Baylor College
Modeling an HIV Particle
Models are an important part of science; they help us see the world on a scale that works for us. In the first of five lessons on HIV, learners make a paper model of the HIV virus that is about 500,000 times larger than the actual virus....
August House
The Clever Monkey Rides Again
Use a West African folktale to practice several different skills in your first grade classroom. Learners read The Clever Monkey Rides Again and focus on rhyming words, reading comprehension, measurement, art, movement, and word order.
Broward County Public Schools
Force and Motion
Get the ball rolling with this upper-elementary science unit on forces and motion. Offering over three weeks of physical science lessons, this resource is a great way to engage the class in learning about simple machines, friction, the...
Manchester University
Veteran’s Day
Before honoring courageous veterans, get to know more about who they are and why November 11th is a special day. Scholars obtain such information through a read aloud of Eve Bunting's The Wall, grand conversation, and letter writing...
Curated OER
Carousel Brainstorm Book Report
Students participate in a group review activity to analyze and discuss a book they have all read. They write a paragraph summarizing the findings related to one of the topics. Older students might summarize three topics or all the topics.
Curated OER
Friendship and Belonging
Students identify and demonstrate various emotions. In this philanthropy lesson, students listen to the book, The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric, and brainstorm ideas to help new children feel welcome at school. Students role play the...
Curated OER
Come To Your Senses
Write narratives that include ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience, and be sure to use concrete sensory details! Groups utilize a few of the famous I Spy books in order to create narratives that utilize sensory...
Curated OER
Mural Mania
Learn about your home state. After listening to stories about your state, identifying symbols, and discussing what makes your region special, your class creates a mural.
Curated OER
Build Mastery: Fact and Opinion
Is it a fact or an opinion? Get your kids up and moving during this reading comprehension activity. They listen to you read a book or passage (consider writing something yourself to get the ideal text), listening for facts and opinions....
Curated OER
Writing to a Specific Topic
After a class discussion where learners make predictions about what will happen in a book based on its cover illustration, pupils are asked to compose a written response about an aspect of the story and include some of their own...
Curated OER
Meaty Words
Headlines from newspapers launch a discussion of image-rich, meaty words. Just as headline writers choose vivid vocabulary to attract readers, young writers develop headlines that capture the essence of a passage from a book they are...
Virginia Department of Education
Elaborating with Showing, Not Telling
This engaging activity is a great change of pace for the classroom. The activity starts with a simple message on the board “The teacher is angry.” The instructor is to stomp around, drop books and glare—anything to show anger. The...
Curated OER
Celebrate Hanukkah!
Students listen to a book about Hanukkah and compare it to other holidays such as Diwali and Ramadan. They create candles using construction paper and cellophane and decorate the room for Hanukkah.
Curated OER
Puzzle Trees
Elementary artists use a collage and multi-media technique to create textured trees. They study the fall trees, discussing texture and what bare trees look like. They then use a variety of materials to create a textural piece.
Curated OER
The Reasons For The Seasons
Students investigate the different seasons that occur and how the weather is characterized according to the regions of The United States. They conduct research using the internet and then conduct classroom discussion while considering...
Curated OER
Kindergarten
Students engage in a discussion about their preconceived ideas about kindergarten. They share their feelings about being in kindergarten and listen to the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss.
Curated OER
The Effect of Temperature on Cricket Chirping
High schoolers examine the effect of temperature on how often crickets chirp. In groups, they complete the experiment and answer lab discussion questions. They create a graph of temperatures and the amount of chirps and discuss the results.
Curated OER
High-end/Low-end: Exploring Price and Value in Design
Learners analyze elements of design and compare/contrast elements of price and design. For this design lesson, students consider the differences between high-end and low-end design. After completing an analysis of design in small groups,...
Curated OER
Mayan Farming Practices
The introduction of this activity requires reading a from The Maya by Jaqueline Dembar Greene. Learners sketch a Mayan during the reading. Teaching strategies include direct instruction, grouping the students for discussions, reasearch,...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Strategy: Call of the Wild
Here is a strategy for groups to contribute to whole class vocabulary development. Teams (based on seating rows) work together to look up dictionary definitions of words from upcoming sections of the book (though previous sections seem...
Curated OER
Bud the Spud Moves West
As part of a unit on Canadian agriculture, this focuses on how potato farms have increased in the west. Pupils participate in a discussion about the impact of consumer demand on production, and then they read an article about potato...
Curated OER
Becoming A Career Detective (Part 2)
Third graders review and expand their discussion of job training and education resources. They work in small groups to find information about the types of training people need to do specific jobs and use data from interviews carried out...
Curated OER
Kindergarten Writing: Narrative Prompt
What is special about summer (fall, winter, or spring)? Using a bag filled with season-related items (for summer items like sunglasses, a swimming suit, etc.) the class take turns taking out one item. A discussion of how each item might...
Curated OER
Proportions and Scale Factor for Measurement
Students explore the concept of proportion. In this proportion instructional activity, students use google maps to find the distance the their school is from home. Students discuss what a scale factor is through teacher led discussion....