Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this instructional activity which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher...
Curated OER
Knowledge Rating Scale Vocabulary Activity #2 Bud, Not Buddy
As your kids read chapters nine through eleven, present them with this vocabulary chart. Nine vocabulary words are shown, and pupils must decide if they know it well, have heard it, or have no clue what it means. Consider re-creating...
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Buoyant Behavior
Combine science and literature with this instructional activity on buoyancy. Read There's an Ant in Anthony by Bernard Most to examine words containing the letters a, n, and t. Then introduce your class to the word "buoyant." Demonstrate...
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Similes and Metaphors
Use the Civil War and important figures from that period to help your class write poetry. You'll need to create a list of similes and metaphors, but you could also consider having your learners create this the day prior. They will use...
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Practica de pronunciación y ortografía: da, de, di, do, du
Read a list of 20 words as your class members attempt to fill in the missing syllables for each word read. The syllable combinations of da, de, di, do, and du are the focus in this listening activity. After they complete the list, start...
Edgate
Discovering New Resources
What is a natural resource, and what resources did the Lewis and Clark expedition seek? After reading an article on the mapping of the west, learners get into small groups to discuss the important natural resources of the period. They...
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To Your Health
Students read articles on health and read about how storks and other animals are cultural icons in bringing good health. In this health lesson plan, students also list ways to live a healthy lifestyle.
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Using Commas: Interactive Practice
Learners read an overview of comma usage rules and then take an online interactive quiz. First they answer 10 multiple choice questions in which they identify the sentence with incorrect usage. On the next page, they retype a given...
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Cardinals vs. Rangers, Game 6
So what happened in game 6 of the 2011 baseball World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers? Read this article and find out. A simple fill in the blank activity to use perhaps on a rainy day.
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What's So Bad or Good About Conflict?
Learners of all ages discuss how conflict can be negative and positive. First, they create a class bulletin board about conflict, and provide their thoughts and connotations surrounding the word. In a class discussion, they ask questions...
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Historical Fiction: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell's classic tale of Karana, a young girl stranded on an island off the California coast, is the focus of a 16-slide presentation that includes a list of vocabulary words, guided reading questions,...
School Magazine
Horrible Homonyms!
Park/park, spring/spring. do your class members need extra practice with homonyms? The first exercise on this worksheeet asks learners to identify the homonym, while the second asks kids to identify at least two meanings of the word listed.
Curated OER
Building Background
Students, in groups, define qualities of friends and leaders. The groups define how far a friend or leader should go to protect their friendship or country. They research Julius Caesar, Marc Anotony and Shakespeare and read Julius Caesar.
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Watch What You Say!
Explore how to use appropriate language for a variety of real-world settings. Here, middle schoolers determine the audience for various types of magazines, and identify words that are appropriate for various friends and family members....
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Learning About Prepositional Phrases
What is a prepositional phrase? Read through the first page of your packet to give your budding grammarians a better sense of what a prepositional phrase is. Then, have them complete the two activities provided. The first asks them to...
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Story Map for Bud, Not Buddy
Why should your class complete a story map? After reading Bud, Not Buddy, divide your class into pairs or small groups to complete the included worksheet. They list the main characters, the conflict, main plot events, the resolution, and...
Curated OER
Teaching Correct Pronouns
I or me? Are your middle school grammarians struggling with pronoun case? Try this trick. Instruct your learners to look right before or right after the pronoun choice for the words and, or, nor. Have them cover the conjunction and the...
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Card Combinations
For this card combinations worksheet, students solve and complete 8 different problems that include determining the number of card combinations found. First, they use words, symbols or diagrams to solve the problem and explain the steps...
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What's In a Name?
Students examine the origins of the names of U.S. states, focusing on names that were derived from Native American words. They are provided with lists of the names of the 50 states, and then research online or in library resources the...
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Mexico Field Trip
Explore how the library or Internet resources function as textual information. Young writers research a chosen topic then read and comprehend the collected information. They structure the information with texts and graphics for a...
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Up From the Streets: Hip Hop as a Recognized Art
Students discuss the historical roots of Hip-Hop to the present as an example of an art form that arose from the street into popular culture. Emphasis is placed on in-class discussion and written reflections in this introductory lesson.
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Manifest Destiny
Students explore the Manifest Destiny. They interpret quotations, study point of view in writing, research English words that derived from Mexico, and analyze reasons why settlers moved west. After writing journal entries in first-person...
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On the Farm - Enrichment 18.1
In this square unit learning exercise, students read the word problem about the pens Farmer Mathman wants to build for his animals. Students then use the table to guide them. Students draw their answers on grid paper and then answer the...
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Compare and Contrast
The strength of this compare and contrast activity is found in the diagram provided. After reading a short paragraph, learners list the similarities between two magic shows on one side of the graphic and the differences on the other. An...