Curated OER
Climb a Mountain, Raft a River on Your Own Land
Students are introduced to the characteristics of a map. As a class, they discuss the uses of public lands in their community and develop symbols for each feature. They use the symbols to create a map showing the recreational uses of...
Space Awareness
Continental Climate and Oceanic Climate
There's nothing better than a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Scholars explore how water affects change in temperature using a hands-on experiment on climate. They use measurement tools to compare the continental and oceanic...
National Wildlife Federation
Sensory Discovery Walk
Let your senses be your lead. Pairs of pupils blindfold their partners and then lead them around nature areas. They use their senses to find landmarks and create maps with their findings. Once they create their maps, they go back to the...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Isolating, Sound Quest
Scholars cut, paste, and identify specific initial, medial, and final phonemes by placing them on a phoneme chart.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School
What if the Gingerbread Man was trying to catch you, rather than the other way around? Pupils can find out what happens by reading the story The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray and enrich their experience with the...
Curated OER
Create a Story May
First graders review the terms characters, setting and events in stories. They are shown how to access the Kidspiration Map, and how to add pictures in the correct spaces on the map. Students insert pictures in the map of the story...
Curated OER
Changing Images of Childhood in America: Colonial, Federal and Modern England
Students compare and contrast maps of New Haven, Connecticut from today and the past. After taking a field trip, they draw sketches of the types of architecture and discuss how the buildings have changed over time. They read journal...
Curated OER
Where is Flat Stanley?
Students create a story map of the basic elements and significant events of the book Flat Stanley. Students brainstorm places they would like to visit if they had been flattened and then, write about an imagined experience. Students...
Curated OER
Arthur's Tooth
Students practice their reading comprehension by reading a story in their class. In this story map lesson, students read the Marc Brown book Arthur's Tooth and discuss the story, characters and setting. Students create a story map based...
Curated OER
Planning a Class Party
Students investigate event planning. In this literacy and communications lesson, students brainstorm food, activity, and guest ideas for a monthly classroom celebration of student birthdays.
Curated OER
Quilt to Freedom
Students investigate the Underground Railroad. In this African-American history lesson, students listen to the book Clara and the Freedom Quilt and use map skills to identify the various locations in the book. Students create a freedom...
Curated OER
Winter Wonderland: Internet Literature Project
Students, using the Internet, communicate with peers around the world about winter-themed books. They study authors, write book reviews, re-write endings, interview book characters, create scene dioramas, paint murals, and write...
Curated OER
Modeling Shadows
Learners demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts taught.
Curated OER
Time Capsule: Oral Presentation
A great way to gain proficiency when learning a new language is to prepare an oral presentation. In this foreign language lesson, pairs collaborate to develop a Time Capsule which they present to their class using their target language.
Curated OER
A Multicultural Study: Chinese New Year
Learners study the customs and beliefs of the Chinese people as they experience Chinese New Year; students become aware that they live on one planet but their festivals and holidays vary.
Curated OER
On the Street Where You Live: Online Mapping
Students access the Internet and use Google Maps to pinpoint their home address and get directions to and from school. they write the directions in paragraph format.
Curated OER
Delightful Directions
First graders identify and demonstrate how symbols and models are used to represent features of the environment. They identify the directions on a map as east, west, north, and south. Finally, 1st graders play a direction game, move to...
Curated OER
Mapmaking: Colorado Quarter Reverse
Students examine the Colorado quarter reverse and draw symbols of the state's land and water features on maps. Using copies of the Colorado reverse, they color the coin design. They list reasons for the state's motto of "Colorful Colorado"
Teaching Tolerance
Fairness Fair
How can we create a more fair world? Chances are, class members have some ideas! After reading a text about fairness, individuals create skits around the ideas of fairness. Extend the learning and make their presentations a...
Curated OER
Then and Now
Students explore population and come to understand how it changes over time. For this census lesson, students discover what population is and how it changes as they participate in age-appropriate activities.
Curated OER
Miss Nelson Is Missing
Students practice identifying story elements and using vocabulary words from newly read books. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read the book Miss Nelson is Missing, and complete several worksheets and a story map about...
Curated OER
Activities for a Day at the Zoo
A trip to the zoo can result in a multimedia presentation and a variety of interesting research topics.
Curated OER
Comparing Countries
Students compare facts about different countries. In this comparing lesson, students collect information about the US and another country and compare them. Students locate countries on the map and make a hypothesis about the lives of...
Curated OER
Trouble With Trolls
Students listen to The Trouble With Trolls and discuss fables. In this story elements lesson, students work on reading skills. Students participate in different reading activities.