Articles written by Susan Hyde

Student Writing Journals: Encourage Composition with Interactive Assignments

Students build fine motor skills while creating flowers for a spring bulletin board or Mother's Day gift -- a perfect addition to a multi-disciplinary garden theme unit! more...

Mar 25, 2008

Reader's Theater Curriculum: Elementary Lessons Encourage Reading Fluency and Cooperation

Language Arts and English students use writing journals to make observations, experiment with genres and practice composition while receiving regular teacher feedback. more...

Mar 8, 2008

Learning Basic Math Skills: Kids Memory Wizard Helps Students with Arithmetic

Brenda and Tom McGee's Reader's Theater and So Much More offers elementary teachers fun skits, research activities, vocabulary lessons and creative writing ideas. more...

Feb 22, 2008

Category: K-12 Subject Guides

Kids Success (TM) presents interactive Kids Memory Wizards to teach basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. more...

Feb 17, 2008

Thinking Organized Book Review: Students Manage Time, Improve Study Skills and Develop Better Memory

Character Study Lesson Plan: High School Writing Curriculum with Recipes and Literary Devices

In Thinking Organized for Parents and Children, author Rhona M. Gordon provides planning tools to help students with Executive Functioning Weaknesses. more...

Feb 1, 2008

Category: K-12 Subject Guides

Students create books with recipes that reflect the personality and actions of literary characters in a tasty high school writing unit. more...

Jan 6, 2008

Letter to the Editor Activity: Persuasive Writing Lesson Teaches Students Presidential Politics

The Five Minute Parent Book Review: Book Provides Art, Movement, and Science Activity Ideas for Parents

Students learn about persuasive writing and citizen involvement in national presidential elections with an authentic letter to the editor assignment. more...

Dec 16, 2007

Category: Kids Educational Activities

Deborah Shelton's new parenting book promotes child-parent bonding with games and activities that take only minutes. more...

Dec 5, 2007

Penmanship Curriculum Review: Handwriting Without Tears Activities for All Developmental Levels

Category: Packaged Curricula

From handwriting readiness to cursive, Jan Olsen's Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum teaches developmentally appropriate writing skills using multiple learning styles. more...

Nov 12, 2007

Evaluating Internet Sources: Teaching Students to Evaluate World Wide Web Resources for Research

Business Letter Lesson Plan: Students Learn Format, Tone & Organization in Writing Correspondence

Provide students with guidelines to evaluate authority, accuracy, and relevance of online resources used for academic research projects. more...

Oct 26, 2007

Creating Quality Essay Exams: Subjective Assessment Questions Focus on Learning Objectives

Writing business letters takes on new meaning when put in the context of a practical role playing exercise. more...

Oct 19, 2007

Engineering is Elementary Lessons: EiE Teaches Students to Make Science Connections and Solve Problems

Apply Bloom's Taxonomy to create fair essay questions that really test what students know. more...

Sep 30, 2007

Category: Packaged Curricula

Multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural lessons from Boston's Museum of Science teach K-6 students to apply the Engineering Design Process for 21st century problem solving. more...

Sep 12, 2007

Sugar Crystal Science Lesson: Teaching the Three States of Matter with Rock Candy

Cyber Safety in the Classroom: Avoid Online Predators, Cyberbullies, and Inappropriate Web Content

Introduce science students to the three states of matter by growing rock candy sugar crystals. more...

Aug 14, 2007

Figurative Language Ice Breaker: Back-to-School Team Building Activity for High School English Class

Establishing student guidelines for Internet use allows teachers to safely integrate computer technology for classroom and homework assignments. more...

Aug 5, 2007

Grading with Assessment Rubrics: A Guide to Evaluating Writing and Alternative Learning Projects

Start the year out with a fun literary icebreaker activity that teaches figurative language and literary devices. more...

Jul 10, 2007

Science Lessons for Summer School: Ice Cream Activity Joins Math & Chemistry Curriculum with Recipe Fun

An assessment rubric simplifies grading and leads students toward academic success. Use the model persuasive writing rubric as a grading guide. more...

Jun 24, 2007

Summer School Shakespeare Lessons: Introducing Romeo and Juliet to Low-Level and Reluctant Readers

Math and science are anything but boring with this sweet lesson plan. Homemade ice cream may be just the learning hook summer school students need on a hot summer day. more...

Jun 4, 2007

Elementary Fine Motor Lesson Plans: Students Build Handwriting Skills with Tactile Activities

Introduce Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with West Side Story and lesson plans that use contemporary music, humor, and art to make the Elizabethan bard's words come alive more...

May 21, 2007

Memorial Day History Lessons: Student Activities to Commemorate America's Fallen Soldiers

Fine motor skills are important for academic success. Help students to develop tactile strength and dexterity with engaging arts and crafts activities. more...

May 6, 2007

Category: Curricula by Grade

Memorial Day lesson plans teach students the history of American wars promote an understanding how patriotism and sacrifice have contributed to US freedom and liberty. more...

