholars listen to sample poetry recitations. They discuss times when poetry might be used in real-life situations to move/motivate other people or audiences. They identify particularly moving passages and then quote them...