Students explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this extinction lesson, students watch dinosaur video clips or complete a puppet finger play about dinosaurs. Students may then complete a dinosaur diorama or a...

Why is visual literacy so important in understanding Maus? Introduce your class to basic elements of graphic novels with a game of pictionary. A list of 13 words are included, but you could potentially add some World War II-related...

“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...

Fling your class members “into the heart of things primordial” with a Venn diagram activity that highlights how the same themes are treated in the film and book versions of The Call of the Wild. Consider extending the exercise by having...

Students evaluate how images of immigrants reflected political and social attitudes toward them in the United States. They interpret visual images in the context of historical and political developments.

First graders create hand painted fruits and vegetables to hang in the Sukkah, a temporary shelter used during the Jewish Holiday, Sukkot. They are excited about the creation of the works of art and the lesson engagement is high being...

Learners 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...

In this making a peace wind stock worksheet, young scholars explore and experiment on how to design and create a peace wind stock to symbolize their feelings about peace.

Students create and color three-dimensional ornaments reflecting December's many cultural celebrations. They decide which symbol they wish to create as an ornament, draw or trace the outline of the symbol, and follow directions as they...

Students will create a career information center.  In this careers lesson, students research careers on a local and national level and create a help wanted ad for an occupation of personal interest.   Students create a...

Here's a fun lesson which will pique your pupils' imaginations. A brainstorm session about things that kids are good at takes place. A large cardboard box is made to look like a TV set, and each child gets to perform a special skill...

Here's a great art lesson that should be a hit with your kids. You'll need to get a bunch of baby food jars. A small item is glued to the underside of the jar lid, then plastic snow, glitter, and water are added to the jar. The lid is...

Students create a mural that expresses their feelings and patriotism to honor the memory of those who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. They explore creative ideas to express their feelings on this subject through art or writing.

Students explore types of awards for children's books. They design a new award. Students review books and select one to receive the newly designed award. Students create a "medal" for the book jacket. They write an explanation of the award.

Here are a couple of unique ways to utilize old newspapers in school in the form of an arts and crafts project. The first is a smile umbrella made out of newspaper, the second requires learners to look through newspapers or magazines to...

Students create an ornament with their photo inside of it. To create the personal memento, students observe demonstrations and follow directions. Students experience making a craft and giving the memento to a family member.

Students engage in a mock trial to decide if a work of prospective public art is "art" and accepted for a city park. They broaden their definitions of what "art" is. Students distinguish between opinion and informed judgment of art works.

Young scholars email students their own age in another country to share information about their cultures and countries.

Students read a short story about a young Iraqi boy, which opens up classroom discussion about the difficulties some immigrant students face, especially in the days after September 11.

Students play a matching, puzzle-like game designed to help them review and practice a given subject matter.

Students create a presentation on Middle Eastern art. In this art history lesson, students will research Middle Eastern art, specifically focusing on the Alhambra Palace and Moorish-inspired tile design. They will use information...

Being safe in school is of upmost importance! This instructional activity, designed for very young learners, reviews some very important safety rules with the whole class. Topics covered are how to walk safely up and down the stairs, how...

As the culminating activity in a unit study of science fiction, young writers demonstrate their understanding of the genre by producing their own graphic novel. After deciding on the main elements of their story, individuals use a comic...

Puppets are like magical objects for young learners! Often, a child will feel more comfortable "talking to" a puppet than to an adult. Here, youngsters make puppets and use them to act out stories about having new experiences. As a final...