Learners apply word analysis skills to recognize new words, identify genres of fiction and nonfiction, and identify important themes and topics. They explore differences in plants, flowers, and vegetables. A book bag full of activities...

Examine the book Stargazers by Gail Gibbons. Young readers will practice reading and interpreting information from diagrams in this informational text. They work together as a class on this skill and then move into independent...

"The Hare and the Water," a Tanzanian folk tale, lends a global perspective to literary analysis. Learners spend the first two days reading and storyboarding. On day three, they examine folk tale elements (worksheet included), and design...

Students read a multicultural book called "This Is the Way We Go to School" by Edith Baer and Steve Bjorhman. They become culturally aware of the different nationalities around the world and different ways that they may do things on a...

Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...

Students identify the themes of different books by classifying their genre.  In this genre instructional activity, students examine a specific animal by reading both a nonfiction and fiction book about the species.  Students...

Students understand the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and good health.  In this health instructional activity students read text then create their own pamphlet on the cardiovascular system, weight gain, treatments and...

Students are introduced to the characteristics of fables and folktales. In groups, they read and identify the various elements in the stories they read from around the world. For each story, they analyze the setting and the various...

Students examine and identify the characteristics of the different genres of literature. After being read and reading various stories, they identify how different books by the same author carry the same story elements. They discuss how...

Students explore journalism by reading a book in class. In this factual research instructional activity, students read a portion of a Magic School Bus book and identify parts that seem to be factual and fictional. Students view an...

Pupils explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. In this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story and...

Students complete several student readings involving kite making and kite flying. They analyze how the parts of a system go together and how these parts depend on each other. They comprehend how different environments both provide...

Students are introduced to the genre of detective fiction. Based on their reading level, they are given a different series of books to read. For each story, they are to make predictions and practice decoding messages. To end the...

Students read Patricia Polacco's Mrs. Katz and Tush before comparing Jewish heritage with Black history using a Venn Diagram. They complete the diagram either as a whole group or in a small group setting. Next, they sample the Jewish...

Learners explore a content area by reading both fiction and nonfiction texts on the topic. They do more research online about the topic. After comparing the texts, they create their own written original work, using both narrative and...

An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...

Young learners examine different places in their neighborhood using informational texts. First they identify a place that they like to play and predict if it will be in the nonfiction book Community at Play.They will share their favorite...

Students study the life of Jane Goodall and how she made an impact studying chimpanzees.  In this endangered species lesson students write in their journals.

Students examine the life and works of Theodor Seuss Geisel. In groups, they compare and contrast the stories, characters and illustrations he used. They complete a book review on one of the books and share them with other students in...

Students discover ways to protect themselves from the sun. They identify diseases that are caused by too much sun exposure. They take a quiz and measure their progress throughout the year.

Students complete an exploration of the 1930s. Using artwork and primary source documents, they compare, contrast and identify cause and effect relationships in the events of the decade. They discover how the events then affect people...

Students explore biology by writing animal poetry in class. In this animal characteristics instructional activity, students research the Internet for facts about an "ugly" animal such as a bug or small critter. Students complete...

Students are introduced to the history of Pennsylvania. After listening to a story, they discuss each letter and sound and practice saying them. As a class, they complete a quilting project in which they discover the coal mines and steel...

Students use their non-dominant hand to catch candy which they tossed in the air. They estimate how many they catch in a second round. They record and determine how the probability changed the second time.