Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Closing Up Our Writing by Summing Up the Main Ideas
In this lesson, 5th graders will write a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes the main ideas of a research essay.
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Better Lesson: What Is Plagiarism?
In this lesson, students write summaries of researched information in their own words and quote text accurately.
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Better Lesson: What the Heck Is That? Inferring the Purpose of an Object
In this lesson, 5th graders use their prior knowledge and inference skills to determine uses of unfamiliar objects. They participate in group discussions and analyze the key information they have in order to reach conclusions.
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Better Lesson: Movie vs. Book
In this lesson, students compare the video version of the teleplay "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" to the actual teleplay. (A teleplay is a play or script written for television.) The links to media in this lesson no longer work,...
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Better Lesson: Learn a Word: Science Vocabulary Acquisition
In this lesson, students use multiple sources to learn the meanings of science words, collaborating to create useful resources for learning and retaining science vocabulary.
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Better Lesson: Assessing Theme
This is an introductory lesson on the concept of theme. Students choose two words that sum up the theme of the novel "So B. It" by Sarah Weeks. They then analyze a passage to find evidence of their choices and create a theme map. They...
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Better Lesson: Cornerstone: Peer Review Fishbowl
In this lesson, 6th graders are shown what an effective peer review session looks and sounds like. While observing it, students have a silent discussion online about what they notice. They then fill in a peer review goal setting worksheet.
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Better Lesson: How Do We Learn?
In this lesson, 6th graders meet in groups and discuss their learning styles. They will come up with three ways they learn best, as well as successful learning experiences they have had in the past.
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Better Lesson: Practicing Science Vocabulary
In this lesson, 6th graders play a compare and contrast game and Pictionary to practice their science vocabulary.
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Better Lesson: Partitioning Rectangles and Squares
This site provides six practice activities to learn how to partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same-size squares and count to find the total number of them.
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Better Lesson: Publishing Time
In this lesson, students will experience different types of publishing in order to strengthen their motivation and cultivate pride in their work. After utilizing the writing process, students will type out their writing on a computer....
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Better Lesson: Points of Informational Text Main Idea and Details
This instructional activity uses the book Explorers of North America - A True Book by Brendan January to teach students how to identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text and specific paragraphs within the text....
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Better Lesson: Point to Main Idea/point of View in Literature
This lesson uses the story Corduroy by Don Freeman to teach the main idea and supporting details of a story, as well as what we mean by the character's point of view. The lesson is done using print materials and a whiteboard with...
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Better Lesson: What Does the Reader Want to Know? Creating Research Questions
In this lesson, students will change a research topic into questions that they will specifically answer while doing their research.
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Better Lesson: Logan Explains the Engineering Design Process
What are the steps in the engineering design process? What activities do engineers actually complete during those steps? Students learn the steps and then apply their new knowledge in this design challenge.
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Better Lesson: Come Prepared for Discussions
This is a collection of 14 discussion opportunities. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
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Better Lesson: Analyzing Linear Functions
This unit is all about linear relationships and functions.
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Better Lesson: Unit: Informational Text: Writing
This unit is designed to teach students about research writing. The lessons follow the format of Writer's Workshop. Many of the lessons provide a formula for students to follow while constructing their essays to ensure struggling readers...
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Better Lesson: Unit: Reading Comprehension and Structure
This unit focuses on reading comprehension and structure. It includes lessons on the main idea and supporting details, theme, sequence, fact and opinion, literary devices, character, text features, inferences, organization of nonfiction,...
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Better Lesson: Unit: Character Development in Historical Fiction: Bud, Not Buddy
Big Ideas: Authors write historical fiction to show the reader what it was like to live in a certain time period. Readers can use historical fiction to learn about new settings. People are influenced by and react to their setting so you...
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Better Lesson: Procedural Text: Recipe
A teacher created lesson plan to help students conquer how to make connections between directions in an effort to create something. This activity will have students sharing recipes and understanding why recipes should be followed in...
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Better Lesson: Violence & Video Games, the Debate
In this instructional activity, 6th graders read and discuss an article about video games and violence, then participate in a debate. They are divided into groups and each group prepares an argument and their evidence, then one person...