What do an early 20th century poet and a 1980's rock star have in common with a novel from the 1960's? Using Wilfred Owen's poem "Disabled" and George Michael's song "Mother's Pride," learners answer questions about the lyrics and themes...

Design your unit on The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg with a concept and vocabulary analysis resource. It outlines the plot, literary elements, vocabulary issues, and any possible considerations for planning a differentiated...

You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the...

Students practice b words, search for sea shells, write on beach post cards, and more, all to learn about the beach. Students also wear sun hats around the room.

Invite your pupils to express their understanding of a novel through a collaborative video project. Groups choose a novel from those you have studied in class, select four scenes, storyboard the scenes, film the scenes, edit the film,...

In this poetry analysis worksheet, students read the poem "Mutability," by William Wordsworth and then respond to 6 discussion questions. The questions require students to consider the role of religion and the impact of sudden change as...

Compare and contrast ideas, hopes and dreams with those of Cassie in Faith Ringgold's, Tar Beach. your students can entries in their journals expressing their ideas.

John Knowles' A Separate Peace is the subject of a literary crossword puzzle that asks readers to identify key events and characters in this coming-of-age story.

Rows of Nautilus shells, beach balls, sand pails, and sea gulls array this handout. Kindergartners compare the relative sizes in each row and simply color any that are the same size. This page would make terrific take-home practice for...

Flotsam by David Wiesner and The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen, begin a reading adventure pack focusing on oceans. With story listening and thoughtful discussion, scholars complete several...

With Eros and Psyche, your learners will have the opportunity to combine the art of reader's theater with a study of the ancient Greek gods! This engaging reader's theater script will also serve as a fantastic way for your...

Students identify characteristics of good poetry and compose their own.  For this marine poetry lesson, students are introduced to several different types of poetry with a marine theme.  After discussing the elements...

In this handwriting instructional activity, students practice tracing a set of 4 words related to summer. A reference website is given for additional resources.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, corn on the cob, lemonade. Travis the Train introduces foods and drinks that may be taken on a summer picnic.

In this literacy activity, 7th graders practice reading through a flip book that is in black and white. The book is read while focusing upon the theme of a family going places.

Students take a field trip to a local park or beach to collect objects. They practice counting the objects and put them into categories according to type of shape like a cone, cylinder, etc... As an extension to the lesson students could...

Do your fourth graders need a little help with punctuation? Use this run-on paragraph to demonstrate proofreading for capitalization, punctuation, and separating ideas into separate paragraphs. At the end of the activity, learners...

Explore Japanese society and national identity. Class members share ideas about the Japanese economy and then investigate a series of resources, including an article, a film, a lecture, and a poem, to learn about Japan's Bubble Economy...

Show a Powerpoint presentation about descriptive writing. Fourth graders brainstorm a list of writing topics and place them in graphic organizers. Then they write their own paragraphs describing topics of their choice and create...

Models of and directions for how to write 20 different types of poems are featured in an NCTE resource. The introduction to each form highlights the embedded concepts. For example, tongue twisters encourage poets to use alliteration and...

In this literature worksheet, learners respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Joseph Helle's Catch-22. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.

Third graders explore the importance of art in Haitian culture by analyzing the cause and effect within the story, "Allie's Basketball Dream." They examine all the aspects of the story and characters including their goals, dreams,...

In this organizing information worksheet, students read a 1 paragraph scenario and then fill in a graphic organizer with details about how they think the scenario should unfold.

Learners consider feelings about the things we have. They look at their friends, their home, possessions, and things given to us and if we take them for granted, wish for something else, or are grateful for them. Students reflect on how...