Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
Activities to Support Teaching the Alphabet
Whether or not your class includes kids with significant disabilities, teaching the alphabet to emergent readers and writers can be a challenge. Here's an activity packet designed for all learners.
Curated OER
Games on Echolocation
Get a little batty with life science! This fun simulation game replicates how bats use echolocation to hunt moths in their native Hawaiian habitat. After creating blind folds and discussing some basic principles of echolocation, students...
Curated OER
A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Nuffield Foundation
Investigating How We See Colour
Can you eyes be fooled into seeing colors that aren't actually there? Budding scientists view a presentation that addresses this topic. They explore how their eyes interpret color through the retinas and messages sent to the brain. They...
Curated OER
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: League of Nations Basics
Students examine Woodrow Wilson's ideas for peace and the League of Nations. They examine how he garnered supported of it by looking at images and discussing their context.
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Poetry Aloud/Poetry Out Loud
To appreciate the value of seeing and hearing a poetry performance, groups prepare readings of selected poems and then compare and critique their interpretations and videotaped versions of the same poem. Included in the resource are...
Curated OER
Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
Curated OER
Disability in the Media Lesson Plan: Braille
Students determine the workings of the Braille alphabet and how people with visual impairments learn how to use it. In this Braille lesson, students study the associated vocabulary, read about Helen Keller, and complete associated...
Curated OER
Picture Prompt: Penguins and Christmas Tree
What happens when penguins put up a Christmas tree? Only your students know for sure, since they're the ones writing the story! A picture of penguins around a Christmas tree is sure to inspire even your most reluctant writers to begin,...
Curated OER
Labeling the Body
First graders sing about their body. In this music instructional activity students sing the songs "I Shake My Thumb" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". After they sing the songs and add different body parts to extend the songs they...
Curated OER
Picture Prompt: Skunk
In this writing worksheet, students examine a picture prompt showing a skunk and some garden friends. Students write a story about the picture.
Curated OER
Number Recognition Games
Students explore number sense by participating in a math recognition activity. In this number identification lesson, students practice pronouncing names of numbers and matching the number with an amount of objects. Students practice...
Curated OER
Shape Recognition Games
Students explore shapes. In this math activity, students identify basic geometric shapes. Students complete activities in which they identify shapes, symbols and letters. Students draw geometric shapes.
Curated OER
Shared Reading: A Lesson Plan to Introduce Patriotism in the Classroom
Students learn why we say the Pledge of Allegiance through shared reading. In this shared reading lesson plan, students are shown the Pledge of Allegiance in 3 different forms. While they are exploring the pledge, the teacher explains...
Curated OER
The Gingerbread Story
Students explore storytelling by reading a classic book. In this story structure lesson plan, students read the story The Gingerbread Man and identify the characters, settings and plot. Students answer reading comprehension questions...
Curated OER
Veterans Day
First graders examine the history and significance of Veteran's Day. They discuss each of the military branches and how Veteran's Day was started, and write a thank you letter to a Veteran. Students copy the greeting and closing of the...
Curated OER
All About Me Unit
Students engage in an "All About Me," series of activities in the beginning of the year. All sorts of ideas are in this lesson plan to help students express themselves and get to know their classmates.
Curated OER
I'm Special Books
Students become aware of the concept that each of us is special. They develop an appreciation for the special things that each can do now, and begin to develop early literacy skills. Each student creates a book about themselves and...
Curated OER
Outer Space
In this space worksheet, students write a sentence for each picture. The pictures show a space shuttle, an astronaut, and a planet.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Five Camps: From Voices of Consent to Voices of Dissent
Learners explore and discuss Woodrow Wilson's concepts for peace and the League of Nations. They understand efforts made to foster American support for the League and discuss the opposition shown in the Senate.
Curated OER
Industrialization In Lowell, Massachusetts
Students explore the idealistic expectations of the industrialists who financed and built mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. They research how the expectations of Lowell mill founders compared to the reality of life in the textile mills for...
Curated OER
Monster Fun Learning the Five Senses
Students explore the five senses. In this health lesson, students read the book Brave Little Monster and identify the five senses from the book. Students draw an illustration from the book as a follow-up activity.
Curated OER
The Farmer and the Cowman
What is the difference between a ranch and a farm? After reading and discussing the provided background information, young agriculturalists will color, cut, and create neat little booklets that show the differences between ranches and...
Curated OER
Bluebottle
Students read the poem Bluebottle and discuss the use of the simile in the poem. In this Bluebottle poetry instructional activity, students analyze the use of verbs and the energy created by that use. Students text mark all the similes...