Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances.  In this musical instructional activity, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created.  Students listen to Yoruba drum...

Do our eyes play tricks on us? The Little Prince narrator begins with a discussion of the difference in what grown-ups and children see. Scholars read how he puts this to the test using a drawing and find synonyms to vocabulary...

Students practice creating abstract art using computer software.  For this painting lesson, students discuss how great fairy tale characters have the ability to transform, as do images.  Students utilize a painting software...

Students explore the element of "line." For this beginning art lesson, students listen to the book Harold and the Purple Crayon, then describe the types of lines Harold drew. Students identify straight lines,  jagged lines, curvy...

Students discover the focal point in pictures and create their own images using lines and space.  In this art analysis lesson, students create a black dot on a white paper which becomes a focal point for the lines the student will...

Students create a poem based on the Native American Ojibwa art that they read about. In this Ojibwa art lesson plan, students read captions and look at pictures of Ojibwa art and then make up a poem based on them.

Kids will observe, write, and create as a way to better understand the work of artist Fred Tomaselli. Guided by great critical thinking questions, learners will first analyze the piece Field Guides. Then, they will write a creative...

Middle schoolers hone their skills at identifying the principle story in a work of art and text. Through discussion, students assess the central and supporting stories of a work of art that is characterized by multiple layers of action...

Providing a thorough presentation on the art of written language (and not just English), this slideshow will open your students' eyes to the sociological and linguistic issues surrounding writing systems, both modern and historical. The...

Study some of the most prominent poets and works of poetry in history with a language arts poetry unit. From Virgil to Shakespeare to Dickinson to Angelou, the resources present biographies and examples of poetic elements to...

Students get to know the characters and events that shaped American folktales through writing, drawing and singing activities. Handouts and worksheets are included.

Students complete a unit to learn sayings and phrases that help them understand language art concepts. In this sayings and phrases lesson, students complete 11 lessons that use common sayings and phrases to teach language art concepts...

Young elementary learners listen to the story Red & Blue and participate in a collaborative project where they paint a picture using abstract shapes. Then they interpret classmates' abstract shapes and write or tell a story about...

Boggle, Jot Thoughts, Trading Cards, Commercial Breaks, Snowball Fight, Bingo, Draw it! Here’s a bunch of review games that would make a great addition to your curriculum library. The games can be easily adapted to address the Common...

High schoolers, after reading and discussing, "The Metamorphosis," by Franz Kafka, explain the symbolism of Gregor's metamorphosis moving beyond a literal view of "he turned into a bug" into the idea that...

Demonstrate how to draw in readers by starting a paragraph with a familiar topic, and then moving into the more complex ideas after they are already engaged. Writers can read over the example, which is a bit abstract and might need...

Chapter nine of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath provides the text for an exercise that asks readers to think deeply about the items the Joads left behind and what these items might represent.

Who gave you grammar homework? Or is it whom? Clarify the meanings of several commonly confused words, including affect and effect, among and between, and then and than with a handout and grammar practice worksheet.

Students, in groups, research Rembrandt's life and works. They find critiques of his work, as well. Each group reports their findings back to the rest of the class. Finally, they create abstract drawings and write interpretations about...

Students analyze visual arts by creating a presentation in their schoolyard. In this mural lesson, students identify the work of Keith Haring by researching the web. Students utilize construction paper, markers and paper to create...

Students create artistic renditions of two random adjectives and one noun in this game-like Art lesson for the elementary and middle school classroom. The cross-curricular lesson includes a vocabulary list and a short resource list.

Students discover the beautiful artwork of Irmgard Lucht as they listen to The Red Poppy and discover the details of her work. In this details lesson, students view pictures of Georgia O'Keefe and Irmgard Lucht to fnd the details of...

Students gain appreciation for the work of Eric Carle. They speculate about a work of art, what materials, techniques and skills were used. They study Carle's work to determine how he did it and explore various water color techniques.

Students make connections between reading and writing. In this language arts lesson, students explore literary elements as they examine a number of texts and practice implementing figurative language into their writing.