Expose the beautiful mystery of bulbs as young botanists learn all about these fascinating plants. They glean information from a short text before observing actual bulbs (consider an onion), and comparing their findings with predictions....

Immerse your class in the Middle Ages with a thorough history lesson. After viewing examples of illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, they discuss how these were the mode of keeping and storing information...

Students recognize poetic devices including rhyme, syllabification, and meter. They identify the characteristics of a nonsense poem and of a limerick. They write their own limericks.

Fourth graders investigate acrostic poetry by researching the Internet.  In this poetry writing lesson, 4th graders complete a worksheet detailing their personal activities and interests.  Students view the form of an acrostic...

A video leads off this activity on fables, introducing the class to this important form of traditional storytelling. The group defines fable and hears an explanation of the origin of this type of folk tale. They summarize the story they...

Fifth graders recognize and distinguish between different types of text. After a discussion of the various types of text, small groups compete in a relay race game demonstrating their knowledge of the text. Correct choices earn...

Students examine how poetry festivals showcase many different kinds of poetry and can bring a school together. They notice that festival is a series of related performances and that there are many other types of festivals. They present...

Students use Shakespearean sonnets as part of a poetry analysis lesson. In this sonnet lesson, students perform a sonnet by Shakespeare but treat it as a script to be acted out. Students work in pairs to create motions for two lines from...

Twelfth graders research the history to Haiku Poetry. They read classical haiku to comprehend their special sensibility and form. Students encounter the Buddhist philosophical background of this poetry and its roots. They write original...

Fourth graders use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast various versions of the story The Three Little Pigs. They write a Cinquain, and then act out their version of the Three Little Pigs in a skit.

Young scholars explore Native American weaving patterns and dance movements. In this Native Americans instructional activity, students view examples of weaving patterns on the Internet and compare the patterns to a Native American dance....

Students examine different portrayals of African American women in poems and plays. Individually, they identify the character they want to play and reject the others. After acting out the scene, they hopefully realize that their...

Learners explore their feeling on love. They write down their feelings and talk about love and infatuation and what the differences are. Students study the Ladder of Love and write a love poem of their own. They identify the various...

Students discover the importance of seeds in relationship to nature.  In this plant growth lesson plan, students create a collection of seeds and discover the best type of environment to plant them.  Students plant their own...

Learners discover literature by conducting a free writing experiment. In this sonnet lesson, students read the sonnet "The Parting" and compare it to modern-day songs about breaking up. Learners listen to pop music in class and...

Students discuss the importance of rhythm in rope jumping. They practice turning, then jumping. Students discuss the various types of rhymes. They work in groups for a couple of classes, students rotate from chart to chart trying out...

Second graders write poems based on locomotive skills, such as hop, skip, or run. They read their poems to the class and they act out the action word by performing it to a finish line.

Third graders study different bodies of water and how they fit into the water cycle. They explain that materials exist in different states (solid, liquid and gas) and change from one to another, that there are systems, order, and...

Pupils read and analyze a play that takes place in the late 1200s under the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols. They examine the structure of Yuan plays, participate in performing sections of the play, write a three page essay, and analyze the...

Students explore writing a cinquain. Students engage in a pantomime experience. They observe and describe bubbles. Students compose a cinquain and illustrate their work with bubble art.

Students read and discuss The Black Cat and The Tell-Tale Heart. In this poetry lesson, students construct a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two pieces of literature.

Fifth graders discover the difference between myths, legends, and folk tales. They summarize legends. They work together to dramatize legends and then create their own legend using the writing process. Handouts and worksheets are included.

Students explore the Johnny Appleseed story. In this service learning lesson, students listen to the story of Johnny Appleseed and discover how he was a philanthropist.

Students investigate rules of etiquette. In this poetry lesson, students consider etiquette rules and follow multi-step directions to create a poinsettia napkin ring. Students work in small groups to demonstrate proper etiquette in...