Look carefully. Scholars practice observing and recording the natural world around them by looking out a window or viewing an image. Learners discuss how their experience compares to that of Meg Lowman in The Most Beautiful Roof in the...

I spy with my little eye! Learners observe page 23 in The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and practice what they would add to a field journal. They discuss how details from the text help add to their thoughts. To finish,...

Students read the story SAIL AWAY by Donald Crew to show different pictures of water and oceans. They are then introduced to a collage showing examples of Picasso's work. They construct a collage using different methods.

Individuals use words or illustrate what they experience during a reading of a passage from chapter eight of Gary Paulsen's Canyons. Complete directions for the guided imagery exercise, and a suggested passage, are included with the...

Second graders use their senses to explore a prairie or imaginary prairie. They draw pictures to represent the five senses and discover how an artist describes non-visual sensations in a visual way.

Add a handy reference sheet about fish anatomy and functioning to your learners' biology or animal notebooks. Though this resource doesn't provide any practice, it makes a useful addition to any study of anatomy, biology, species, fish,...

What is figurative language? Introduce your young learners to the most popular forms of figurative language: the simile and the metaphor. Start by reading "Willow and Ginkgo" by Eve Merriam, and identify where similes are used. Then look...

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.

Explore biology by researching adaptation. First, learners research and define a list of insect vocabulary terms and discuss the benefits of each insect characteristic. They then utilize a worksheet to create their own insect and share...

One of the keys for successful teaching is connecting curriculum to real-life experiences. This lesson on blogging does this, by making writing, revising, and publishing a reality. Pupils create a character for a story, write about their...

A solid description of one way to teach narrative writing, this resource outlines the writing process from concept to completion. Class members create concept maps of moments in their lives and follow the writing process to publish their...

In the beginning . . . To conclude a study of creation myths, individuals provide their own explanation for how it all began. They explain who or what did it, how it was done, and present their illustrated story to the class.

Young scholars use examples of narrative and expository text to analyze and compare the two styles. Young scholars read articles on life in Lesotho and Madagascar and use graphic organizers and discussion to compare them. Young scholars...

Sixth graders investigate a flower plant and the plant cycle. They extend observational skills when looking at a tree by observing, questioning and sharing ideas. They observe a living and nonliving flower and compare and contrast how...

Eighth graders study poems to see how punctuation, line length, rhythm and word choice can be used to create a memorable moment. They read and discuss poems by Shel Silverstein.

Eighth graders study personification in published works of poetry, then create their own through the use of diamante or cinquain poetry. They read and discuss poetry by Shel Silverstein, William Jay Smith, and Elinor Wylie.

Eighth graders study poetic devices included in conversation poems and explore their eloquent messages. They read and discuss poems by Langston Hughes and Don Marquis.

Third graders identify ways that ocean animals grow, survive, reproduce, and adapt. They use computer Internet skills to acces and collect information. They create a PowerPoint presentation. They demonstrate writing skills throughthe...

In this wood products lesson, students walk to a forest near their school where they sit by themselves for a few minutes and quietly observe their surroundings. Students brainstorm wood or wood by products, discuss everything we get from...

Students write an autobiographical essay. In this writing lesson plan students read a narrative, Panic in Paris, and review the elements of a narrative as a class discussion. Well-known stories are used as examples for writing their own...

Students identify several properties of water as a universal substance, describe the composition of several complex color mixtures and separate the components of dye using chromatographic technique.

Students construct 3-D biomes. The ultimate goal of this activity is to allow students to be official tour guides and to teach one another about biomes, environmental responsibilities, habitats, and human roles in the various ecosystems.

Eighth graders study the usage of symbolism in poetry and examine how symbolism can be used to explain their own lives and emotions. They read and discuss poems by Robert Frost and Shel Silverstein.

Students choose a historical or present-day event to portray through photographs. They narrate this event with photographs and text to communicate its significance in history or our current daily lives.