+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits Visual and Written: Louisa May Alcott and Samuel Clemens

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover the life and work of an American author, either Samuel Clemens or Louisa May Alcott. In this study of visual and written portraits lesson, students take a look at the authors through four different sources: a portrait,...
+
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Question Answer Response Strategy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Readers of Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry are introduced to the Question Answer Response Strategy (QAR) as a way to increase their engagement in and comprehension of the novel.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Dark Water: Lesson Plan 3 - Grades 6-12

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
After watching the documentary Dark Water about a traditional Chumash ceremony and reading a Chumash origin story, viewers are asked to create a coat of arms and to craft an essay that details a family tradition or their own origin story.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildwood Dancing: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Themes in Wildwood Dancing, Juliet Marillier's young adult fantasy novel, are the focus of an anticipation guide that asks individuals to agree or disagree with a series of statements.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Odyssey Lesson 1

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore Greek mythology. In this ancient culture and introduction to The Odyssey literacy instructional activity, students complete a worksheet accessing their prior knowledge about Greek mythology. Students listen to a passage...
+
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Giving Speeches: George Washington's First and Second Inaugural Addresses

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discuss the purpose of the President of the United States giving an inaugural address. They describe their impressions of any inaugural speaches they have heard or read. Students research events leading up to Washington's first...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pop Pop And Grandpa

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students develop various skills needed to perform the best examples of reading comprehension for the purpose increasing literacy. They make cognitive connections to the sequence of events in the story and make comparisons as events occur.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Poetry of Pablo Nueruda

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students read selected poems by Pablo Neruda. They also read short biographies of the author online to gain a better knowledge of the types of adversity Neruda faced throughout his lifetime. They begin to explore the concept of imagery...
+
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Book Thief: Anticipation Guide

For Students 7th - 12th
Introduce the major themes in Markus Zusak's award-winning novel, The Book Thief, with an anticipation guide that asks readers to agree or disagree with a series of statements.    
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Incorporating Thoreau And Theatre

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils investigate the writings of Thoreau. They read passages orally and look for words of imagery in the text. Students also answer a series of questions and they convert passages of writing into theatrical presentations in order to...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading Between the Lines: Making Inferences About Idioms

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discover idioms. For this inferencing lesson, students identify idioms from passages and infer meanings of unknown idioms using prior knowledge and experience.  Students write sentences using newly learned idioms. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Pot

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders illustrate a favorite poem with images, title, author's name and words of the poem on a clay pot.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing with Style: Six Traits of Good Writers

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders listen as the teacher reads a picture book that emphasized word choice. They discuss words and how word choice impacts a piece of writing. Students view various passages on the overhead, and highlight adjectives and verbs...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Autobiographical Writing

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore, examine and study the style of autobiographical writing and the relationship with the author. They rad three different types of autobiographical writings: narrative, poetry and newspaper article. Each student...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Problem with Prejudice

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read and discuss "The Hangman" by Maurice Ogden and answer questions about the poem. They list things they can do to combat prejudice using each of the letters in the word and create a small poster with a slogan against...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Cares for the Land?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
A very thorough lesson plan focuses on what plants need to grow and stay healthy. There are excellent reading activities and worksheets included in this fine plan. A terrific way to introduce a unit on plants and their needs.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Reading Comprehension: History of the Periodic Table

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Although the article that launches this lesson is about the history of the Periodic Table, the objective is reading comprehension. Using the eight-page informational text, learners answer five comprehension questions and craft one essay....
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading For Meaning

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Select an article that explores people of another culture. After reading it as a class, distribute copies of this worksheet. It asks for a brief summary, encourages readers to make text-to-self connections, and asks learners to identify...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Antonyms, synonyms and homophones

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Shed light on what antonyms, synonyms, and homophones are. In this lesson, upper elementary schoolers create pairs using an antonym, a homophone, and/or a synonym. Then they play an antonym matching game.
+
Lesson Plan
National History Day

Challenging the Status Quo: Women in the World War I Military

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Why are some so resistant to change? The status quo is often to blame for a lack of forward movement in society. Following the events of World War I, women in America suddenly had a voice—and were going to use it. Scholars use the second...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dollars and Sense

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read "Starting a Business" and answer the question: "How could you design an ad to let the community know about the business described in the story?" Then, they illustrate a written ad that could be posted in the...
+
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Preamble to the Constitution: A Close Reading Lesson

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." These familiar lines begin the Preamble to the Constitution, but do learners know what they mean? A close reading exercise takes a look at the language of the...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
IPDAE

Themes in Short Stories

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
"What is the theme of this story?" The very question can spark fear in the minds of readers and incinerate confidence. Here you will discover an exercise that shows how writers use the tools of setting, plot, conflict, and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Memory of a Kiss

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read, discuss, and memorize the poem "Jenny Kissed Me." as an example of lyrical poetry. They write a letter to Jenny reliving the memory of her kiss from an elderly person's point of view. They illustrate their poems.