Identifying onomatopoeia is one thing; making an inference about the significance of the sound is more advanced. Young poets read a literary passage and identify the examples of onomatopoeia in each before naming the...

Students examine how European-America aestheticians (philosophers of art) do not all agree about the value and definition of art. students examine how some cultures do not have a distinct word or definition for art.

Learners perform an in-depth study of coal - one of most important fossil fuels. Over a three-week period of time, they become familiar with how coal is formed underground, and will create a "fossil" right there in the classroom in order...

Artists of all ages construct a three-dimensional form and fill it with rice to make gentle, percussive sounds. They discover that Native South American tribesmen would harvest dead branches from cactus plants, fill them with small...

Students examine the influences and similarities between the New York School poets and Abstract Expressionist artists. They analyze paintings and poems, and write original poetry.

Kids get up and act! To promote inventiveness, timing, and clowning, they pair up and act as though they are looking in a mirror. Child A does a move while child B attempts to mimic it as closely as possible. This is a fun activity that...

Primary geometers create a picture using tangrams. In this geometry lesson, students read Grandfather Tang: A Tale Told with Tangrams, cut out their own tangrams, and choose a character from the story to make using their tangram pieces.

Although this lesson plan is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content and style...

Take your art class back centuries to the art of metal tooling. This is an art technique also referred to as embossing, or repajado in Mexico and South America. This is a fun project to introduce a new technique and new materials. This...

Explore Pablo Picasso. For this art history and face drawing lesson plan, read a brief biography of Pablo Picasso. Draw a self portrait following guided instruction by the teacher.  Paint a self-portrait and practice adding white...

Whether it's dark, delightful, or somber, set the mood with William Golding's Lord of the Flies. High-schoolers practice descriptive writing by creating the appropriate mood for an original scene, starring one of the book's main...

Young writers will love examining  Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type for examples of good persuasive writing. Generally, when we write persuasive pieces, there are common words we use. Encourage your writers to...

Taking students from the origins of Neoclassical art, architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts to the "sunset" of the artistic movement, this slideshow provides ample infomation and examples of the art form. The slides...

The epic clash of reason and emotion comes to life in this informative presentation. Detailing the period of Romanticism in 19th century Europe, these slides contain pictures of the most famous pieces of art during this period. Viewers...

Who is Salman Khan? That is the first question learners will answer after reading a New York Times article about the online math and science educator. They'll read the article and respond to eight questions that ask, who, what, when,...

They always say to write what you know. This approach is used to get middle schoolers prepared to write novels of their own. Using a favorite book as a model, potential novelists respond to prompts that ask about characters, plot, main...

Deepen understanding for 10 vocabulary words by having your class members find their antonyms. Example words include conclusion, mock, and antiquated.  Consider having them write a sentence for both the word and the word's antonym...

Make an impression with a reading comprehension assessment based on Claude Monet. After reading a short biographical paragraph about the famous French painter, readers demonstrate their comprehension skills by drawing inferences,...

Part of a series of exercises, this sentence completion worksheet could be used as an assessment, as extra practice, as the basis of small group discussion, or as homework. The extensive answer key explains how to approach problems of...

Over the course of the lesson plan, your pupils read and analyze a translated eight-line poem from the Tang Dynasty written by Du Fu, a poet caught behind enemy lines during the An Lu-Shan rebellion (755-763). Literary/historical context...

Fun is in the air as learners with special needs engage in sensory-filled activities. They discuss color, snow, cold, winter, and body parts while touching and smelling various objects. They discuss the parts of the body with relation to...

Pairs of socks can be the same and they can be different. Use socks to emphasise the meanings of the words same and different. Your special ed class will examine each pair of socks you provide to determine if they are the same or...

Sorting big and small objects builds spacial reasoning classification, and visual discrimination skills. Your class will read a story about big and small bubbles, practice identifying big and small objects, then sort big and small balls...

Children with special needs participate in several activities to reinforce shape and color recognition. They sign the word leaf, sing a song about leaves, and bounce leaves around on a parachute. They then help the instructor name...