Curated OER
The Seeds We Need
Learners apply word analysis skills to recognize new words, identify genres of fiction and nonfiction, and identify important themes and topics. They explore differences in plants, flowers, and vegetables. A book bag full of activities...
Curated OER
The Land and the Water
Third graders read "The Land and the Water," a fictional short story and an article about John F. Kennedy, Jr. and compare and contrast fictional tragedy to a non-fiction tragedy. They fill out a Venn diagram and write an essay using...
Curated OER
Comprehension Skills: Evaluate Using Fiction Stories and Aesop's Fables
Primary readers investigate several comprehension skills in the ten lessons of this unit. Forming opinions about stories, comparing stories to each other, using Venn Diagrams, and applying the ideas from a story to real life situations...
Curated OER
We Are All Authors: Create a Book
Every child is an author with this engaging reading activity. First the class reviews the various parts of a book such as the title, author, dedication, and author-biography. Then each individual will choose a story of their own to...
Curated OER
The Holocaust in Literature: Fiction and Non-Fiction
Using literature is an effective way to address the Holocaust with your students.
National First Ladies' Library
Writing (and Rewriting!) History
Middle schoolers differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, discuss historical fiction, which combines both genres, choose historical novel from list and read independently, and write original short stories that combine elements of...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: Important Person
What kid wouldn't love to learn about George Washington? The class reads a simplistic biography about George Washington to find out why he is so famous. They chart the things he did, as well as what makes a non-fiction book a biography....
Curated OER
Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Students find the difference between fiction and nonfiction. For this fiction/nonfiction lesson, 1st graders read the story Johnny Appleseed and discuss what makes this a nonfiction story. They listen to a fiction story and see what...
National Geographic
Plant Life
Looking for a guide to pair with non-fiction concept books? Intended to go with science-based leveled text mentioned in the resource, a unit allows for the study of plant life while enhancing academic vocabulary, language skills, and...
Curated OER
Woody Guthrie: Life and Art
Woody Guthrie will capture the imagination of even your most reluctant learners. Using his work, your class will develop their skills in non-fiction reading comprehension, interpreting primary source material, and use of multiple forms...
Curated OER
Reading Non-Fiction
Students identify the key features of printed non-fiction texts. In this deciphering texts lesson plan, students watch a video clip of a news program and a children's program to compare presentations. Students also identify...
Curated OER
Writing a Book Review - Non-Fiction
Fifth graders write a book review for a nonfiction book. In this response to literature lesson, 5th graders read a nonfiction book and write a review that gets others interested in reading the book without giving too much away. The...
Curated OER
Pic-A-Fic: Choosing Fiction for Every Taste
Sixth graders examine and categorize a selection of title representing fiction genres. In this fiction genres activity, 6th graders analyze and identify a variety of titles in the fiction genre. Students then find these types of fiction...
Curated OER
Post-Reading Strategies
Students practice post-reading strategies. In this reading comprehension lesson, students review pre-reading strategies, then read a handout entitled "Thirteen Reasons Our Ancestors Migrated." Students complete a post-reading worksheet...
Curated OER
Reading Research!
Students investigate the life of an animal and how it responds to winter. The lesson's focus is on reading and research skills using pictures to assist in the understanding of the information presented.
Curated OER
Unwind: Vocabulary Strategy, Creating an Unwind Glossary
Prior to reading Unwind, Neal Shusterman's 2007 young adult science fiction novel, class members research the common definition of words drawn from the novel that will come to have a very different meaning to them as they are drawn into...
Curated OER
Reading Non-Fiction Sentences
Students identify differences in types of sentences. In this sentence structure lesson, students discuss the different ways sentences are written according to their intended audience. Students create different types sentences and quiz...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan for "Little Red Riding Hood"
Grow young performers with storytelling. Elementary schoolers listen to the story "Little Red Riding Hood" by Mike Lockett, highlighting dialogue as they listen, and then act out the story. This is based on a story told by Mike Lockett...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan fo The Magic Eyes of Little Crab
Interested in a "how and why" story to read with young young scholars? In this storytelling lesson, readers will discuss sea creatures, focusing on practicing new terminology through retelling the story. This resource provides a list of...
Curated OER
Mariachi:Intermediate Lesson
Students research the history of mariachi music. In this music instructional activity, students identify mariachi music and investigate it from its origins to the present. They compare it to country music.
Steppenwolf Arts Exchange
Fahrenheit 451: Study Guide
Here's a must-have packet for your curriculum library. If you are interested in Fahrenheit 451, if you are interested in Ray Bradbury, if you are interested in censorship, if you interested in programs that make a difference, then this...
Santa Ana Unified School District
The Giver
Wouldn't it be great to live an a community without pain, without danger? Such a society is the goal of the community in The Giver. Using Lois Lowry's dystopian novel as the core text, class members read primary source materials about...
Curated OER
Who Invented English Anyway?
In these English lesson plans, students use video, the Internet and non-fiction essays to research the history of the English language. They write a short research paper and design a PowerPoint presentation showcasing their findings.
Curated OER
Halloween Counting Book
First graders recognize and write numerals from 1 to 10. They estimate and count to identify sets with more, fewer, or the same number of objects, listen and respond to others in a variety of contexts, and take turns speaking in a...