Curated OER
Poetry and Visualization
Students use visualization techniques when reading poetry. In this visualization and poetry lesson, students work in groups to present a tableau that depicts a word from the poem as classmates guess the word. Students then read the...
Curated OER
Using Comic Strips to Teach the Use of Quotation Marks
Students identify when and why quotations are used. Using comic strips and speech bubbles, they read and discuss examples of quotation marks, and in pairs write text for a cartoon on a piece of paper using quotation marks around the...
Curated OER
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
First graders read key sentences from the story on sentence strips. They read the story with a partner and act out the story, taking turns acting the parts of the various characters.
Curated OER
The Gingerbread Man
First graders read a story from sentence strips and charts. Student pairs are called on to read their answer and move that strip to the top of the chart. One line of students moves down, giving each student a new partner. The activity...
Curated OER
African Slaves in Haiti
Sixth graders examine how Africans were treated in the Caribbean and Haiti after reading about the Atlantic Slave Trade. From a multicultural information passage, they complete a time line on Toussiant L-Ouverture and write an obituary.
Curated OER
Animal Coverings
Students read a book. In this animal characteristics instructional activity, students read the book Animal Coverings, answer comprehension questions, and complete a chart where they match animals with their coverings.
Curated OER
Size Riddles
Students investigate shapes and sizes by creating a riddle. In this geometry activity, students read one of two books and investigate facts about an object's size. Students write a riddle using the facts they have read and cut a piece...
Curated OER
Earthquake Preparation and Survival Strategies
Students examine the different ways that earthquakes have been predicted. In this earthquake instructional activity students plan ways that people can prepare for earthquakes.
Curated OER
Pair-Share: Constructing Paragraph Order
Students write with controlled and/or subtle organization. They identify the main idea and explicit details. Students analyze paragraph and essay structure. They utilize context clues to identify organization.
Curated OER
Cool Words to Share
Fifth graders use teacher-selected vocabulary to present a written story to a first grade student. The book include a glossary of terms and illustrations of the terms. This is a great instructional activity for big/little buddies to do...
Curated OER
The Pigman: Problematic Situation
What would you do? To prepare readers for the death of Mr. Pignati, one of the characters in Paul Zindel's The Pigman, individuals complete a problematic situation worksheet and then compare their responses to others in their group.
Curated OER
My Antonia: Guided Imagery
Willa Cather's novel My Antonia is full of vivid imagery. Encourage your pupils to visualize and translate images from the text into original writing with this guided imagery activity. Learners listen to an excerpt, take a moment to...
Harper Collins
Parrot in the Oven: Response Journal
After completing Chapter 5 of Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, readers make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections to Victor Martinez's novel by crafting journal entries addressing comments and questions to characters in...
Curated OER
Shizuko’s Daughter: Discussion Web
Is Yuki a selfish character? Analyze her motivation and behavior during a unit on Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori. Readers fill out two sides of a graphic organizer with reasons why or why not she is selfish, and then come up with a...
Curated OER
Homework Help In A Hurry
Students discover strategies for getting immediate help with their homework, including online sources in which an adult is available for assistance. They work through a simulated situations in which they visit one of these sites to gain...
Curated OER
The Basketball Tournament
Young scholars estimate how many games are played if six teams play each other once. They investigate their own way and discuss possible strategies they might use. They then share their findings with the class.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Storybooks and Games
Students explore stories, games and coloring pages on an interactive website. In this pre-reading activity, students have free access to stories, coloring pages and simple games at the Lil' Fingers website.
Curated OER
Memories, A Connection to the Past
Students read four or more books. They make predictions before reading, complete a picture walk, read in partners and complete graphic organizers. Various graphic organizers are provided in English and Spanish.
Curated OER
Biographies
Learners read a biography and discuss what defines a biography. Students choose a biography of their own interest to read and write a report about one of the people in the biography. Reports are shared with classmates.
Orange County Department of Education
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses
Fifth graders read the selection Black Cowboy, Wild Horses and identify characteristics of self-discipline shown by story's main character, Bob Lemmons. Students then identify some of their own traits of self-discipline and reflect upon...
Curated OER
The Case for Space
In this instructional activity, learners share what they know about gravity and flight, and then develop marketing strategies promoting careers in aerospace to young people. Using what they have learned, they then write recommendation...
Curated OER
Picture This: Visualization
Sixth graders practice visualizing and understanding that visualization is an important comprehension strategy. They share their visualization of the story through original artwork and determine that ideas, and cultural settings can...
Curated OER
Roles of Virginians During Revolutionary War Era
Students examine the various roles Virginians played during the Revolutionary War era. They participate in a jigsaw activity, reading an article and presenting information to their group. Students then complete a Venn diagram comparing...
Curated OER
It's Mine Lesson Plan
Students read a book called It's Mine! In this lesson about three frogs and sharing, students explore how what they do affects everything around them. Through a series of seven different activities, students interpret the frogs and their...