Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...

A child lawyer is exactly what people need ... not! With the novel study for John Grisham's Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, pupils use their imaginations to create their own examples of sarcasm. They also research a chosen famous lawyer and...

Students listen to short biographies of famous individuals and discuss what it means to be famous for something. They write a short autobiography stating why they are a famous first grader. They take turns being interviewed by the rest...

Students create written reports about a famous peacemaker. For this peacemaker lesson plan, students use books and the internet to research someone who is famous for creating peace in the world and write a report on it.

Second graders study the criteria for biographies and the vocabulary that is specific person and time. They take notes, write e-mail and gather information on a famous person.

Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's...

The works of Jacqueline Woodson introduce readers to diverse characters and themes. A guide covers many of the author's best-known books such as Brown Girl Dreaming and Locomotion. Dive & Discuss and Explore & Extend activities...

Students use digital cameras to record their second grade buddies performance of reading their famous American biographies. They retrieve digital pictures and insert them into the biography of their famous American. They print the...

It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...

Students research an author and gather information that seems to support that person as author of The Night Before Christmas. They work in groups to gather the most solid evidence and they write a persuasive essay presenting their argument.

Students examine the contributions of the author Gwendolyn Brooks. They create a journal, read and discuss poems by Brooks, write a poem about themselves, and create a timeline of their own lives.

Students investigate, read, and discuss about other famous Afro-American leaders. Students compare/contrast slaves home, activities, etc. with that of Afro- Americans today. Students create a time line to post on the wall of Harriet's...

Second graders compare and contrast gymnastics in 1859, 1900 and today. Students contrast differences in gymnastics for boys and girls today. Students pretend that they are interviewing a famous gymnast and write up their interview....

Young scholars investigate sexism in history by identifying important women from the U.S.  In this women's equality lesson plan, students discuss why they remember more men in the history of the U.S. than women.  Young scholars...

Students identify famous people and events of the Civil War era, identify hardships Tubman encountered by giving an explanation of what they would do in a similar situation, and explain in writing, 3 historical facts about Harriet Tubman.

Students listen to one of Dahl's poems or complete one of his books. They then research using the official Roald Dahl website and navigate some of the areas to familiarize themselves with some of the content to enable them to answer...

Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...

Students read through poems in a book called Pass it On. There are 19 poems from famous African American poets contained in the book. The poems are specialized for children and after the children have learned about the author and about...

Sixth graders put their research skills to work. In this Revolutionary War lesson, 6th graders research a famous figure from that era. Students use the information gathered to prepare for a wax museum experience.

Students explore life of author Louisa May Alcott, define Transcendentalism, discuss the children's books Alcott wrote, read two selections she wrote, and compare the writing style of one of her children's stories with a story she wrote...

Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...

Young scholars examine the life of Elizabeth Fry and her contributions to prison reform. They participate in a visualization exercise, listen to a guest speaker, create a quilt as a community service project, write journal entries, and...

Students read Treasure Island. They have a choice of a number of activities associated with the novel, including writing a review of the book. Students also participate in a National Geographic High Seas Adventure, going on an Internet...

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...