Curated OER
Getting to Know Your Textbook
Eighth graders use the glossary, index, and headings to location information in their textbooks. For this textbooks lesson plan, 8th graders complete discussion questions about the information they can learn from textbook features.
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Students demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. For this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Understanding Themes in Esperanza Rising
Determining a theme or central idea is greatly emphasized in the Common Core standards. Target that skill though big metaphors and central symbols in Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising. Help your class reach the standard through...
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The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs: Rhyming Words
Readers explore rhyming words. They will use the story The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs to identify rhyming words. Then they will create their own lists of rhyming words. In the end, they will be able to come up with words that rhyme...
Curated OER
Let's Learn About Plants!
After listening to From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons, learners take a walk around their school looking for plants. They use digital cameras to photograph the plants, then construct a class book which has the identities of the plants,...
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My Secret War - The WWII Diary of Madeline Beck: Lesson 2
Fifth graders explore world history by reading historical fiction. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders read the story My Secret War and identify the importance of fiction when analyzing history. Students answer study questions about...
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The Big, Bad Wolf
Seventh graders analyze the stereotyping of wolves in children's literature. They compare stereotypes and facts about wolves. They rewrite a fairy tale from the wolf's point of view.
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I Love Spiders
Students read the book, I Love Spiders by John Parker. Then students enjoy different activities creating spiders and making a spider web room. Great for Halloween.
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Bunny Rabbit
Students design their own bunny mask to follow-up reading the book, Runaway Bunny.
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Nature Superfish
Students examine the billfish as a predator in the ocean. In this ocean, creatures, and tides lesson, students view video clips and discuss the sea creatures and scientists in the videos. Students create their own videos. students...
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Measure Hunt
Second graders measure classroom objects using metric and English rulers to find object which meet preset lengths given to each small group. The group draws pictures of the objects they found meeting their preset limits and present them...
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The Wetlands
Complete a comparison of the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana. Using various research methods, gather data on the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana, the animals, conditions, etc. Data is used to create a brief report on...
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Follow the Drinking Gourd
Learners create an art project based on "Follow the Drinking Gourd," a song used to guide slaves to freedom during the Civil War. They read a picture book to learn the story of how Harriet Tubman and Peg Leg Joe led slaves to freedom.
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I Love Spiders
Students complete an integrated unit on spiders. They explore about spiders. Students read a book entitled I Love Spiders by John Parker. They incorporate Spider art, Edible Spiders, the making of a Spiderweb Room and Spider poems.
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Singing: "I Mailed Myself to You"
Keeping a steady beat, singing soft, loud, and in unison - sounds like music class to me! First graders practice these skills while listening to the song, "I Mailed Myself to You" for Valentine's Day. This is a simple and age appropriate...
Curated OER
Saving Energy And Climate Change
Students engage in a lesson plan that is focused upon the concepts of energy and its relationship to climate change. They focus upon the production of greenhouse gases and global warming. Students discuss the climate of different parts...
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Philanthropic Literature: Quilt to Freedom
A reading of Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson launches this study of slavery, freedom, and the Underground Railroad. After a discussion of the importance of showing respect for others and of helping each other in...
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Spelling Practice
Students clap out synonyms for their spelling words and put their words into alphabetical order. In this spelling lesson plan, students outline words with different colored pencils, and place them in alphabetical order. A challenging...
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The Grouchy Ladybug
Learners learn about sorting and classifying objects by size while reading Eric Carle's "The Grouchy Ladybug". In this sorting and classifying instructional activity, students first listen to and interact with the story. They then look...
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Kafka's Metamorphosis
Students explore the concept of symbolism through reading The Metamorphosis by Kafka. In this literature lesson, students discuss the using of symbolism in Kafka's The Metamorphosis and create a composition that details a symbol of their...
Nancy Fetzer's Literacy Connections
Expository Paragraph
Upper elementary and middle school writers learn how to craft an expository paragraph by following the six steps detailed in a 48-page instructional guide. Learners learn how to write six different types of informational paragraphs: to...
Curated OER
Folktale Unit: Paul Bunyan and the Big Blue Ox
Students participate in a shared reading of Steven Kellogg's, Paul Bunyan while learning the associated vocabulary. They write a journal entry expressing which of the folktales they have read is their favorite and why.
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Using a Time Focus- Owl Moon
Learners practice writing on a specific topic. Students read "Owl Moon." They chronologically and comprehensively list all events occurring in the story. Learners choose one specific event in the story on which to write.
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Deterction and Escape Board Game
Second graders develop a fire safety plan using a board game. Using a set of consequence cards, 2nd graders discuss the importance of staying away from fire. They use their experience with the board game to develop a fire safety escape...