This workbook includes high-interest activities, lessons, and projects to further students' interest in and understanding of important exploratory and enrichment topics essential to a balanced middle grades program. The workbook includes lessons and activities that encourage students to learn more about the arts. Instructional strategies are designed to stretch students' minds and increase problem-solving capabilities while enhancing basic skills instruction and enriching the everyday curriculum. Guided by the workbook, students can create architectural plans, integrate their own knowledge of art, history, mathematics, social studies, and language with creative activities, and draw inspiration from master artists. The workbook allows them to conduct research to learn about the lives of famous classical composers and learn about the symphony and the classical concerto. Throughout the workbook, students participate in cooperative learning investigations, read and relate activities, higher-order thinking, problem solving, and research projects. The variety of activities incorporates product, performance, and portfolio assessment. Special features include activities that use literature-based research for their design; use established taxonomies and models for their organizational structure; focus on both directed and non-directed teaching methods for their delivery; and provide options for both reinforcement and enrichment. A section composed of tips, tools, and techniques to save valuable planning and teaching time is appended. (BT)