Curated OER
Fabulous, Fractured Fables
Elementary schoolers develop an awareness of the literary form known as the fable. They explore how authors write fables to pass along moral lessons. After reading and discussing many famous fables embedded in the plan, learners attempt...
Curated OER
Get in Shape with Geometry
Using geoboards, computer programs, and hands-on manipulative materials, elementary schoolers engage in a study of two and three-dimensional geometric shapes. This lesson is chock full of good teaching ideas on the subject, and the...
Curated OER
Dewey Decimal Game
Engage all the upper elementary classes in your school in a game to learn Dewey Decimal Classification. On 5 or 6 consecutive visits to the library, teams from each class learn how the system works, locate books in each category, and...
Curated OER
On The Go! Forces and Motion
Learners create a car using physics. In this forces and motion lesson, students create a car and test which changes in design change the performance of the car. Learners complete a graphic organizer with the different changes they see.
Curated OER
Traditional Writing vs. Collaborative Writing
Students examine language arts by completing a group activity. In this writing styles lesson, students define and discuss the differences between collaborative writing and traditional writing while answering questions in a Smart Board...
Curated OER
Spell Tag
Students work on their spelling skills by spelling a word to get unfrozen if tagged.
Curated OER
Bounce to Spell
Students are in their own personal space with a playground ball and a partner. They are given a spelling word from their classroom or shoolwide list. They bounce the ball to their partner saying a letter as they pass the ball.
Curated OER
Dig This Dinosaur Relief Lesson
Students create low-fire ceramic relief sculptures of dinosaur bones. They incorporate art history, aesthetics, and criticism with hands on activity. Students work together to draw an enlarged skeleton on butcher paper. The Stegosaurus...
Curated OER
Heading West
Students study the concept of the westward expansion. In this exploration of the western U.S. lesson, students participate in different activities that explain economic hardships, jobs, and land opportunities. Students describe...
Curated OER
Making Words
Students add letters to teacher provided endings to make new words. In this phonics lesson, students learn to make new words using word families. A sample worksheet is provided and a rubric
Curated OER
/sh/ Sound Work
What letters create the /sh/ sound? Have your elementary learners study the sound, write different words that use the sound in their letter boxes, and read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish! After this mini-lesson, can your...
Curated OER
Stomping and Romping with Shakespeare
Did you know that Green Eggs and Ham is written in iambic pentameter? Model the rhythm of language using Dr. Seuss’s tale. Direct class members to march about the room tapping their right foot on the first syllable and stomping their...
Nazareth College
Chronological Order
First, next, and last, the elements of chronological order. In every story or text one can find a series of events that occur one after the other. To help learners with visual impairments conceptualize chronological order, this lesson...
Curated OER
Giving Thanks to Mother Earth
Students create an art project to be made into a laminated placemat to use during a classroom Thanksgiving feast. The lesson involves choosing at least three cutouts of elements of nature to glue onto a background page, drawing one...
Curated OER
Progressing Towards Graduation
Eleventh graders write a paragraph about what they are going to do after graduating from high school. As a class, they share how they are going to meet their goals and discuss other options other than going to college. To end the...
Curated OER
Harry Potter: Study Questions
Elementary learners explore fiction storytelling through partcipating in a survey. They identify the characters, themes and plot of the Harry Potter series while discussing their opinions in class. Learners conduct a survey about their...
Curated OER
The Heart of the Matter
Upper elementary pupils learn about the blood transportation system and anatomy of the human heart. They fill in an outline of the human heart (not included) focusing on the flow of blood to and from the heart. Using stethoscopes, they...
Curated OER
Making Words
Young writers identify and generate words using the strategies of phonics on the Making Words computer program. Words are typed instead of having to use tiles or paper. Extension activities such as playing the memory game, drawing...
Curated OER
Creating a Memorial Day Poster Poem
Does your class know about the meaning of Memorial Day? Discuss the history of the holiday in this instructional activity, which prompts elementary and middle schoolers to create word webs of ideas about the holiday. Additionally, they...
Curated OER
I'm Published! A Parts of Speech Book
Reinforce the importance of the writing process with this publication lesson plan. Elementary and middle schoolers compose a parts of speech book which includes one page each for nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions,...
Curated OER
My Tooth is Loose
Elementary learners study the /th/ sound as a whole class. First they hear the sound and learn a tongue twister. After practicing together, they write the digraph on their practice paper. Then, to study the words in context, the class...
Curated OER
Beat the Heat
Review common digraphs with your early elementary schoolers. They identify the digraph /ea/ in written and spoken language. After a brief discussion, they apply the rule for identifying and spelling words containing the /ea/ digraph....
Curated OER
Awesome Animals
Sixth graders write descriptive narratives about animals. In this descriptive writing lesson, the teacher models how to write a paragraph with interesting sensory words and exciting verbs. Students choose a picture of an animal they want...
Curated OER
Marvelous Mysteries
Fifth graders explore mystery stories. In this reading and writing lesson, 5th graders complete a planning guide for an original mystery. Students use the writing process to create a mystery story.