Curated OER
Halloween Paper Bag Mask
Students create Halloween paper bag masks using paper bags, scissors, pens, crayons, paints, glue, glitter, tissue paper, and various other art materials. This lesson is ideal for late-October and can be done in as little as 30 minutes.
Curated OER
Turkey Centerpieces
Students create "turkey centerpieces" in this easy elementary art lesson using apples, toothpicks, construction paper, and gumdrops. The lesson includes a materials list and a step-by-step list of instructions to create the turkey...
Curated OER
Valentines Roses
Students create bouquets of roses using tissue paper, pipe cleaners, masking tape, paint, and construction paper in this early elementary art lesson. A possible extension includes making Vlentine's Day cards to go along with the flowers.
Curated OER
Music and Interdisciplinary Connections
Young scholars examine the interconnectedness of different art forms. They listen to music and watch a video while determining the similarities of the themes. They make connections between books, movies, opera, dance, and music.
Curated OER
Styroflakes
Students increase eye-hand coordination as they create decorative snowflakes out of recycled packing peanuts.
Curated OER
Doodle Splash
Students navigate Doodle Splash to create a painting. In this doodle splash lesson, students explain their splash painting relationship to a piece of literature.
Star Wars in the Classroom
"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Days 13 and 14
How important are sound effects in films? In stage plays? In radio programs? To gain an understanding of the impact of these special effects, class members watch a short video spoof of the sound in a scene from Star Wars: A New...
Teacher Created Materials
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Bring Julius Caesar to life with a reader's theatre approach that engages the entire class. The opening exercises model the importance of reading with expression while choral reading exercises permit class members to practice their...
Trinity University
Julius Caesar: The Power of Persuasion
"Friend, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..." Those words begin one of the most persuasive speeches in literature. Explore the elements of persuasion in a series of lessons related to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In addition...
Curated OER
Reader's Theater
First graders imagine the house they live in. They think about the colors, materials, shape, size and location of their home. Students read and discuss the book "Houses." They perform this book as a Reader's Theater using a script.
Curated OER
Decades of Drama
Pupils explore, examine and study August Wilson's 10-play series where each play focuses on a particular decade. They discuss each play in depth and then speculate on the possible plots for an eleventh play set in the 21st century.
Curated OER
Patriotic Arts: Influencing Canadians At War
Students study how war has shaped Canadian life, patriotism, propaganda, and music. They research primary source documents, novels, videos, and songs before celebrating Remembrance Day.
Curated OER
Tennessee Williams: Exploring the American Dream
Young scholars read and analyze selections of Tennessee Williams' work. They write journal responses, conduct Internet research, perform various scenes from one of Williams' dramas, and create a presentation.
Curated OER
Acting Out The Story, Jane And The Dragon
Third graders reflect on and discuss the story, Jane and the Dragon, and portray their understanding of stereotyping through the actions of their character. Through the use of legends, drama can be used to educate understanding for other...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
Students research Toni Morrison's life, work as a writer, and major contributions to the field of literature; students choose one of her novels to read, & perform a scene from it; each group member writes an autobiographical essay...
Curated OER
Handprint Rainbow
Students find differences in handprints in a cooperative effort to make a rainbow. In a rainbow painting lesson, students use their hands to create the different levels of the rainbow. Students may choose their colors.
Curated OER
Getting To Know You
Students listen to the book "I like me" by Nancy Carison, or a similar self-esteem book, and then create self-portraitswhile the song "Getting to Know You" is being played. This is an excellent ice-breaker for the beginning of the...
Curated OER
Theatre Prop Design and Construction
Fourth graders construct individual props. In this theatrical arts instructional activity, 4th graders use the elements of art to create various props using paper mache. Students construct objects such as logs, fruit, and a picture frame.
Curated OER
9 for 10 - Julius Caesar
Choose the missing word in several quotes from William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Most are multiple-choice, though a few are fill-in-the-blank. The last answer is made from the first letters of the previous answers.
Curated OER
Paper Dragon Puppet
Students discuss the Chinese New Year and the importance of the dragon in Chinese culture. After examining pictures of dragon puppets, students create simple dragon puppets and have their own Chinese New Year parade.
Teaching Tolerance
Artistic Expression Showcase
No one is too young to create a masterpiece. Elementary artists delve into the topic of social justice with original artwork. Scholars keep journals to reflect on their experiences before putting paintbrush to paper. Final artwork is...
BBC
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
Fairy tales seem like quick, fun children's stories, but asking compelling questions about characters, plot elements, and literary themes can transform them into rich and complex tales. Use a series of eight lessons on Hans Christian...
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby
Students participate in a reader's theater, adapting scenes from The Great Gatsby. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students interpret a given scene from The Great Gatsby in a readers' theater. Students analyze the...
Curated OER
Arthur Miller and The Crucible
Students investigate the dramatic elements of The Crucible. In this drama lesson, students explore the elements and themes of the Arthur Miller play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Students then write...