Elementary learners explore language arts by completing a text identification activity. They discuss the importance of a main idea in a story or paper and how to present it properly. Then they practice identifying the main idea in sample...

What makes a good leader? Use the curriculum guide for William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to help scholars answer that question. Pupils research the play's historical context and other background information before engaging in...

Play a vocabulary game with words from an article about Savion Glover's contribution to the film "Happy Feet." Then, small groups of students design and create original movie advertisements using vivid vocabulary to give Glover the...

Learners discover relationships between advertisement and persuasive techniques.  In this literacy and consumer education lesson, students select magazine or newspaper advertisements that use symbols, pictures, and slogans to...

Imagine a project that informs and entertains. Replace book reports with a bulletin board that highlights all the important elements of a novel. Readers research the author, create a timeline of events in the story, write a...

A activity all about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad introduces scholars to African American spirituals. By way of reading, speaking, and listening, learners discover, analyze, and decode African American spirituals. They...

Students identify life situations which require various writing responses, use the power of the written word to obtain results, practice writing responses to real-world events, and demonstrate the skills needed to recognize and create...

Learners explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. In this book exploration lesson, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a cover that...

Art, music, poetry, and the beauty of the seasons is what you'll find in this very nice unit idea. You can use any of the suggested books and activities to engage your second graders in an exploration of the changes that take place...

As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...

For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...

Groups of students create magazines that contain stories and images of one aspect of the ocean, and ocean life. The expectations for the final products are quite high, so this lesson will require some effort to properly implement. A...

Kids explore the world of news media by creating a wiki page. They will create a wiki page on the Internet in order to comment on and question the stories that take place in the world. They will practice creative writing by summarizing...

Learners will compare and contrast two songs from the Civil War era, one from the North and one from the South. They'll write a comparative essay on their songs, and then compare their essays and songs with others in their small groups....

Students review previously written essays, draw pictures of shapes, and write descriptive essays.

Fourth graders explore language arts by analyzing poetry styles. In this writing analysis lesson, 4th graders read several sample poems in class and identify similes, metaphors and other figurative language within them. Students analyze...

Sixth graders create a descriptive essay and map describing their island paradise. They try to evoke the reader's senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. They revise their paragraphs using their partner's feedback.

Students design and write descriptions of imaginary beds. In this interior design lesson, students use various art materials such as paint, fabric, boxes, and string to create a model of a bed. Students use descriptive words to write a...

Students create narrative cartoons based on the activities of the Peace Corps. In this narrative cartoons lesson plan, students create comic strips where they draw and write about various activities that the Peace Corps is involved in.

A project-based lesson has pupils create a bulletin board to share artwork, nonfiction articles, and messages based on social justice themes. The finished board is displayed in the community to create a place for discussion. 

Students make an African mask.  In this culture and heritage lesson plan, students view samples of African masks and learn about the importance of these masks.  Students visit the African Art Museum website to view the styles...

Students complete the theme activities in the unit for the month of September. In this planning lesson, students complete various themed activities for the month of September. Students complete movement activities, autonomy and social...

Learners recognize nonverbal cues in advertisements.  In this advertising lesson,  students navigate a website with history of advertisements.   Learners collect sample advertisements. Students plan and perform or...

Students demonstrate the use of rhythm in interior design. They create a sample page showing five different elements of rhythm as it is used in visual art. These elements include: repetition, gradation, transition, opposition, and...