R-e-s-p-e-c-t, find out what it means to your class! After a grand conversation about what is, and how one can show respect, scholars take part in a plethora of activity choices such as role playing, a game of Simon Says, wood working,...

Use essential elements cards to help lesson plan! Each card contains an informational text common core standard for grade levels six through eight and suggestions for activities and supports. Cards address skills such as citing textual...

Encourage readers to determine if Hamlet's madness is actually divinest sense. Class members analyze the words of the play before studying related texts, including T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," scenes from...

A thorough lesson plan takes your first grade class through Jane Yolen's beautiful Owl Moon. It crafts the unit with clear objectives, high-level guiding questions, cloze activities and sentence frames, and extension...

Whether you're planning to set up your classroom for the start of another school year or just need a change of scenery, this sample chapter taken from a Responsive Classroom book provides suggestions for making the most...

Seventh graders research historical events and everyday life in Texas in 1836-1837. They write a letter using Mr. Mitchell's perspective.

Students study and write poetry. In this poetry project, students read, analyze, and produce poetry. Students examine and analyze fifteen poems and at the culmination of the unit, perform one of their poems for an audience.

Young scholars explore the power of dialect in poetry.  In this poetry lesson, students listen to a reading of "In-a Brixtan Markit" while viewing the poem.  Young scholars rewrite the poem in English or using another dialect;...

Learners explore surreal art and poetry. In this visual arts lesson plan, students examine works by André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miro. Learners then apply the techniques in the works they analyze to their own poetry.

Young scholars examine different decades in American history, finding connections between the historical events and the poetry written during these time periods. They write their own poetry based on current world events.

Students write poetry that captures their feelings about their city or town. After presenting their poetry at a class reading students compare their poetry to the work of published poets who have written about the same city.

Flowering learners explore the concept of figurative language as it relates to poems, songs, or creative written expression. In this creative writing activity, they complete several phrases using similes, metaphors, and...

Students create their own poems to express a deep feeling or transformative experience, then write imaginary letters to people in the article, responding to their poetry and sharing their own creative process.

Learners analyze sculpture, poetry, and music to gain an understanding of historical events. In this critical thinking skills lesson, students take a closer look at African-American history as they examine "Lift Every Voice and Sing'"...

Learners explore the popular culture phenomenon of the musical 'Cats' and the T.S. Eliot poems that were its inspiration. They write original poems about animals, and read them aloud to their peers.

Learners listen to poems to explain how poets use words to paint pictures. They use hands-on materials to practice using similies and figurative language to write a poem about snow.

Young scholars examine how an exhibition of an author's writings can become a portrait or biography of that author . They work in small groups, analyzing various poems by Yeats.

Students use titles of Shel Silverstein poems to generate their own poetry for Students. Each student then compares his or her poem to the Shel Silverstein poem of the same title.

Learners discover the name and value of coins. In this counting money lesson, students identify heads and tails of coins and the value of each coin. Learners visit websites and play games. Students then write a poem about money.

Third graders create sentences. In this sentences lesson students use onomatopoeia words to write sentences. They make a movement to match their onomatopoeia word. The students discuss why an author might use onomatopoeia in their writing.

Students examine their own identities and read about the experiences of adopted Chinese daughters celebrating the Jewish rite of passage, the bat mitzvah. They write personal poems or speeches illustrating how their identities evolved.

Young scholars study the literature and literary techniques of the early Middle Ages, thus preparing students to read Beowulf with an appreciation for its artistry and beauty. Young scholars solve online riddles, write riddles and study...

Students reflect on what it means to help those in need, then read and analyze poetry that illustrates the struggle of poor people. They create collages connecting current issues of poverty with poets' experiences.

Tenth graders explore the self through a study of autobiographies. By writing daily in their journals, they improve their writing skills and write reflection pieces at the end of the year. Through a series of writing assignments, 10th...