Curated OER
Celebrate Our Favorite Authors
Learners read and compare and contrast a variety of books by their favorite authors. They sort books from various authors and identify themes and patterns in writing and drawings. They also create their own book in the style of their...
Curated OER
Tops and Bottoms
First graders classify vegetables by which parts are edible. In this plant biology lesson, 1st graders are read Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens, participate in a discussion of which plant parts are edible in the story, then sort real...
Curated OER
The Giving Tree
Students explore wants and needs. In this ecology and economics instructional activity, students listen to the story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and compile a class list of what the boy got from the tree. Students categorize...
Curated OER
Home Spelling Practice Review Unit 25
In this spelling words and nouns review worksheet, 1st graders read the four lists of words and draw pictures of the ones that are nouns.
Curated OER
The Billy Goats Gruff and the Days of the Week
First graders explore the days of the week. In this days of the week lesson, 1st graders listen to the story The Billy Goats Gruff, then act out the events by stepping on "rocks" that name the days of the week. Students must go in the...
Curated OER
Solid Waste and Our Natural Resources: Utilizing the Story THE LORAX
Learners gain an introduction to our planet's solid waste problem and our personal responsibility in curbing and solving said problem through the use of Dr. Seuss' book, The Lorax. After hearing the book, class discussion follows.
Federal Reserve Bank
Something Special For Me
People often save money, but what are the benefits and drawbacks of that action? Youngsters learn about saving, savings, and opportunity cost through the lens of a short book, called Something Special for Me.
Curated OER
Penguin Writing
After discussing the main events in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, young writers describe in sequence what they would do if they had 12 penguins living in their house. The narratives are then glued onto a penguin cut-out, mounted on construction...
Playbooks
Reader's Theater Exercise
Here's a great idea for your Parent/Family Night—host a Reader's Theater! Everything you need to organize the night, as well as a K-3 and a 4-7 script, is provided in the packet.
Curriculum Corner
ELA Common Core Checklists for K-6
In the hustle and bustle of life in the classroom, it's easy for teachers to lose track of the standards they have taught, and those that still need to be addressed. This Common Core checklist provides educators with an easy-to-use...
Curated OER
Class Tales
Students improve their reading comprehension by role-playing a bear hunt story. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students pretend to go on a bear hunt and complete an art project for the story.
Curated OER
The Apple Pie Tree
Students read The Apple Pie Tree and discuss the story and talk about what was living in the tree. In this life comprehension instructional activity, students write the main idea of the book in a few sentences.
Curated OER
Missing Toy Writing Activity
Students listen to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, by Mo Willems. In this listening and writing activity, students listen to the story and create a poster for their favorite toy if it were to go missing. They work independently to...
Curated OER
Clara Caterpillar
Young scholars read the story Clara Caterpillar about the changes of a caterpillar and make butterflies. In this reading lesson plan, students make the butterflies out of colored coffee filters.
Curated OER
Can We Switch Genders of Story Characters?
Students read and review the main elements of a story. In this language arts instructional activity, students predict what the story read to them would have been like if the genders of the characters had been different. Students write a...
Curated OER
The Gingerbread Man
First graders read a story from sentence strips and charts. Student pairs are called on to read their answer and move that strip to the top of the chart. One line of students moves down, giving each student a new partner. The activity...
Curated OER
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
First graders read key sentences from the story on sentence strips. They read the story with a partner and act out the story, taking turns acting the parts of the various characters.
Curated OER
"Angel Child, Dragon Child"
Students read and analyze the book "Angel Child, Dragon Child" by Michele Maria Surat. They chart the main story elements on a graphic organizer, and write three sentences about themselves and draw a self-portrait. Students then create...
Curated OER
The Missing Word
Students, after reading a short story, predict possible missing words by utilizing context clues and graphophonic clues. A picture book with several words covered up sets the scene for this lesson plan. They share their predictions in...
Curated OER
Readers Theatre: The Three Snow Bears
Students dramatize the story, Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett. For this readers theatre lesson, students read the story and then dramatize the events during readers theatre. There is an included script.
Curated OER
I've Felt the Same Way
Learners recognize various differences between their lives and the lives of
people living in the 19th century Chicago area. They hear stories from people living in four different historical time periods and match the stories
to their...
Curated OER
The Gingerbread Person
Learners discuss gender bias and stereotyping. In this social science lesson, students read the book "The Gingerbread Boy" and discuss why it is a boy. Learners then write their own story changing it to a gingerbread girl and a female fox.
Curated OER
The Adventures of Mr. Toss
Students practice with the underhand toss in a fun culminating activity. First, 4-5 students make a circle. All circles should be close enough to the instructor to easily hear the story. Explain that each group be given an object to toss.
Curated OER
Can I have a Pet?
Students read the book Can I have a Pet?, by Gwendolyn Hudson Hooks. They determine which animals the main character asked to have as a pet, explain why zoo animals do not make good pets, and study the pictures to make predictions.