May 2, 2007

Harry Potter Book Six Activity: Literary Lesson Plan Teaches Argumentation with a Snape Trial

Elementary Mother's Day Activity: A Creative Flowering Art Lesson Students Can Make for Mom

Is the sinister potions master loyal to the evil Lord Voldemort, or was Dumbledore wise to trust him? Students will enjoy the Snape Debate in this literary lesson plan. more...

Apr 13, 2007

Art Curriculum for Any Holiday: Thematic and Holiday Activities for Pre-K and Elementary Students

Mother's Day is coming! Help your students create beautiful and useful gifts for the most important woman in their lives. more...

Mar 22, 2007

National Poetry Month Lesson Plan: Teach Poetry with Nursery Rhyme Activities

Extend curriculum with fun tissue paper crafts that can be used in classrooms, homeschools, Scouts, and Sunday schools to commemorate thematic units or holidays. more...

Mar 17, 2007

Easter Crafts and Activities: Free Holiday Curriculum Ideas for Teachers and Homeschoolers

Lesson plans that use common nursery rhymes teach students the importance of syntax, connotation, metaphor, and other poetic devices in the writing and analysis of poetry more...

Mar 9, 2007

Garden Poetry Lesson Plan: Grammar and Critical Thinking in a Thematic Writing Activity

Easter art activities brighten lesson plans with curriculum for students that celebrates the traditional beginning of spring. more...

Mar 1, 2007

Cross-Curriculum Flower Activities: An Elementary Gardening Theme Unit

Diamond poetry provides a creative language arts writing center activity that uses alternative assessment to test student knowledge of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. more...

Feb 25, 2007

Teaching Visual-Spatial Readers: Lesson Plans with Activities

Spring gardening lesson plans inspire hands-on, kinesthetic science, art, and social studies learning for elementary students. more...

Feb 15, 2007

Reading teachers who integrate pictures, clip art, and graphics into phonics and reading curriculum teach visual-spatial learners to decode and comprehend. more...

Figurative Language Activities: Use Humor to Teach Literary Terms to Students

Who says that memorizing literary definitions has to be boring? Children can use kinesthetic skills and sense of fun to understand and remember literary terms! more...

Teaching Kinesthetic Readers: Reading Lesson Plans for Kinesthetic-Tactile Learners

Delicious Warm Spinach Appetizers: Herbed Spinach Ball and Microwaved Warm Dip Recipes

Lesson plans that allow children to move and touch will appeal to kinesthetic-tactile learning styles. more...

Jul 7, 2008

Category: Recipes (general)

Need snacks for last-minute holiday company? Guests will rave about these two tasty warm spinach hors d' oeuvre recipes that can be made ahead and frozen for later use. more...

Apr 24, 2008

Handwriting Without Tears Training: Penmanship Training for Teachers and Pediatric OTs

Category: Packaged Curricula

Handwriting Without Tears Two-Day Workshops provide professional development for educators and Occupational Therapists who teach writing readiness, print and cursive. more...

Apr 1, 2008

Teddy's Travel Lessons: Educational Book Highlights America's National Parks

Category: Curricula by Region

This summer vacation, study America's National Parks with Trefoni Michael Rizzi's award winning book, Teddy's Travels. With Tedrick De Bear, the world is a classroom! more...

Mar 21, 2008

Teaching Ratios and Bar Graphs: Creative Curricula Using Elementary Recipe Math Lesson Plan

Category: Curricula by Grade

This hands-on, kinesthetic activity requires elementary students to concoct "secret" juice recipes while learning about ratios and reporting data with bar graphs. more...

Feb 29, 2008

No Child Left Behind: A Review: A Complete Guide to NCLB for Parents, Educators and Advocates

Category: K-12 Subject Guides

Pete and Pam Wright of Wrightslaw.com team with Suzanne Heath in this reference to clarify the No Child Left Behind Act. more...

Feb 19, 2008

Kinesthetic Measuring Lesson Plan: Multidisciplinary Activities Help Elementary Students Calculate

Alliteration Activities: Creative Figurative Language Writing Lessons for Middle Schoolers

Students learn the importance of standard measurements with hands-on, kinesthetic activities that put size into perspective. more...

Feb 15, 2008

Category: Curricula by Grade

Students use alliteration and consonance to write original fairy tale story titles and create poetry using words cut out of magazines. more...

Jan 30, 2008

Student Discipline Guide Review: 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers Provides Classroom Management Strategies

Winter Snow Science Activity: Benjamin Franklin's Color and Heat Experiment

Thomas W. Phelan and Sarah Jane Schonour provide teachers with practical advice for class discipline in their 2004 PMI, Inc. title, 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers . more...

Dec 18, 2007

Differentiated Instruction Guide: Teaching Beyond the Test Provides Guidance for Projects, Assessments

Students use the scientific method in a color spectrum experiment using Benjamin Franklin's well documented heat experiment as a model. more...

Dec 12, 2007

Category: Packaged Curricula

Phil and Dori Schlemmer's Teaching Beyond the Test: Differentiated Project-Based Learning in a Standards-Based Age provides teachers with strategies for all students. more...

