Curated OER
It's Raining Cats and Dogs! Literary Devices and Figurative Language
Third and fourth graders study literary devices and figurative language. They view a PowerPoint presentation (which you must create) to review hyperbole, idiom, simile, and metaphor. They read and discuss the book There's A Frog in My...
Curated OER
Childhood Through the Looking-Glass
Junior high learners discuss Lewis Carroll's classic story, Alice in Wonderland. They observe the image of childhood in his photographs and compare them to present-day images. There is a plethora of ideas and links for discussions...
Curated OER
Illinois Biodiversity
Learners examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...
Concordia University Chicago
Liberty Enlightening the World by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Here is a lesson that uses the painting Liberty Enlightening the World to start a discussion on the importance of national monuments. The class discusses several monuments around the world, and then invites a veteran to share his/her...
Curated OER
Celebration of Trees
Second graders listen to various, grade appropriate stories about trees. They create their own construction paper trees and discuss the importance of trees to the ecosystem and the importance of taking care of them. Finally, 2nd graders...
Curated OER
Clay Gargoyles and Grotesques
Grotesques or gargoyles are wonderful subjects for stories or art projects. Here is a simple "how to" for creating a activity about sculpting clay gargoyles. Tip: Have learners research gargoyles throughout history.
Curated OER
Nightjohn: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Your readers will “get to wanting” and will want to know things about Nightjohn with a DRTA activity based on Gary Paulsen’s novel. Introduce the book by asking class members to examine the cover and to make predictions about the subject...
Curated OER
Reading Puzzle
Twelfth graders examine the elements of literature. They each read a chapter of a novel, sequentially list the main ideas, present a summary of the chapter to the class, sequence the events, and review the novel by summarizing the timeline.
Curated OER
House Hippo
High schoolers predict the purpose of a presented commercial. They discuss the challenges of making the hippo seem to be in living in the kitchen. In addition, they design a setting or background to create an illusion in their own pictures.
Curated OER
Play Time!
In this reasoning worksheet, 3rd graders analyze a sketch of a house and two feeder houses in order to answer 4 mathematical word problems related to distance.
Curated OER
Centennial: Buildings Tell a Story
Students research which buildings are registered as national or state historical sites, and lobby the community by petition to have another local building placed on the national or state historic register.
Curated OER
The Greatest Survival Story of All Time
Students use the Internet to read about an explorer's survival in the Antarctic. They try to find a better route for him to have taken.
Curated OER
Bag Stories
Students create a personal experience by writing and illustrating. They make a writing connection to family (or other thematic unit) and use descriptive words in writing. They write using a different perspective.
Curated OER
Reptile and Amphibian Anatomy
Students identify and interpret the various differences between reptiles and amphibians. Then they draw an amphibian and reptile and correctly label their body parts. Students also invent new reptiles and amphibians, sketch how they...
Creative Competitions, Inc.
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Fantastic Fairy Tale
Learning about literature can be so much fun; it can also be made more accessible through projects and dramatic play. As they explore theme, character, and setting, the class gets creative and makes a dramatic recreation of a classic...
Curated OER
Wanted: New Authors!
Eighth graders write a short autobiographical sketch and produce an author page to be used throughout the year with their writing. They take digital camera photos and produce a PowerPoint slide show with their photos and information.
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Art Inspired by Words
Students create a sketch on a single literary passage and compare their work.
Curated OER
Drawing Into the Imagination
Sixth graders examine the work of artist Saul Steinberg by visiting online galleries of his work and looking at photo reproductions. After viewing and interpreting Steinberg's work, they write and illustrate fantasy stories which are...
Curated OER
Imaginative Interpretations
Students explore how works of art can be inspired by stories by creating their own work of art inspired by a narrative text.
Curated OER
American Girl, Too
Students discuss the popularity of the American Girl dolls and write a wish-list for a nine-year-old girl. After reading an article, they discover the differences between this doll and barbie. As a class, they brainstorm eras or point...
Curated OER
A World Without A School
Students devise a drama sketch of a futuristic learning environment before considering the advantages and disadvantages of a world without schools. Students role play their creations within the hall or classroom.
Curated OER
The Hunter Using Children's Literature to Teach the Geography of Africa
Students are able to answer basic questions about the region and the use of natural resources, sketch a mental map of the story's setting, and find their way through the thematic maze/map.
Curated OER
Responding to Literature - Graffiti Boards
Fifth graders respond to literature using graffiti boards. In this literature response lesson, 5th graders listen to a reading selection and respond by creating graffiti on a large piece of chart paper. They show their understanding of...
Curated OER
ARTSEDGE: Creating Costumes
Young designers examine famous monarch portraits and costume books, create a design for the emperor, examine fabric samples and choose a type and color for their costume. They sketch the costume and present it in a class fashion show.