The cat might have got your tongue, but you can’t avoid the elephant in the room while you wait for the other shoe to drop. After all, the early bird gets the worm and the chickens are circling. After researching Poet Laureate Kay Ryan...

Use this well-developed class period to introduce your junior high learners as to how to provide effective feedback concerning their classmates' writing. The plan includes a warm-up, review, introduction, guided and independent practice,...

Inspire scholars to do their part for planet Earth with a read-aloud of Dr. Seuss's The Lorax, and variety of activities designed to boost the environmental activist in us all. Activities include writing poems about the Earth,...

Students read a New York Times article in order to examine the importance of cultural artifacts. They create essays from the point of view of one cultural artifact to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by doing research.

Students, after reading Fahrenheit 451, brainstorm inventions that could have been in the novel. They present their invention to the class and writing an expository essay about their creation.

Listening is a skill. This lesson will provide your pupils with clear guidelines for what to do when someone else is speaking. Whether you ask them to note key words in a talk, to prepare two questions about the presentation, or to note...

Get your movers and shakers grooving to the beat with this series of musical activities designed to meet everyone's needs! Ten games, using an assortment of instruments, bring awareness to one's body, brain, and social interactions in a...

Students create a brochure for new students. For this writing process lesson, students brainstorm, create and edit ideas for making a brochure for new students. Students use a word processor to make the brochure and edit, copy,...

Students explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.

Learners compose a piece of poetry modeled after the poetry of Carl Sandburg and share their poem(s) with their colleagues. They use a cluster diagram to organize their thoughts and brainstorm their ideas.

Students create their own classroom constitution. In this leadership skills lesson, students work together to solve problems. Students discuss why rules are important and brainstorm ways to solve classroom problems. Students vote on the...

Students use unfamiliar objects to make inferences. In this making inferences lesson, students make guesses about what an item does. Students brainstorm together and make lists of ideas and write them on index cards. The teacher gives...

Students read and explore autumn poetry. In this poetry lesson, students read Autumnblings and are introduced to different poetic forms. Lesson includes ideas for exploring the poetic forms presented in the book and cross-curricular...

Eleventh graders write a two to three page paper addressing one of the following topics: Analyze the values and beliefs of the two conflicting cultures. Explain which values seem to dominate within the conflict and why. They brainstorm...

Students create an online newspaper documenting the politics and culture of ancient Rome. Using online tools and websites, they conduct research on ancient Roman politics and everyday culture. The informaiton gathered is used to create a...

Students practice using organic and geometric forms while creating individual works of art. This creative art lesson incorporates Math concepts for a cross-curricular approach in the classroom.

Quality relationships don't just happen. They require nurturing, patience, thoughtful communication, and honesty. Help tweens develop these relationship skills with an activity that asks them to themselves and then outline a...

Students work cooperatively to choose a theme, write a story, and produce a web site to display this story in this middle-level lesson on the career of a web designer. This excellent lesson ends with an organized, web site launch party.

Fifth graders write or dance a simile to show the relationship between two unlike nouns. In this simile and grammar lesson, 5th graders explore dance movements and identify smooth and sharp energy examples. Students review...

Students create movements that illustrate opposites.  In this opposites lesson, students discuss what opposites do for writing and relate to dance.  Students make movements based on their opposites.

Students identify the characteristics of a hero. In this character development and writing lesson, students listen to music with a hero theme and discuss the common traits of heroes. Students explore individuals and charitable...

Students examine the relationship between relics found in history museum exhibits and the meaningful ways in which those relics are presented. They, in groups, select objects for a history exhibit about the event or time period of their...

Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette.  In this creating writing instructional activity, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette....

Students practice a variety of strategies for mastering ABC brainstorming about a major topic. They take a topic and try to think of a word or phrase associated with that topic that begins with each letter of the alphabet and match them...