Lesson Plans

YMI's educational outreach programs tap into popular culture to create a dynamic learning experience. Browse by subject through our library of free study guides and online resources, to find standards-based lesson plans for your grade level and programs for learners outside the classroom.

Language Arts

Elementary (1-5)

Teach your students how they can have a positive impact on the environment by recycling the cartons they use at school every day. Standards-based activity…

Elementary & Secondary

Take your students on a once-in-a-lifetime learning adventure when The Wiz LIVE! kicks off the holiday season on Thursday, December 3rd at 8/7c on NBC….

K-12

Start the school year off right with standards-based language arts lessons based on the big-screen adventures awaiting your students when the beloved Peanuts characters appear…

Elementary (3-5)

Start the school year with these standards-based activities that provide a fun way for students to get to know each other, promote teamwork, and help…

Elementary (K-6)

Celebrate the end of the school year with the FUN-raising excitement of Red Nose Day, the all-new, laugh-packed, star-studded, three-hour live television event airing Thursday,…

Elementary (K-3)

Let the Peanuts gang help build your students’ language arts, science, and math skills with new bilingual (English and French) learning activities that celebrate the…

Elementary (K-3)

Get ready to welcome the lovable children’s film and book character, Paddington Bear, into your classroom with these unique language arts and visual literacy learning…

Elementary & Secondary

Get set to see your students’ imaginations soar as Peter Pan LIVE! flies into living rooms across the country in an all-new LIVE production of…

Middle School

Help bring life-saving vaccines to children around the world with the Shot@Life civics engagement curriculum. Students become informed citizens by exploring the need for childhood…

Elementary & Middle School

Explore four exciting new middle-grade titles from HarperCollins Children’s Books with this standards-based language arts program. Includes skills-building lessons on characterization, plot, setting, theme, and…

Elementary (K-3)

Introduce your students to Paddington, one of the most beloved children’s book characters, with this reading skills program based on the Paddington movie. Students learn…

Preschool & Grades PreK-2

Start inspiring imaginations in your classroom with these standards-based PLAY-DOH activities that combine verbal, aural, visual, tactile, and social learning to build foundational skills across…

Middle School

Empower your students to conserve energy as they conduct an in-class energy use assessment, research the impact of different energy sources, and create an energy…

Middle & High School (8-12)

Let the epic film NOAH inspire your students to revisit this Biblical story of courage, sacrifice, and hope, when it comes to theaters on March…

Elementary (3-5)

Get your students excited about learning with Ken Jennings’ Junior Genius Guides, a new series of kid-friendly, informative books that fit right into your lesson…

High School & College

Use this study guide for the newest film adaptation of ROMEO & JULIET to enrich your students’ engagement with Shakespeare’s most cherished love story. Includes…

Elementary (Grades 1-6)

Be part of a once-in-a-lifetime television experience when NBC broadcasts a spectacular live performance of The Sound of Music on Thursday, December 5, at 8pm…

Elementary (3-5)

Turn your students’ enthusiasm for NFL Football into standards-based learning with lessons based on the TV series NFL Rush Zone: Guardians Unleashed. Students use map…

Middle & High School

Make The Hobbit part of your English Language Arts class plans with this study guide to the complete novel, with activities exploring character, setting, and…

Elementary (3-5)

Introduce your students to Survivors #1: The Empty City, the first book in a new middle grade series from bestselling author Erin Hunter that chronicles…

Elementary (4-6)

The quest continues with Seven Wonders Book 2: Lost in Babylon, the second installment in the bestselling adventure series from award-winning author Peter Lerangis. Introduce…

Elementary (2-5)

Is Earth an alien planet? Let your students decide when they blast off with these fun learning activities based on the 3D animated family film,…

The Adventures of Tintin

Elementary (5-8)

Travel the globe in search of clues to a mysterious treasure with this study guide to the hit film The Adventures of Tintin, from Academy…

