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The Journey to Civil Rights
Young scholars investigate the concepts that surround the Civil Rights Movement. They conduct research with the help of the teacher and use chart paper to create posters about major people involved. Students also complete a timeline...
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Down on the Ocean Floor
Students build a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor and mark the different depths. In this ocean floor instructional activity students identify parts of the ocean floor that they created and discuss patterns that they see.
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Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians
Second graders are introduced to the American Indian tribes - Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians. They complete various comparison activities to explore how differently they lived.
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Fable Writing
Students listen to and discuss various fables, and identify the moral and central themes. They write their own personal fables and create illustrations to go with them.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
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Guided Reading with Pran's Week of Adventure
Students participate in pre-reading activities before reading the book, Pran's Week of Adventure. They read the book independently, but are guided by directive questions from their teacher. A discussion follows, as well as repeated...
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Narrative Writing
Students complete activities to learn narrative writing. In this narrative writing lesson plan students are given writing prompts in order to better understand how to write in a narrative format.
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Life's Lessons: Survival of the Fittest
Students analyze Jack London's use of anthropomorphism to identify the importance of adaptability in life. In this literature lesson, students use the novel The Call of the Wild to identify key elements in survival. Students complete...
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Super Sellers
Practice listening skills with the novel Max Malone Makes a Million written by Charlotte Herman. Read a chapter a day and answer daily questions such as predicting how Max makes his money.
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A Taste of Blackberries
Fourth graders participate in a shared reading of Doris Buchanan's, A Taste of Blackberries. They read about grief in the loss of a best friend and examine the skills of a responsible family member.
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What Was it like to Live During the Depression?
Fourth graders research a variety of sources to discover information about how the depression effect people in Michigan. They follow a research outline while working in small groups. They design a presentation that describes live during...
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Extremely Personal Narrative
Seventh graders practice the skill of writing a personal narrative. They bring in an object that is related to themselves. Then students discuss the importance of the items and then write a personal narrative about the objects. As an...
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Exploring Ecosystems
Fourth graders investigate ecosystems. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 4th graders explore producers, consumers, and decomposers and study the interdependence of each.
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Elaborate It
Students read writing samples and discuss the differences between the writing with and without anecdotal examples. They write expository essays that include personal anecdotes.
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Second Graders Create Their Own Social Studies Book
Students develop their own social studies textbook. Students gain knowledge of American immigration and Ellis Island. Students discover the process of becoming a naturalized citizen and what it means to be a citizen
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Schools
First graders complete a unit of lessons on school and how schools have changed. They read a Laura Ingalls Wilder excerpt, view and discuss a Norman Rockwell painting, conduct an interview, construct a school map, and create an ABC book...
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Overcoming Adversity
Students examine the photographs of Russell Lee and identify the obstacles faced by Mexican-Americans in Texas during the early and mid-20th century. They discuss the ways they overcame these obstacles and relate it to obstacles in...
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A Special Day
Students participate in a lesson that focuses on the guided reading of, A Special Day while performing correct fluency with the help of picture/ text matching. They read using the patterned sentence repetition, and this helps students to...
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
Students complete activities to learn about the life cycle of a seed. In this plant growth lesson, students complete activities for the life cycles of seeds.
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Why Thank You!
Fifth graders listen to a read aloud of Patricia Polacco's, Thank You, Mr. Falker! students examine the use of voice in the book, discuss the writing and theme ideas. They write a thank you not to their hero.
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Create Your Island Paradise
Sixth graders create a descriptive essay and map describing their island paradise. They try to evoke the reader's senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. They revise their paragraphs using their partner's feedback.
Orange County Department of Education
Integrity and a Boy Called Slow
Fifth graders identify the character trait of integrity in the main character, Slow, in "A Boy Called Slow." They participate in a discussion to determine what steps the main character took to earn his new name. Students write an essay...
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Fiction or Non-fiction
Third graders view three texts, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FOOTBALLER, THE HUMAN BODY, AND WHICH IS WHICH? with the titles covered. They discuss whether the books are non-fiction or fiction and try to come up with suitable titles for the books.
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Summer of My German Soldier
High schoolers participate in a layered curriculum unit for a novel study. The teaching method allows for a student centered classroom that includes different methods of instruction and assessment.