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Commemorating a Tragedy
Young scholars read newspaper articles and watch segments on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. In groups, they discuss how each media outlet presented the material and decide which one was more productive. As a class, they...
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Comprehension: Vocabulary - Wonderful Words
While reading Chapter 8 of Number the Stars, learners write down any words they encounter in their reading that they find interesting, strange, or confusing. They record why they chose each word, and after completing the reading...
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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Students, after reading and discussing, "The Metamorphosis," by Franz Kafka, explain the symbolism of Gregor's metamorphosis moving beyond a literal view of "he turned into a bug" into the idea that society/family/stress/environment led...
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Career Education for Early Elementary Grades
It's never too early to connect children with the real world meaning of their work. A series of four one-hour sessions, plus a field trip, make up this unit on college and career readiness for first and second graders. After viewing a...
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ELA High-Frequency Sight Words
Read high frequency words and rearrange scrambled sentences in order to make proper sentences with pupils. They will also practice oral fluency by reading a word assigned to them. These activities reinforce reading fluency and vocabulary...
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"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether or not...
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Writing Process- Narrative Writing
Graphic organizers are a wonderful tool for young writers to use to help them get their thoughts in order for a piece of writing. Here, learners are coached on what a piece of narrative writing is, and how they must have a distinct...
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I Know an Old Lady
Young learners sing the song "I Know an Old Who Swallowed a Fly." They learn to track the words on a pocket chart and identify rhymes in the song as they are learning. Using illustrations, a flip chart, and the song, the teacher will...
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Friday Forum
Middle schoolers research a variety of controversial articles to gain knowledge. They form an opinion and defend their position with supporting data. They evaluate opposing arguments and present their viewpoint both verbally and in the...
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Sunshine Week: Your right to know
Students read background material about accessing open records, including how to file a Freedom of Information request. Students choose a restaurant close to school they want to investigate and contact the county health inspection office...
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Bullying in Schools: A Package of Stories
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems and gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their...
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Whole Language Approach to Map Making
Fifth graders, after reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, explore map making using the Whole Language Approach.
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Writing About Winter
Pupils explore the characteristics of winter and use invented spelling processes to describe their observations. A word wall is utilized to assist the learner through the independent writing exercises.
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Apples Personified
Students write a creative writing piece by personifying apples. In this creative writing activity, students view a PowerPoint about the writing process and brainstorm about apples. Students write a rough draft about their apple and peer...
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El Museo Del Prado Challenge
Students discover the role of art in Spanish culture. Using a CD-ROM, they complete questions on a worksheet in groups. They research information about famous Spanish painters and world museums. Competing against other groups of...
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February Friendship Bugs
First graders select five behaviors from a class web that promote kindness and strengthen friendships. In this random acts of kindness lesson, 1st graders create friendship bugs with corresponding Kindness Tasks. Throughout the day,...
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Read-a-thon
Learners gain an appreciation for books. They track and calculate the amount of money collected in a classroom or school-wide read-a-thon. The lesson encourages students to become better readers with the end result being an increase in...
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Lights, Camera, Action!
Students participate in an alternative reading assessment using a video camera and script. In this alternative reading lesson, students work as a group to perform their reading story. students memorize their lines and film their play.
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Author/Illustrator Heroes
Pupils recognize heroic authors and illustrators and create their own comic strips. In this language arts lesson, students examine characteristics of heroes and work in groups to create their own comic strips and hero books.
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The Lunar Calendar
Students examine the Chinese calendar and Zodiac signs in this early elementary lesson on calendars and culture. Discussions on cultural beliefs and values are emphasized and could be controversial.
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North Carolina Textured Landscape
Fourth graders explore the artistic ideas of landscape, foreground, middle ground, and background through a creative painting project. While this is written for North Carolina, teacher may adapt for any state/region.
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Renewable Energy
Students identify how to study renewable energy from the standpoint of a news reporter or a concerned citizen. Then they approach art in a fun way through a journalism project that includes create a brochure for display. Students also...
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A Birthday in Amsterdam
Young scholars view Rembrandt's etching, View of Amsterdam. They compare commerce and trade of 17th-century Amsterdam to modern day. They create self-portraits of themselves as children with birthday gifts during the 17th century.
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Descriptive Writing
Students write a description of an animal. In this descriptive writing lesson plan, students discuss ways to write to appeal to all five senses. Students then describe an animal in a paragraph and pair up to guess the animal.