Discover the family histories that make the classroom with a family tree activity. Scholars locate information about their family, construct a family tree, and work together to tally where family members are born.  

A campaign by Marley Diaz sheds light on the importance of diverse books. Scholars explore the campaign and identify "window" and "mirror" books. They look closely at their library and classroom bookshelves and reflect on why diverse...

What does is take to be a role model? Through grand conversation, and the use of books and a graphic organizer, scholars find out and apply the requirements to identify a role model within their family. They then journey through the...

After examining a piece of art, scholars discuss what they see, paying close attention to details and space. A read-aloud introduces the topic of family traditions. Pupils interview their family members about a tradition in preparation...

Artifacts give us the privilege of learning about the past, may it be family, culture, or traditions. Here, class members learn about their family's past with the help of an artifact, or family heirloom. Once an artifact is...

Designed to be spread across multiple days, this mini-unit gives learners an opportunity to develop family related vocabulary. Start by reading selected pages from "Family Pictures-Cuadros de familia" by Carmen Lomas Garza, and then...

Students discuss African childhood, explore family traditions, customs, and beliefs, examine African recipes, discuss differences or similarities in food preparation between the U.S. and Africa, and prepare a dish with adult supervision.

The history of the northern states' involvement in the slave trade is not widely known. This resource uses the PBS documentary, Traces of the Trade, and the nonfiction book, Children of the New England Slave Trade, to examine this aspect...

Academics turn into storytellers in an engaging activity on activism. The activity focuses on promoting social change in local communities with stories. Young historians plan a storybook to target a specific audience and social issue and...

Readers of Paradise Lost draw parallels between Milton's tale and Gene Zion's Harry the Dirty Dog, an illustrated children's book.

Based on the book Victoria Goes to Brazil (Children Return to their Roots) by Maria de Fatima Campos, this lesson will teach learners about family, geography, sports, music, and transportation. Learners read, summarize, and use the book...

A reading of Stella Blackstone’s, Bear’s Busy Family launches a genealogy writing project. Young researchers use key words from the story, daddy, sister, uncle, etc., to write stories to illustrate and combine into a family book. While...

Discover Italian families though a book study. Learners also practice Italian vocabulary and grammar, explore direct and reported speech, and complete an assessment or final project.

In this vocabulary worksheet, students complete 11 sentences about members of a family. For example, "My little sister and her boyfriend just got..."

Change is inevitable. Kindergarteners discuss coping skills to properly manage changes that can occur outside the family.  Scholars reflect on their life changes after starting kindergarten. They discuss their feelings and draw a...

Students categorize studenT toys by intelligence types. They review toy safety and function and identify the appropriate play age of various toys. They read and evaluate studenT books and write one of their own.

Here’s a reading strategy that can be used with any text. Class members examine portions of a novel, and make predictions about the theme or subject matter of the book. Although designed for Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal...

Help readers explore initial letter sounds. They will choose a letter of the alphabet and create a page for a classroom "ABC" book. They will write down various words that begin with their assigned letter and draw a picture to go in the...

Students examine their own family heritage and share family stories with the class. They differentiate between primary and secondary sources, and bring in and write about three artifacts from their family. They conduct an interview...

Discover activities to help learners increase self-awareness, build peer and family relations, and develop positive self-esteem. Here you'll find six suggestions for instilling a sense of confidence and self awareness in youngsters. Each...

Looking for an interactive back to school activity? Start by reading the book The Kissing Hand, and having your class discuss their feelings about the first day of school. They trace their hand onto paper, cut out the paper hand,...

Suggested literature and classic books are part of this literature idea book. Ideas about how to interact with books and activities are given along with instructions for art and more. Note: This is not a typical lesson plan, but more of...

Fourth graders participate in reading comprehension activities associated from a teacher's guide. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, 4th graders read Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and...

Students sort and classify the genetic traits of horses. In this heredity and genetics lesson plan, students read dialogue in a skit in which specific physical traits of several horses are described and a horse family tree is created....