Nov 19, 2007

Word Web Vocabulary Review: Interdisciplinary Word Lessons Teach Terms without Rote Memorization

Category: Packaged Curricula

Word Web curriculum activities challenge students to use Greek and Latin roots to make interdisciplinary vocabulary connections. more...

Nov 8, 2007

Writing Strands Activities: National Writing Institute Curriculum Stresses Process and Purpose

Category: Packaged Curricula

Although intended for homeschool students, David Marks' Writing Strands curriculum provides excellent guidelines for anyone who teaches or evaluates student composition. more...

Oct 21, 2007

Vocabulary Cartoon Mnemonics: Students Remember Definitions with Visual-Spatial Associations

Category: Packaged Curricula

Vocabulary Cartoons promote retention with word links, mnemonic cartoons, humorous captions and sample sentences. more...

Oct 9, 2007

Elementary Halloween Lantern Craft: Creative Paper Craft Activity for the Classroom

Illustrated Multiplication Rhymes: Multiple Learning Styles for Times Table Memorization

Students will enjoy decorating the classroom with creative Halloween themed construction paper lanterns. Bats and black cats and witches, oh my! more...

Sep 20, 2007

Math Games for Elementary Students: Hands-On Pyramid Solitaire Activity Teaches Break-Apart Numbers

Visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and auditory-sequential strategies help students memorize mulitplication facts using different learning modalities. more...

Sep 6, 2007

Category: Curricula by Grade

Elementary students learn break apart number strategies and counting skills with games that promote kinesthetic learning. more...

Aug 5, 2007

Free Curriculum and Lesson Plans: History, Science, and Health for Elementary and High School Students

Category: Packaged Curricula

Companies offer free supplementary educational curricula, posters, software, DVDs, and other resources for teachers, homeschoolers, 4-H groups, and Scout leaders. more...

Jul 20, 2007

Freemason Symbols in America: Class Notes on Mason Influence in Colonial and Revolutionary America

Category: Curricula by Grade

MIddle School and High School students learn lessons connecting Benjamin Franklin and other famous Masons to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. more...

Jul 1, 2007

Boston Freedom Trail Field Trip: Colonial and American Revolution History and Literary Lessons

Category: Curricula by Region

Field trip activities on Boston's Freedom Trail make the American Revolutionary War and United States colonial history come alive for students of all ages more...

Jun 12, 2007

Father's Day T-Shirt Craft: An Elementary Art Lesson Plan with a Fabric Paint Activity

Virtual Field Trip Lesson Plan: Internet Classroom Activity for Literature or History Classrooms

Elementary students use a fabric paint t-shirt activity to surprise the world's best dads on Father's Day . more...

May 30, 2007

Visual Imagery, Painting, & Poetry: Figurative Language Lesson Inspires Students to Paint and Write

Technology allows students to take educational field trips, even when funding isn't available, when they create travel brochures that support learning objectives. more...

May 14, 2007

Persuasive Writing Activity: Middle and High School Students Learn from Benjamin Franklin Lesson

A Vincent Van Gogh quotation teaches students the importance of color in poetic imagery and inspires students to write original poetry in a summer inspired activity. more...

May 2, 2007

Teaching Expository Writing: Class Activities Teach Essay Genres and Thesis Statements

Students learn persuasive writing, logic, and satire through an essay by Benjamin Franklin. more...

Apr 21, 2007

Playdough and Paper Mache Recipes: Kitchen Concoctions for Student Projects

Teaching students to write expository essays begins with a lesson on general and specific topics, a discussion of organizational strategies, and a group thesis activity. more...

Apr 5, 2007

Harry Potter Lesson Plan: Activities to Celebrate JK Rowling's Bestselling Series.

Elementary children develop fine motor skills using homemade playdough, and all K-12 students enjoy creative hands-on projects using salt dough and paper mache. more...

Mar 20, 2007

Math Activities for Spring: Jelly Bean Math Teaches Students Sequencing, Graphing, and Geometry

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming! Celebrate the finale to JK Rowling's seven book phenomenon with poetry and creative writing curriculum! more...

Mar 13, 2007

Mexican Easter Egg Activities: An Easter Craft with Physical Fitness in Mind

Math lessons are educational and sweet when jelly beans are used to teach sequencing, graphing, and geometry lessons. more...

Mar 9, 2007

Composting Lesson Plans: An Elementary Gardening Theme Unit Lesson

Easter egg activities with a multi-cultural theme can be combined with physical fitness in this spring lesson plan. more...

Feb 25, 2007

Newspaper Writing Lesson Plan: Kids Learn to Write for a School Audience

Celebrate spring with composting in this hands-on garden activity that brings reading, writing, and science curricula together for elementary school students. more...

Feb 19, 2007

A classroom newspaper activity promotes student creativity and cooperation while meeting national learning standards and No Child Left Behind mandates. more...

Reading Lessons and Learning Style: Activities for Auditory, Kinesthetic-Tactile and Visual-Spatial Kids

Reading lesson plans and activities that appeal to multiple learning styles help students to learn phonics and phonemes necessary to meet No Child Left Behind objectives. more...

Auditory Reading Lesson Plans: Reading Activities for Auditory-Sequential Learners