“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...

Spruce up a class reading of the children's book Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback with this fun series of activities. Starting with a list of reading comprehension questions and key vocabulary to address during a teacher...

Introduce young learners to the read-aloud process with a short biographical passage about Ray Charles. After listening to the passage, class members respond to factual, inferential, and evaluative questions, and then create a timeline...

Construct words using root words, prefixes, and suffixes. They listen to Chapters 8 & 9 of Bunnicula being read aloud and write down any words they hear that have a prefix or suffix. Learners infer the definition of new words by...

Make origami ducks with your class to reinforce geometry concepts and vocabulary; develop fine motor and visual translation skills; and enrich study of Japanese culture, the pond habitat, or migration. Create a whole group "worksheet"...

How do you represent a tragic event? Are stories of tragic events better left untold? After reading chapter two of Maus and studying other representations of the Holocaust (suggestions are included), class members create a representation...

Here is a literacy lesson for at-risk students. They listen to the story Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice, and answer questions before, during, and after reading. Learners practice reading high frequency words on flashcards and...

Students study about listening strategies, as well as the culture, music and two prominent composers of the Baroque period, namely J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. They demonstrate their understanding of the content through several assessments.

Learners explore language arts by analyzing a story in class. In this story comprehension lesson, students read the book The Story of Jumping Mouse and ask themselves questions about the story in order to predict and explain...

“Be glad that all things sort so well.” To make text-to-self connections to Shakespeare’s play, class members engage in a guided imagery exercise prior to reading Act IV, scene i of Much Ado About Nothing (the wedding of Claudio and...

Students compare two very different works of art and two poems, and verbally list similarities and differences they perceive in the works of art and the poems; students then select poem that best correlates with a work of art.

Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...

Incorporating the arts into regular classroom practices isn't an easy task. Learners will research background information regarding Russian culture, history, and conflict then see how those things have applied to the rigors of Russian...

Students survey free jazz and fusion. They explore how free jazz and fusion reflected American culture and society in the 1960s and 1970s.

Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...

Students utilize prior knowledge to erect and assemble a building from a drawing using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. In this building lesson, students visualize a three dimensional structure from looking at a picture and converting...

Learners explore critical thinking by conducting a reaction time experiment. In this human brain lesson, students utilize a timed Internet worksheet activity to research how fast their brain works when answering questions. Learners share...

Students extend their understanding of Milton Hershey. In this notable figures lesson plan, students create a paper quilt about Milton Hershey. Students use the template provided to design their own quilt square, including an...

High schoolers experience Zen philosophies reflected in artwork, poetry, and architecture. Students will explore these connections and expand the discussion to include a professional author of their choice.

Learners study the history of Olympic emblems. In this Olympics instructional activity, students examine the Olympic designs and symbols used to represent different Olympic game years. Learners then collaborate to create Olympic emblems...

Students examine influence The Blues had on Rock and Roll and the concomitant social, political, and economic factors and movements during the post-World War II period. Students then research and create multimedia reports on...

First graders contrast sounds and make a thunderstorm rhythm.  In this rhythm lesson, 1st graders listen to Native American music and make an original rhythm with their hands and feet.  Students discuss Native Americans.

Students study ordinal positions through class reading and discussion, complete an Animal Parade activity sheet and Internet activity to demonstrate knowledge about ordinal positions with 100% accuracy, and play a math computer game.