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Transportation Through Time
Learners write a short story illustrating the past and imaging the future in transportation. In this transportation lesson plan, students explore artifacts that have to do with transportation in the past in Chicago.
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Science Inventions
Third graders explore the world of inventions by describing their impact on their own lives. In this technology instructional activity, 3rd graders practice writing descriptive paragraphs about different inventions that they find...
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The Mystery of the Disappearing Tracks
Fifth graders watch as the teacher projects a series of pictures on the wall showing bird tracks heading toward each other but not meeting, two tracks converging into one, and two tracks converging and then being scuffed up. They write...
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A Bearrific Home Adventure
Students and their families participate in an at home journal activity. In this journal writing lesson, students read the book If You Take a Mouse to School. Students take home a suitcase with a bear and writing elements. Students return...
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Helping Students Do History on the First Day of Class
Students watch a video about Barack Obama and problems he faces as the president. In this president lesson plan, students write their own list and then compile a class list of problems and discuss them.
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My Pet Rock
Students learn about and create a pet rock. In this creative expression lesson, students pick a rock to make into their "pet". Students use various art materials to create their pets and write a personal profile which includes...
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Show The Movie!
Fifth graders deliver story presentations that establish a setting with descriptive words, contain a plot and show, rather than tell, what happens. In this language arts lesson plan, 5th graders utilize sentences from the book, "Tuck...
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Exploring Religious Violence and Persecution in 16th Century Europe
Students watch a movie on religious violence in 16th century Europe and then write a background about a picture they are given on violence. In this religious violence lesson plan, students create the background by making inferences about...
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I, Spy
Fifth graders utilize the library in order to find the answers to three questions about The Revolutionary War. In this writing and library skills activity, 5th graders pretend they are a Spy, and write the answers in a fictional letter...
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Imagine the Food and Imagine a Response
Students experience life in the Secret Annex. In this Holocaust lesson, students participate in a simulation. The simulation places them in the Secret Annex for dinner as residents. Students journal about the experience and the quality...
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Imaginative Interpretations
Students explore how works of art can be inspired by stories by creating their own work of art inspired by a narrative text.
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We Like to Imagine - Animals
Students describe a pretend animal. They read "The After School Monster." Students read other books and discuss whether or not the characters are real. Students make a drawing of a pretend animal and of a real animal. They make up a...
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Young Learner's Writing Workshop 2
Students choose a short story or book and a student takes on the role of one of the characters in the story. They complete an interview worksheet and then students question each other further about the character they are playing.
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Poetry Writing
Students compose a piece of poetry modeled after the poetry of Carl Sandburg and share their poem(s) with their colleagues. They use a cluster diagram to organize their thoughts and brainstorm their ideas.
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Lesson Exchange: Is This A Real Word? (Elementary, Reading/Writing)
Young readers practice looking words up in the dictionary. This lesson plan describes a simple, yet engaging, game that can be played as a whole-class activity.
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Creative Writing Inspired by Paintings
Third graders view a PowerPoint presentation of the images by Maxfield Parrish. They wirte a short story based on one image and create drawings of an imagined character.
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The Bird Can Blog: Online Writing With A Twist
Learners role play the role of a clasroom pet. They write a daily blog describing the activities in the classroom. They use peer editing as well.
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Drawing Into the Imagination
Sixth graders examine the work of artist Saul Steinberg by visiting online galleries of his work and looking at photo reproductions. After viewing and interpreting Steinberg's work, they write and illustrate fantasy stories which are...
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Writing to Focus Reading and to Imagine Researching
Young scholars examine several elements that would cue them into a newspaper article about community change without reading the main copy text. They discuss the details and write notes about the article. They first skim and then...
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Imag(in)ing History Across Generations
Young scholars write a one-page letter to their Grand-Students in explanation of the image and why they chose to preserve this image for them.
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Guided Writing: Writing a Story on the OHP
Students practice fluency as well as story-writing skills. They work together to prepare and write their stories. Students are told that they are going to write a story entitled 'A Wonderful Day' and that they are going to be the...
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Writing with Style: Six Traits of Good Writers
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...
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Indian "Buffalo Skin" Writing
Fifth graders identify common Native American writing symbols. They create paper bag "buffalo skins" and on the back, they write stories about Indian life.
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Emailing Colonial Pen Pals
Fifth graders write emails to a friend imagining they are traveling to colonial America. In this emailing penpals lesson, 5th graders discuss appropriate language and topics in email communication, use correct format and write...