Curated OER
Don't Fence Me In
Ensure that your class has a well-rounded understanding of new inventions, in this case barbed wired. Class members, after researching the history and development of barbed wire, assess its impact on cattle and the development of the...
Read Works
Writing Compare and Contrast Essays
Practice writing compare and contrast essays in your class by starting out with a Venn diagram. A sample that can be expanded upon is provided here. After your writers have completed the guided practice, have them write individual essays...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Men and Women of Space Exploration
Fourth graders research famous astronauts. In this space science instructional activity, 4th graders list famous astronauts and use reference materials and the Internet to write a report on them.
Curated OER
Ag In The Outfield
Young scholars explore baseball. This is a cross-curricular plan that includes math, history, and agriculture. Pupils use their five senses to observe the materials a baseball is made from and identify the agricultural products used. In...
Curated OER
Piece by Piece
What do your pupils know about quilting? Read and discuss the information included here before sending class members off to create their own quilt blocks using construction paper. When they have completed their blocks, provide some time...
Curated OER
Just Lookin' For a Home
What is a boll weevil? Your class can find out that and more by following the activities included here. Pupils read an article, sing a boll weevil song, add to the song with their own original lyrics, illustrate the song, study the...
Curated OER
Back to the Farm
Read up on farming and ranching and connect this information to your learners' lives. After reading, send class members home to fill out a family tree and trace their family history, focusing on farming and ranching backgrounds. Once...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing Fix Homepage
Have you ever needed someone to help you out with your writing? This site offers help to students and teachers. The lessons and resources are organized based on the 6 Writing Traits model. An especially interesting feature of the site is...
Other
National Writing Project: Collaborating to Write Dialogue
In this lesson, writing partners work together to develop a plot and characters. The lesson emphasizes the use of dialogue to develop the characters and plot of the story.
Other
Hemingway Editor
If you have ever struggled to write clearly and succinctly, the Hemingway Editor may be just what you need. Paste your writing onto the website and Hemingway will highlight parts that may need some clarity and score your text on its...
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.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing With Scientists
After students investigate a topic through research, hypothesizing, observing, and experimentating, teachers can use this lesson to help their students prepare short science reports and publish them online. The Writing with Scientists...
Beacon Learning Center
Beacon Learning Center: Trailblazing Introductions
This tutorial focuses on the introduction for an expository essay or research paper. It states the purpose of an introduction, what should be included, and ways to begin.
Buck Institute
Pbl Works: Presentation Rubric Grades 3 5 Ccss Aligned
[Free Registration/Login Required] This rubric helps teachers guide students in grades 3-5 in making effective presentations in a project, and it can be used to assess their performance. Alignment with CC ELA standards for Speaking and...
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...
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Free Graphic Organizers for Planning and Writing
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides graphic organizers that students can use to plan their written pieces. Graphic organizers for all modes of writing are provided.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Don't Eat Me Monologues
In this lesson plan, students will create a 5-part (introduction, 3 ideas, conclusion) monologue incorporating persuasive techniques and strong word choice.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Turning Point Poems
In this lesson students will analyze Ellen Hopkins' Crank for word choice, voice and idea development.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Wacky "I Will Not" Chalkboard
Students can use this writing idea from the book Wacky We-Search Reports by Barry Lane to demonstrate understanding in any content area. Students use the idea of writing "I will not " sentences to show their knowledge of various...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Write Talks: Students Discover Real Writers/audiences/purposes
There's a world of writers out there, and in this lesson students discover them as they listen to presentations from local writers and learn about what, why, and how they write in their day-to-day lives.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: How to Writing Motivating Students to Write for a Real Purpose
Contains plans for five fourth grade lessons that ask learners to write essays for future fourth graders about how to have successful years. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Promoting Authentic Letter Writing
This lesson plan teaches letter-writing format by using literature and shared writing. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Identifying and Writing Effective Opening "Hooks"
Contains plans for four lessons that teach students to write effective "hooks," or beginnings, to their writing. They read the introductions of fiction passages and analyze the techniques they use before applying these techniques in...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Developing, Writing, and Evaluating Persuasive Speeches
Contains plans for four lessons that teach students how to make and present strong persuasive speeches. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well as assessment...