Students will take photography a step further and use it in a unique way to express gratitude for all that they are thankful for in their lives. After reinforcing the concepts of good composition and design, students will use symbols that express thankfulness in their photos. Using a photomosaic software program, photos from students in each grade level, 3rd through 8th, will be rearranged artistically to create one composite art piece. The image will be printed out on cardstock so that the students may write thank you letters to those individuals they wish to thank for positively influencing their lives.

Speech Theatre students will explore how to move, how to create a character, and how to read plays comparatively. The class will study Shakespeare sources including both traditional Shakespeare plays as well as modern interpretations and adaptations to explore those aspects of acting. The class will select a Shakespeare play or one inspired by Shakespeare to produce for an audience. The class will participate in set building, set design, and costuming before finally, performing their masterpiece for an audience.

Students will plan, create, perform, and record original short stories, biographies, poetry, and plays. Using flip cameras, microphones, and green screen technology, students will record their original performances. These original student performances will not only be self and peer reviewed, but will also be given to feeder primary schools to assist in instruction as exemplary models for those students who will be entering sixth grade.

This project involves eight special education students. Due to moderate deficits in academic and cognitive areas, the regular classroom setting cannot provide the level and type of instruction needed to address functional science skills with the opportunity to practice these skills. Through hands-on science activities, these students will see science come to life.

Through this writing project, students will incorporate cross-curricular activities to identify and explain the multicultural differences found in literature as an inspiration for writing a Reader's Theater Class Book. They will combine language/arts with reading/writing, social studies, and art to develop comprehension and fluency skills. The students will work together to write their own versions of classic fairytales and see their stories come to life in a hard-back book!

LeapFrog Tag Readers will be used to help build fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Plus, the students will see that learning is fun! Students will use Tag Readers in centers and then they will meet in small groups to discuss what they learned.

Students will go out into the school, community, and state and observe and participate in civic events. Students will be able to capture real world pictures and/or video through the use of one of 10 â€" 15 small, digital cameras. Students will report back to the class to share what they have observed, thus strengthening their thinking to be "civic minded".

Hands-on science activities encourage and excite students. With the use of hands-on activity kits, students will learn by seeing, touching, and hearing.

Using flip-cameras, kindergartners will "teach" future kindergartners how to walk in line, get their lunch trays, play on the playground, and work in literacy centers. The videos they create will give current students the chance to learn presentation skills and will give future students the chance to visually internalize information that will help them transition into kindergarten.

Students in the "Journey to Careers" class will learn to conduct interviews, investigate news leads, write news stories, write and produce a news broadcast. In groups of five, students will work together to develop newscast productions with one member in each group serving in one of the following roles: Producer/Director, Anchor Person, Camera Person, Roving Reporter, and Weather Person.