Lights, shadows, action, and inquiry await your artistic scientists. They explore the way light travels, absorbs, reflects, and transmits through shadow play. They create folktale-inspired shadow puppets, explore the science of light,...

Who is Mo Willems? Explore the author with your class. Learners read books written by Willems, compare and contrast the characters therein, and make predictions about what will happen. Finish off this author study by having small groups...

Students explore the art of shadow puppetry. In this performing arts instructional activity, students study the functions of lighting in the puppet theater as they examine the transmission, absorption, and reflection of light. As a...

Students visit given web-sites to find out what puppets look like in different countries and then make a puppet and write a play for it.

Learners compare and contrast puppet theater traditions. In this cultural traditions lesson, students watch film clips of bunraku puppet theater in Japan and then research the art of puppet theater in the world. Learners share their...

Many activities related to the Chrisitan religion are included in this lesson about storytelling; young scholars create their own Bible related art from stickers, stamps, t-shirts and hats. Puppets also help to to retell Bible stories...

Pupils choose an explorer from a given list, create an original song or poem based on the life of their explorer, make puppets to represent their explorer and then present their original piece to the class while students take notes on...

Students construct simple dragon puppets in honor of Chinese New Year. They are introduced to Chinese mythology, make the puppets out of recycled materials and put on a show with the finished puppets.

Students use puppets and plays to examine the role of African Americans throughout history. After being read a story by a puppet, they respond to each one in writing. Individually, they write a story about a place they have wanted to...

Students investigate music appreciation by completing worksheets. In this musical arts lesson, students complete worksheets in which they identify different musical instruments, the sounds they make and the family of instruments they...

Students explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the Native American...

Students learn folk tales from many different cultures and retell them using the medium of their choice. They write about the cultural indications found in these tales.

Fourth graders study the history and culture associated with Javanese Shadow Puppets and the perspective that is used during performances. They design original shadow puppets and give a shadow puppet performance using their creations.

Fourth graders research a courageous person by reading a biography and using educational software to locate information. They make a puppet of the person to use while making an oral presentation. They write a report to be used for the...

Students explore the role of Greek mythology in ancient Greek life. They discuss the origins of the Greek gods and goddesses, conduct Internet research, and present a project in the form of a dialogue between a Greek god and a human...

Students study animal characters. For this language arts lesson, students analyze animal characters from a variety of books and create a story using animal characters.

For those class members who have mastered the basic concepts and need extra challenges, here's a packet of activities sure to engage them in stories about American immigration and exploration. Kids may design a dramatic...

Students explore a website about Latinos in the U.S., and answer worksheet questions about information on the website. They create a puppet show, organize a press conference, or create a brochure regarding Latinos living in the U.S.

This resource contains a vague plan for a poetry unit conducted at an elementary school during the month of February. Although this plan does not included detailed instructional strategies, this does outline a basic unit, some creative...

Learners investigate the character trait of perseverance and how it is used to help a girl gain independence in a fictional story. The story also has them think about the value of relationships and then write reflectively about...

Fourth graders brainstorm ideas that answer the question, "What is a song?" They determine the parts of a song, read lyrics, and listen to a song while identifying the chorus. They repeat the procedure with a new song before working in...

Students read Tom Thumb story versions from around the world. They locate the country on a map. They compare and contrast the stories and analyze common elements found in fairytales. They create a finger puppet and write about being...

Students participate in a variety of activities surrounding a thematic unit on apples and Johnny Appleseed.

Fourth graders analyze, brainstorm and practice playing a melody/pattern with rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and instrumental pieces of many styles. In addition, they create an original piece of music.