The Activity Bank

The GIVE Activity Bank is a resource bank of short activities or skill-based tasks that already include supports and accommodations to meet a range of students’ needs. These activities can be easily added to your lesson—with small adjustments for your unique students and classroom—to make it more inclusive.

These activities have been submitted as is by New York City Teaching Artists from New Victory Theater, ArtsConnection, and Community-Word Project.

  • I Am – Anaphora Poem

    Ages: Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
    Art Forms: Literary Arts

    In this community-building activity, students create “I am” poems. In doing so, they learn about anaphora poems, share about themselves, and learn about others.

  • Names and Weather Patterns

    Ages: Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Visual Arts, Dance, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Music, Theater

    This warm-up activity supports learning everyone’s names and pronouns,  bringing imagination into the room, becoming observant of the world around us, and lear…

  • Pass the Love

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
    Art Forms: Visual Arts, Theater, Music, Media Arts, Literary Arts, Dance

    A closing ritual to reflect on the lesson, and to take a moment together as a whole class ensemble.

  • Personalizing Your Notepad

    Ages: Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Visual Arts, Literary Arts

    In this activity, students receive and customize a notepad for use throughout the residency, fostering a sense of ownership and creative freedom. Retrieving an…

  • Rhyme Time

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
    Art Forms: Literary Arts, Music, Theater

    This activity is a great introduction to or review of rhyme as a tool for poetry, music, and theater.

  • Sensory Details

    Ages: Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Literary Arts

    In this language-building activity, students will learn and practice using sensory descriptors in their writing.