Pennsylvania Department of Education
Problem-Solving
Learners help solve real-life classroom problems. In this problem solving activity, the class sits down as a whole and discusses possible solutions to real problems that they face as a class.
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"Favorite Fairy Tale Characters"
Third graders enter the results of their survey on a spreadsheet. They construct a bar graph showing the results.
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Bon Voyage: Travel and Exploration
Middle schoolers use the internet and other media to locate and collect information about travel. They interpret the information they collect and convert American currency to foreign currency. Students create scale drawings of travel cards.
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What Makes a Dog a Dog
First graders recall and verbally list the parts of a dog, or a chosen subject, based on observations using the senses. They discriminate between living and non-living subjects, and create artistic representations of the parts of a dog.
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You're the Cashier!
Third graders use manipulatives and computers to count back change from amounts up to $5.00.
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Over and Under Estimation
First graders distinguish between an over-estimate and an under-estimate. They estimate the number of beans that can be held in a hand, organize data and actual findings.
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Subtraction with Calculators
First graders demonstrate an understanding of subtracting one from a number of ten or less using manipulatives, work with calculators to solve subtraction problems, and create subtraction number sentences to solve on the calculator.
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Our Hour
First graders keep track of time throughout the day by recording the time and what activity they are doing at that particular hour. They keep both analog and digital time.
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How Tall in the Fall?
First graders use nonstandard measurement to measure. After reading Inch by Inch, 1st graders pair measure leaves that they have collected. They glue their leaves onto tag board to make a display.
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Apple Eaters
Students sample a variety of apples and graph group results for the class favorites. They orally explain the graph.
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M&M's Game
Students connect a number to an appropriate quantity of M&M candies. They identify and use whole numbers.
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Enhancing Writing Through Technology
Young scholars participate in a class survey of their favorite activity to do in the snow and organize the results in a graph. They write a paragraph about the graph using language from a class-developed word web and include both an...
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Puzzled?
First graders practice identifying simple geometric shapes. As a class, they discuss positional words and review the words for simple shapes and their characteristics. They work together to create their own puzzle using the shapes.
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Magazine Sales Talks
Students role-play to determine the best types of magazines that should be purchased for their media center. They create a sales presentation for a particular magazine in small groups. As they listen to each presentation they evaluate...
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Build a Sturdy Wall
Students read a version of "The Three Little Pigs" and then work in small groups to design a wall. They use Legos to build the wall and subject their design to a strength test.
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Guided Reading: Cold and Hot
Explore the text, Cold and Hot, with comprehension strategies for young readers. First, give them a purpose for reading: find out what the boy wore outside in the snow! Then have them use one-to-one matching and picture clues to...
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Water Works Wonders
Students examine where water is found in the world, how we use it, and the various forms it takes. They observe the refraction of light through a prism, record the day and night sky over a week's time, and create a topographic model of...
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Time Travel Writing Assignment using "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
Learners examine the consequences of time travel through the analysis of the short story "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. They watch a PowerPoint presentation, conduct Internet research on endangered ecosystems, and create a...
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Making Time Real for Students
By using some real life examples students can better understand the concept of time.
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Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
After a brief explanation of two uses for apostrophes (ownership and contractions) learners are asked to choose the correct word in 10 sentences. The same pattern is repeated for the use of quotation marks. The worksheet could be...
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Solving Simple Word Problems
In this word problem worksheet, learners complete a set of 16 simple problems accompanied by pictures.
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Roaming Robot
Look up! Turn left! This activity on giving and following verbal directions will excite your learners. A "finder" leaves the room while you and the class hides an object. When they return, students must use words on the cue cards...
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Design a Butterfly
Students access prior knowledge of butterflies. In this butterfly lesson, students create butterflies and compare and contrast their butterflies. Students describe the various body parts.
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Eggs'ceptional Experiments
Students see evidence of chemical reaction and follow the scientific method to hypothesize, observe, and reach conclusions. They conduct a series of egg based experiments such as forming crystals and complete journal activities as a...