MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Shapes - Kindergarten
Extend scholars' learning experience with a unit consisting of five shape lesson plans, an extension activity, assessment, and rubric. Begin by reading a story about shapes, then conduct an overview and assign pupils' their first...
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Gullah Activities
Students study the Gullah culture by watching a video about Gullah, Gullah Island. They discuss the customs and crafts of the people such as basket weaving, food preparation, pottery, and quilt making. While working in centers, they make...
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Styroflakes
Students increase eye-hand coordination as they create decorative snowflakes out of recycled packing peanuts.
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The Gummywolf
Students read a story about "Gummywolf," stopping periodically to answer questions about the progression of the story. Next, they create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast "Gummywolf" to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Students...
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Angry Feelings (Responsible Personal Conduct)
Students review proper classroom behavior and anger management techniques.
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Students communicate and express ideas through drawings that represent the stated ideas. They use a pattern book after listening to the story, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
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Toilet Paper Tube Turkey
Students create "toilet paper tube" turkeys in this Thanksgiving Day art lesson plan for the early elementary classroom. The lesson plan suggests using toilet paper tubes, construction paper, googly eyes, scissors, and glue to create...
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Computer Pictures
Students manipulate the mouse to draw a picture on a computer program such as Kid Works or ClarisWorks for Kids. Then, using the keyboard, the student type a word to label the picture and type his/her name.
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Animals and Me
Students develop skills needed to use the Internet. They demonstrate scrolling, links, and the back arrow. Students read a book and explore the web for their favorite animal. They create a Venn diagram comparing their body parts to the...
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Beeswax Flower Candle
Students create "Beeswax flower candles" in this early-elementary classroom Art lesson. Materials needed include foam pieces, straw, a glue gun, clay pots, beeswax, and popsicle sticks. This activity is ideal for the students to create...
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Marshmallow Bunny
Students create "marshmallow bunnies" using marshmallows, toothpicks, pink construction paper, and cloves in this quick and easy early-elementary level Art lesson. The 30-minute lesson is ideal for holiday ideas around Easter time.
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Sticky Hearts
Students create "sticky hearts" in this early elementary lesson that explores the use of different media in works of art. The lesson suggests using white posterboard, constructions paper, corn syrup, food coloring and lots of wipes for...
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Haring Placemats
Students examine and discuss artwork by Keith Haring. They design and create a placemat, painting a design similar to Keith Haring's style of drawing.
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Newspaper for Inner City School
Students use their writing skills and digital cameras to produce a newspaper. They write about school events, class projects, items of interest, culturally-related issues, and interview students. Students edit digital images and insert...
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Objects of Adornment
Students identify adornments as a form of art. In this art and jewelry lesson, students view portraits of two historical princess noticing their adornments, then draw a person in their life focusing on the adornments they wear.
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The Robot Artist--Aaron
This is a creative multidisciplinary lesson which will involve students in art, technology, and psychology. Students learn about Harold Cohen who created a robot programmed to create art. Students will also enjoy the sand pendulum...
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Technology Blackout Day
Students describe the impact of modern technology inventions on daily life. They create a graph of the class's favorite item of technology and draw a picture of their favorite piece of modern technology.
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Changing Images of Childhood in America: Colonial, Federal and Modern England
Students compare and contrast maps of New Haven, Connecticut from today and the past. After taking a field trip, they draw sketches of the types of architecture and discuss how the buildings have changed over time. They read journal...
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LIONS and TIGERS and BEARS. . .Oh My! Animals of Connecticut and the World
Students identify and list the different types of pets owned by the children in the class.
They graph the total number of each type of pet owned. They draw or cut-out a picture of an animal. Using the materials listed above, the children...
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Technonumbers: Computers in Preschools
Students explore recognizing, counting and sequencing numbers 1-10. For this primary math introduction lesson, students participate in 6 computer sessions that integrate short films, music and drawing in order to bring beginning math...
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Tiny Tortillas
Students read the rhyme "Tiny Tortillas" and then explain what the poem is about. They create a list of rhyming words from the poem. They compare and contrast the poem "Tiny Tortillas" with the poem "Patty Cake". They clap out the beat...
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Glue-On Pumpkin Faces
Pupils make Jack-O-Lanterns --- without the carving ---in this Halloween lesson ideal for the early-elementary classroom (including pre-Kindergarten). If computers are available the lesson can be adapted so that the students create...
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Families and neighborhoods
Students create their house to add to a class "neighborhood". In this activity on family and community, students read the book Family by Todd Parr and discuss how all families and houses are different. Then, students create their own...
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Quiet On The Set... Take 1...Action!!
Students complete an activity with the book Step by Step by Bruce McMillan. In this verb lesson, students create a list of action verbs from this book and more to use in their own writings. They will create stick puppets to act out the...