Young scholars discuss ways in which their own school library is funded, explore organization and funding of other school libraries, research Laura Bush's initiatives for school libraries, and gain experience planning projects and/or...

Looking for an interactive back to school activity? Start by reading the book The Kissing Hand, and having your class discuss their feelings about the first day of school. They trace their hand onto paper, cut out the paper hand,...

Youngsters visit the classroom library to complete various reading activities, pushing their motivation to read! They will discuss different library books and read two specific books that use "Building Block" reading skills. They also...

Making the transition to a higher-tech school library or computer lab? This plan suggests 5th graders undertake a scavenger hunt and make a PowerPoint to educate younger schoolmates about how to use information resources in an...

Students explore their school and the various types of people who work there (school nurse, custodian, and principal). They interview these people and complete an activity based on the information they have obtained.

Students practice basic camera skills. They create several panoramic movies. They create a virtual tour of their school.

Students read and understand a variety of genres in a library setting. In this library activity lesson, students act as detectives and use clues in text and pictures to hypothesize the title of the missing book for the library reading...

Readers explore East Asian culture and literature with a book folder project. Before beginning the project, learners record three beliefs they have about East Asian culture. They then select two books to read and create a display for the...

Students research information about whales. In this early childhood lesson plan, students create an illustration of a whale to display in a sea scene in the classroom. Students then use the library and internet to research a whale of...

Learners investigate tides and create a model of an intertidal zone. In this hands-on marine science lesson based on a Magic School Bus book, the teacher leads students in a discussion about tides, then helps learners model a tide and...

Students take a virtual tour of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. In this Kennedy presidency instructional activity, students access the library via the Internet and take notes on the experience. Students write essays using the...

Students listen to the story "The Gingerbread Man". They search for teacher created and placed clues to help find The Gingerbread Man. They follow the clues as they navigate their way through the school and become aquainted with areas...

Explore how the Civil War impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Class members complete a series of projects for a unit that uses a layered curriculum approach to learning. 

Learners write letter of introduction to their Kindergarten book buddies, obtain children's books from library, visit Kindergarten students' classroom at time(s) specified by teachers, read stories to children, and write reflection...

Middle schoolers research endangered species and create and publish books to present their findings. Designed to use Inspiration software, this resource could be adapted if you don't have access to the program. Contains handy website...

Students draw names of dinosaurs out of a hat and write a report about the one they picked. Students write a riddle about their favorite prehistoric animal, post it on a bulletin board, and have other guess which animal it is about....

Fifth graders explore different kinds of poetry. They work in groups to collect different styles of poetry. Then they use charts to organize the attributes of various poems. Conclude the lesson by having each individual choose the style...

Fourth graders research individuals who contributed to the history of Illinois, and what school was like at that time. They compare schools of various times.

Young scholars develop their own school menu with as many healthy choices as possible. They keep a journal of what they eat on one day and then research nutrition. They present their new menu to the judging committee.

Students visit the school or local library (or bookstore) to create short film or radio documentary that records a specific habit or ritual associated with reading, book buying, or book borrowing.

Students discuss the upcoming renvoations to their school. As a class, they develop their own proposals for what they would like to have available to them. Using a digital camera, they take pictures of the new school and compare them...

Students identify the rules they have at home and at school. They connect the values to the core democratic values and discuss whether all rules should connect to the core values. They create a mural showing students following the rules...

High schoolers design and build full-size boats made out of two-liter plastic bottles, chicken wire, and plywood. Then they race the boats, with the boat's designers "manning the hull", in the school's swimming pool.

Students use iMovie to write, illustrate, and narrate a movie book to bring their story alive visually and capture the interest of and inspire nonreaders at their school.