Category: art
Superhero Writing Lessons

Writing can be a pleasure, especially with fun, highly motivating writing assignments. How about superheroes for a writing theme? Check out our list of great superhero writing prompts: The most obvious writing assignment for a superhero theme is writing a comic book or, less ambitiously, a comic strip. have students… Continue reading
Math Superheroes

Math and superheroes go together like Batman and Robin. If you’re using a superhero theme for your classroom, take advantage of that. Math class? Make it your ongoing theme. There’s a ready-made bulletin board set: Math Superheroes Bulletin Board Set has 8 lively posters with captions like, “Probability woman says there’s… Continue reading
The Emperor’s Nightingale Lesson Plans

“The Emperor’s Nightingale” is a story by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author, set in China. In the story, the Emperor of China discovers a nightingale, a bird which sings so beautifully that its song restores the ailing Emperor’s health. The Emperor of Japan sends a mechanical singing bird to… Continue reading
Mars Lesson Plans

Mars is our neighbor in space, and it has thrilled Earthlings for centuries. We offer three great lesson plans for getting to know this neighbor. Online resources: Look at Mars. This is a project of Google Sky, and you should look at it if nothing else. NASA’s Mars page NASA’s… Continue reading
Publish a Poem with Paint
Nursery Rhymes in the Classroom

Nursery rhymes have helped babies grasp rhyme and rhythm for centuries, and our students can enjoy them, too. We have three great lesson plans for nursery rhymes, including one for older students. Lessons for specific nursery rhymes: Eensy Weensy Spider The House that Jack Built Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater Three… Continue reading
Famous Poets in the Classroom

Too often our English books present poetry lessons with doggerel intended only for the classroom. Fingerplays are fun and we want our students to write their own poetry, but there’s no reason not to introduce the works of great poets to kids. These are the works that will stay in… Continue reading
Green Eggs and Ham Lesson Plans

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess, a perennial favorite, was written on a bet with Bennet Cerf that Suess couldn’t write a book with only 50 words. Obviously, he could. For small children, learning the 50 words in Green Eggs and Ham is a worthwhile accomplishment. Here are the… Continue reading
Classroom Activities on Invention and Inventors

FreshPlans had the opportunity to interview inventor Douglas Hutchings, who was recently on the cover of Inventor’s Digest. Dr. Hutchings has been responsible for two inventions: a new kind of solar panel which makes solar energy much more affordable, and a website that helps people find special deals in… Continue reading