Foster critical thinking skills by using the DR-TA Strategy with Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Class members read portions of the essay, stop and discuss what is happening, make predictions based on evidence from the text, and...

Although the activity is designed for Gary Paulsen’s Canyons, these procedures could be used with any novel or vocabulary study. Readers select an unfamiliar word, record the sentence and chapter where the term is found, write two...

“The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?” Prediction, verification, judgment, and extensions of thought are all part of a Directed ReadingThinking Activity (DRTA) developed for Measure for Measure. The rationale, assessments...

Discover the lovely story of Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho with your class. Over the course of the lesson, pupils practice descriptive writing, write short narratives, collaborate in small groups, watch a powerful short film about Raimundo,...

What does empathy look like? Encourage your pupils to put themselves in another person's shoes with several writing and discussion activities that relate to a featured short film. Over the course of the lesson, individuals collaborate...

Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...

S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders is the anchor text for a how-to primer for using audiobooks in the classroom. 

If the Lorax were to write a letter, what would he write? Introduce your class to systems and feedback loops through the whimsical stylings of Dr. Seuss. Learners take on the Lorax's point of view to write a letter, among other activities.

No more monkeys jumping on the bed! Treat your little monkeys to an activity about the classic children's story. It features story strips with different parts of the story to put in order, as well as printable monkeys and a bed fit for...

Introduce young actors to the key elements of performance with this handout that defines key staging terms and activities.

Sometimes it's helpful for kids to predict what is coming next when reading a story. Show your learners how to use evidence from the text they are reading to predict what happens next in five short passages.

The library is such a valuable resource for kids of all ages. Help elementary readers learn all about parts of the library, text features for both fiction and nonfiction text, and different ways to find books that they want to read.

How tall is the Empire State Building? Lead your class through a collaborative estimation activity to determine the number of quarters it would take to reach the top and teach the following concepts: human capital, human resources,...

Students are instructed to create a monster in a paragraph or even a short story. This activity allows students to work with new vocabulary. It is also a good way to practice using verbs and adjectives in Spanish.

Students explore the world of fractal images and the mathematics behind them. They explore fractal sites on the Internet. They create their own fractal designs. They publish a calendar displaying their favorite fractal art.

Learners examine illuminated manuscripts from the Gutenberg Bible. Using the examples, they use the internet to explore the effects of the printing press on the value of literature and art. They create their own illuminated initial...

Students listen to directions and complete an art project. They distinguish among kinds of information and purposes and complete multi-step tasks. The teacher gives directions while the student learns, and subsequently the student has to...

Students discuss what they like about parks and make a list of different things they like to do there such as swing, run, play ball, ride a bike, or go on a hike. They discover the locations of some examples of National Parks and that...

Learners participate in various Columbus Day activities. In this holiday lesson, students construct paper boats and read various books about Columbus. Learners are shown an educational video about Columbus to reinforce factual information.

Students create Optical Art, art that seems to move when you look at it, in this Art instructional activity for the High School classroom. Included with the instructional activity is a list of recommended materials and suggested resource...

Seventh graders discuss the importance of following instructions without procrastination. They explore careers where following instructions can make a difference between life and death. Students identify important details in written...

Students discover the artistic works of Henri Matisse, and examine what his work means. In this art instructional activity, students observe the different paintings/collages of Henri Matisse, eventually creating works of their own based...

Students gain appreciation and knowledge of art history, specifically the African American contributions to folk art made in the South Carolina region.

Pupils write a story inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and then try their hand at their own rendition of this famous piece of art. In a twist, students incorporate the stories into their paintings.