High School & College

Was Shakespeare a fraud? Weigh the evidence on both sides of the authorship debate with this study guide to the film Anonymous. Students examine what…

Elementary (K-6)

Toon-up your students’ critical thinking and creative writing skills as they follow their fairy tale favorites from the film Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil. As…

High School

Take a closer look at leadership and the courage required to face one’s fears with this study guide based on the PG-13 version of the…

Red Riding Hood

High School

Explore the evolution of folklore, the power of myth, and the storyteller’s art with this study guide inspired by the film Red Riding Hood. Students…

Alpha & Omega

Elementary (1-4)

Join two unlikely friends (who happen to be wolves) on an adventure-filled trek across the great Northwest with this study guide to the film Alpha…

Elementary (1-3)

Let the zany animal stars of The Twisted Whiskers Show teach your students that writing can be fun — when you add a creative twist!…

Flipped

Summer Programs (Age 10-14)

Build friendships and boost fitness with this summer activity guide to the Rob Reiner film Flipped, based on the acclaimed novel by Wendelin Van Draanen….

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Summer Programs (Age 5-10)

Build teamwork with activities based on the unlikely alliance behind the hit film, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Kids debate which makes…

High School & Public Libraries

Enrich discussion of a contemporary classic with these study guides to Peter Jackson’s film, The Lovely Bones, based on the novel by Alice Sebold. The…

Elementary (K-8)

Unleash the power of imagination with this field trip guide to the hit Broadway musical, The Lion King. Includes activity ideas for hands-on lessons in…

Elementary (K-8)

Share the magic of Mary Poppins with this field-trip guide to the hit Broadway musical. Includes activity ideas for hands-on lessons in language arts, social…

Summer Programs (Age 7-12)

What would happen if everyone’s wishes came true? Find out with this viewer’s guide to Shorts, the award-winning film by Robert Rodriguez. Kids explore a…

Middle & High School

Help students discover how filmmakers communicate a point of view with this bilingual study guide presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences….

Gifted Hands

Elementary (3-6)

Build self-confidence with this study guide based on the true story of Dr. Ben Carson, an African American whose talents and determination carried him from…

Elementary (K-3)

Reinforce language arts skills with these end-of-the-school-year activities using Post-It Notes, crayons, tape, and glue. Includes take-home activities to keep the learning fun going all…

Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

Preschool & Elementary

Join the VeggieTales characters as they learn what it means to be a hero in this study guide to the film The Pirates Who Don’t…

High School & College

Bring Beowulf to life with lessons on the historical background, characters, and themes of this epic story, now told onscreen. Students explore the family dynamics…

Grade 3 - College

Help students of all ages recognize the risks they can face online and learn the rules for responsible online behavior with this comprehensive program on…

High School

Enter the world of Jane Austen with this study guide to the award-winning film inspired by an episode from her early life. Students explore Hollywood’s…

Elementary (4-6)

Let Shrek and his friends teach your students about character, plot, and setting with this language arts program based on the third installment of the…

Elementary (1-4)

Add some elfin magic to your class plans with the holiday classic, Elf, starring Will Farrell as Buddy, a human raised as an elf who…

Middle School

Bring the history of golf to life with this language arts program based on the film The Greatest Game Ever Played — the true story…

Middle & High School

A much-loved classic comes to life with this study guide to Roman Polanski’s film based on the Charles Dickens novel. Students explore how the story’s…

Shattered Glass

High School & College

The story of Stephen Glass, denounced for journalistic fraud in 1998, sets the stage for debate on editorial practices and ethical standards in this study…

Mark Twain

High School & Public Libraries

Bring America’s most beloved storyteller to life with these study guides based on the Ken Burns documentary Mark Twain. The high school program invites students…

The Last September

Libraries & Senior Centers

Explore the hopes and fears that shadow love in troubled times with this discussion guide based on the film version of Elizabeth Bowen’s classic, The…