This puppy really wants to get to its bone, but it can only do so by following a trail of adjectives. Pupils make the puppy's path clear by coloring in all the stones that include adjectives. They then write a sentence about what happens...

To get to the heart of a writer's purpose, just remember to have some PIE (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain)! And appropriately, here is a PIE chart that leaves room for pupils to identify each letter of the acronym and any other...

Scratching your head when it comes to engaging writing prompts? Check out a list of prompts designed for middle school classes, which includes topics for persuasive writing, expository writing, how-to essays, personal narratives, and...

Students define and give examples of five senses, compiling a list of sensory words to be used in a written descriptive paragraph.

Eighth graders explore figurative language, specifically focusing on similes, metaphors and personification. They work on the web to identify poems that demonstrate simile, metaphor, and personification, then analyze how it enhances...

Fourth graders connect oral language to written language. They practice strategies for overcoming the fear of writing. They practice prewriting strategies and practice writing descriptive paragraphs.

Students solve and write riddles using similes and metaphors.  In this similes and metaphors lesson, students work in groups to solve descriptive riddles for famous landmarks.  Students are given pictures of landforms and write...

Students explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize the...

Fifth graders work together to make simple menus more interesting by adding descriptive words. This plan works well with the Six Traits of Writing as it covers the trait of word choice. This is a really fun way for students to practice...

Explore African literature and artwork in a multicultural literacy and art lesson. Begin with a read aloud of Tiger and the Big Wind: A Tale from Africa, and afterward, have kids retell the main events in the story. They...

Get your class writing with this project idea. Kids choose two pictures of objects that are like them and two pictures of objects that are not like them to entice their readers. Then, they write an informative paragraph describing each...

After creating a booklet illustrating and explaining a variety of figures of speech, your class will use examples of simile, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, and symbolism to develop a slide show in small groups.

Class members can practice using sensory details and imagery with this writing prompt, which provides a vivid introduction about a girl who discovers a treasure box in her mother's garden. The middle, ending, and title of the story are...

Beyond Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, tall tales can be a great way to teach young writers about word choice and voice in their writing. Using Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee  and the Six-Trait Writing process, they begin to write...

Pupils choose their favorite television show, craft and illustrate an advertisement for this show, and then write a short paragraph about why the show appeals to them. No provisions are made for children with limited or no viewing...

Learners give oral definitions and descriptions. Each student takes a turn describing the contents of a plastic egg with a category plus attribute format. Other members have an opportunity to guess contents of the egg after listening to...

Students write a description of an animal.  In this descriptive writing lesson, students discuss ways to write to appeal to all five senses.  Students then describe an animal in a paragraph and pair up to guess the animal.

The star on the top of a Christmas tree can be beautiful, or it can be gold, or it can be shiny—or, in fact, it can be all three! A picture of a decorated Christmas tree encourages pupils to choose from a list of 18 adjectives to...

Is this worksheet challenging or chewy? Allow your pupils to choose the correct adjective for 18 sentences in order to find out.

Support a class reading of the novel Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor with this series of discussion questions. Covering a variety of topics from character and setting to historical accuracy and symbolism, these questions...

Explore cultures from around the world with an engaging pen pal resource. Through a series of classroom activities and written correspondence, children learn about the favoritec pastimes, schooling, geography, and weather that is...

Looking for ideas for teaching numbers to your Spanish class? Try out one or all of these 16 activity ideas! 

It's one thing to have an idea, but someone has to put it into action! Young pupils read a rendition of Aesop's fable of the mice in the council before answering four questions about details from the text.

Students dress like Chaucer's pilgrims in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales and act out a skit revealing Chaucer's description of each pilgrim.