Examining idioms is a peace of cake when using this graphic organizer! Here, grammarians identify an idiom and use it in a sentence. Then they investigate its literal meaning versus its figurative meaning, and accompany each one with a...

"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own...

Students discover facts about Iditarod racing. In this language arts lesson, students create a class musher picture dictionary selecting terms from the Musher Term list. Additionally, students create a class picture dictionary compiling...

Smart Solutions is the theme of a unit created to meet the needs of English language earners. Through a series of lessons, scholars follow a routine—move, speak, and listen— to cover topics including stores, shops, celebrations, pets,...

Discover alliteration found in picture books by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Then, dive into a read aloud of Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak. This practice sets the stage for budding poets to create their own acrostic poem,...

Scholars demonstrate their knowledge of root words aqua and aud, and develop vocabulary skills by completing of a chart, handout, and worksheet using creative thinking skills, a dictionary, and a thesaurus.   

Here is a unit designed to support English language development. Scholars speak, move, and write to learn more about topics that focus on community and local concepts. The series of lessons aids to reinforce concepts...

Students review vocabulary by answering questions about an image, drawing the picture and taking notes. They compare their pictures and describe the differences.

Besides the dictionary definition, words also carry the added weight of meanings that are inferred or implied, meanings conferred on words, or connotations. To gain an understanding the importance of connotation, class members...

That's Amazing! is the theme of an English language development unit created by Houghton Mifflin. Following a speak, look, move, and listen routine, scholars delve into topics; seasons, weather, animals, landforms, telling...

Students create triptychs, pictures in three panels side by side, of certain themes displayed in the painting "Don Quixote" by Jean-Baptiste Camile Carot. Student evaluations are accomplished through participation during in-class...

Readers of Voltaire’s satire create a word square for vocabulary drawn from Candide. The first box contains the word, the second a picture or illustration of the word. The definition is written in the third box, and learners write a...

High schoolers look closely at the text of "Othello." They use an online dictionary, and use various search engines. Students use an online Shakespeare concordance and make intelligent decisions about character. They write an...

Students assemble different items onto large poster boards containing each letter of the alphabet. They use either pictures or words for each object. They also play the banana game where they complete a grid for each letter while...

Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...

I'm compressed. Groups do a rapid research of different file types to determine what kind of compression the formats use and how it works. They share their information with the rest of the class until everyone has all the information for...

View Byzantine architecture from the comfort of your classroom. A PowerPoint presentation introduces important vocabulary terms and examples of Byzantine architecture in the ninth instructional activity of the 11-part series. A Jeopardy...

A study of Alfred Noyes's poem "The Highwayman" opens a lesson about narrative poetry. Scholars read the poem and compare it to the animated video version using a worksheet. Learners look at models and use a template to craft an "I Am"...

Students complete activities to differentiate between wild and domestic animals. In this animal types lesson, students bring stuffed animals to class and pictures from magazines or newspaper. Students put their stuffed animals in a box...

Students read paragraphs and study pictures to learn about museums and in particular the Musee' d'Orsay. In this museum study lesson, students study the range of activities found in a museum and the characteristics common to all museums....

Do bears really sleep for an entire season? Six multiple choice questions and a drawing activity make up a activity that tests scholars' comprehension skills after reading about bears during winter. 

What decisions might an author make about the structure of a play? Pupils participate in an evidence-based discussion about Shakespeare's choices in Macbeth. Next, scholars analyze the effect of Shakespeare's structural choices in Act 2,...

Third graders investigate the meaning of immigration by looking it up in the dictionary and discussing it. They determine the location of Korea on the map and brainstorm ideas about it. They listen to a read aloud of Helen Recorvits, My...

Here's an interesting lesson that combines elements of language arts, sociology, and a study of the many ways that people use transportation to get from one place to another. The eight-page plan includes worksheets and a word search that...