Center for Civic Education
What Basic Ideas Are in the Preamble to the Constitution?
Introduce young historians to the US Constitution with this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Beginning with a general discussion about the role of government in society, students go on to work in small groups identifying and...
World Wildlife Fund
Land of the Midnight Sun
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Curriculum Corner
Helping Students Learn to Collaborate
Keep this attractive display up on your walls to refer to each time you ask your learners to engage in a group discussion. The printable reminds participants to come prepared, complete assignments before meeting, listen and share ideas,...
Curated OER
The Common Core Literacy Standards - Grade 3 Posters
Brighten your third grade classroom with this series of colorful Common Core displays. Including all of the English Language Arts standards and substandards, each with supporting illustrations and examples, this resource provides clear...
Curriculum Corner
“I Can” Common Core! 3rd Grade Speaking & Listening
Help third graders focus on improving their speaking and listening skills with this Common Core checklist. By phrasing each standard as an I can statement, learners can monitor their progress toward clear, attainable goals.
Baylor College
Need or Want?
Even as adults it can be hard to distinguish needs from wants. Using pictures of common, everyday items, children make a pocket chart separating the objects they need from those that they want. Discuss their choices, explaining that...
Baylor College
Needs of Living Things: Pre-Assessment
Determine your class's prior knowledge about the necessities of life with this pre-assessment for a unit on living things. Learners draw pictures of themselves with all the things they need to live, grow, and survive. These drawings will...
Baylor College
What's That Food?
Get things cooking with the first lesson in this series on the science of food. Working in small groups, young scientists make and record observations about different mystery foods. These descriptions are then shared with the class and...
California Academy of Science
Be Prepared for an Earthquake
Earthquakes can be frightening and dangerous, but being prepared can make a world of difference. Perform an earthquake simulation during which the class practices how to drop, cover, and hold on as you read a script describing what might...
Common Sense Media
Super Digital Citizen
Teach your charges how to become responsible digital citizens with superheroes! Start out with a brief class discussion about what acting safely, responsibly, and respectfully looks like. Next, have each pupil create their own digital...
Curated OER
Because of Winn-Dixie
Readers analyze an excerpt from Kate DiCamillo's novel Because of Winn-Dixie. They read silently, and then hear it read aloud. Definitions for underlined vocabulary words are in the margin, and other potentially difficult words are in...
Curated OER
Decision Making: Who Was Right?
Help your class explore the question "Is it ever right to disobey a law?" With a strong base of knowledge about the Civil War, anti-slavery movement, and Underground Railroad, your class explores civil disobedience in Marshall, Michigan...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Off to Adventure!: Challenge Activities (Theme 1)
Off to Adventure! is the theme of an English language arts unit comprised of a variety of challenge activities. Scholars enhance skills and reinforce concepts by taking part in a grand book discussion, giving an oral report, and writing...
Curated OER
Tell Me; I’ll Listen
Encourage respect, responsibility, and caring within your classroom with a collection of lessons that spark dialogue and self reflection. To address character traits, lessons touch on topics such as staying safe in the cafeteria,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Making and Observing Life in a Terrarium
Young scholars understand the parts of the terrarium and why they are important in establishing an ecosystem. In this ecosystem lesson, students recall background information on aquariums, terrariums and the water cycle. Young scholars...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Rockin' Rock Cycle- Igneous Rock
Fifth graders recall prior knowledge about rocks. In this igneous rock activity, learners work in cooperative groups to perform experiments to classify the properties of igneous rock. They write a detailed paragraph and illustrate the...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Leading to Great Places in the Classroom
We all know that the most effective way to teach reading is to start with reading. This lesson uses that approach with writing story leads.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Qa Rs + Tables = Successful Comprehension of Math Word Problems
Contains plans for two lessons that explain how to use the question-answer relationship (QAR) strategy to make word problems easier to understand. In addition to objectives and standards, these instructional plans contain links to sites...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Pingus Penguins: Writing Good Instructions
Students use the free computer game Pingus to learn how engineers, specifically environmental engineers, use their technical writing skills to give instructions and follow the instructions of others. Students learn to write instructions...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: The Noisiest Cat
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a fiction text about a girl and her pet cat and answer questions about comprehension, conflict, supporting details, main idea, and more. Links to a paired text and paired text questions...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: Forgetting the Words
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a fiction text about a boy named Andy who has a part in the school play and answer questions about comprehension, conflict, inferencing, main idea, literary devices, and more. Links to a...
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: Lessons From Fishing
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a fiction text about a boy named Morgan who loved to fish and answer questions about comprehension, comparing details, supporting details, main idea, vocabulary, and more. Links to a...
Other
Critical Thinking Community: Teaching Tactics That Encourage Active Learning
Eleven great ideas for teachers to engage their students in active learning and listening.
Other
Critical Thinking Community: Remodeling Lessons to Encourage Critical Thought
Learn to re-model your lesson plans to include room for critical thought and higher levels of learning. Re-modeled lessons cite specific critical thinking strategies. Wonderful examples include Corduroy, "The Pledge of Allegiance," "What...