A child lawyer is exactly what people need ... not! With the novel study for John Grisham's Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, pupils use their imaginations to create their own examples of sarcasm. They also research a chosen famous lawyer and...

Every culture has its own stories to tell. An interesting educator's guide shares a large collection of fairytales and folktales, some from different cultures and some re-creations of classics. A summary and brief teaching ideas...

Students explore philanthropy in literature. In this cross curriculum literacy and character development lesson, students read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and note charitable acts described in the story. Students relate story...

Students explore the function of the ears. In this sense of hearing lesson, students read the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear and discuss the things the Polar Bear heard. Students construct simple musical instruments and use...

Students examine Greek and Latin root words. They research the history of the English language, solve word games and puzzles, write paragraphs about the impact of Greek and Latin on the English language, and create flip chart study guides.

Fourth graders study Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." They explore the characters and the instruments that represent the characters. They create their own version of "Peter and the Wolf" for the purpose of introducing the...

Fourth graders develop their speaking skills. In this monologue instructional activity, 4th graders watch their instructors model a monologue regarding Abraham Lincoln. Students apply these skills as they research a historical figure...

Students take a closer look at Cinderella stories. In this literature instructional activity, students discuss the attributes of Cinderella stories from around the world and conduct research to find where the "Aschenputtel" story...

Students analyze Earth science by answering environmental study questions. For this Earth Day lesson, students read the book The Lorax and identify the themes within it. Students define several recycling vocabulary terms and create an...

Second graders read Cucumber Soup by Vickie Leigh. They make representations for the number of each kind of bug found in the book. This lesson is a terrific way to show students how fractions, decimals and percents are related.

Students compare and contrast domesticated animals and wild animals. They identify plants and animals that have adapted to different habitats. They discover it is everyone's responsibility to protect the environment.

Students create a poem that expresses the physical and emotional turmoil of living through the Dust Bowl.  In this Out of the Dust lesson, students research facts about the time period and discuss the cause-effect patterns...

Students read Two Eyes, A Nose, and A Mouth by Roberta Grobel Intrater. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding faces and facial features. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...

Get to know more about the characters of the novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis by comparing and contrasting their character traits using a Venn diagram.

Students are read the book "Uncle Jed's Barbershop". After the story, they complete an anticipation guide to label each statement as either a positive or a negative. In groups, they try to come to a concensus on each statement. They...

Fourth graders assume the roles of characters in familiar fairy tales and participate in a panel discussion using a talk show format.

This lesson about writing can be taught in small groups or large group settings. They examine basic writing techniques and practice using them to improve their writing.

William Bell's Forbidden City is used as the basis of a study of China, Chinese culture and government, and especially of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Class members select a topic for Internet research and then prepare a...

Nothing aids in comprehension more than an explanation and understanding of why things are done. Address why the Common Core requires the reading percentages that it established and analyze how this affects your readers. Learners read...

Elementary schoolers take part in a very good lesson which has them watch video, conduct experiments, complete hands-on activities, and work in cooperative groups. The educationally-rich activities are clearly-explained, and the group...

Students create and videotape a newscast about the events that take place in the play, Antigone. They perform scenes describing the main events, the main characters and their conflicts.

What? A long-lost poem from Robert Frost? Introduce your class to a poem recently found and published from Robert Frost's personal collection. The lesson includes background information on the author, the poem itself, and a list of...

Students read and act out myths. In this world mythology lesson, students read and analyze myths from various cultures and then recognize their attributes as they prepare presentations of myths that explain natural phenomena.

The characters in The Grapes of Wrath come to life through an activity that asks groups to craft a dramatic monologue for a character in John Steinbeck's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning novel.  Writers are...