Curated OER
Wrap a Gift
With wrapping a gift as the focus, this lesson has learners practice vocabulary and formulating descriptions. They wrap and unwrap a gift identifying the objects as they go. This activity could be enhanced to make it a richer experience.
Curated OER
Cultural Awareness/ Sharing Traditions
Students discuss topics relating to how their families celebrate holidays and observe certain religious customs. In this cultural awareness instructional activity, students work in groups to share their cultural traditions, the list...
Curated OER
Helping Your Community-Sharing Stories
In this activity, students in groups will assemble a story bag, which contains objects that represent some type of story to them. Students will then practice sharing these stories in a dramatic fashion.
Curated OER
My Autobiography Activity
Second graders tell others about themselves. In this autobiography lesson, 2nd graders respond to questions about themselves and then create pictures that reveal their personalities.
Curated OER
Multicultural Sun, Moon, and Star Activities
Students research the multicultural stories and artistic representations of the Sun, Moon, and stars. In this multicultural space instructional activity, students discuss the symbols and stories for the sun in various cultures. Students...
Curated OER
Cultural Awareness/Sharing Traditions
Learners examine and explore cultural traditions that make their own families unique. In groups, they discuss traditions, write about the similarities and differences in the group, and interview other students.
Education World
My Favorite Things
Celebrate your students' individuality with this simple back-to-school learning exercise. Offering six sentence frames asking for students' favorite subject, book, lunch, and more, this activity will help break the ice during the first...
Curated OER
English - "What can I say?" - Sharing Ideas
Prepare pupils to experience an authentic presentation. They will prepare themselves for giving speeches before their classmates. Then they discuss the introduction, body, and conclusion of a speech and then practice the concepts in...
Curated OER
Self-Esteem Activity
Students create a classroom atmosphere that is so positive that even the most discouraged or most shy student feels empowered to participate. They discuss positive and negative words and internal and external locus of control.
Curated OER
Biographical Activity
Students particpate in discussion about biographies in order to become familiar with the term. They type their "Biography" using a word processing program and learn the cut/paste functions to transfer information from their document into...
Curated OER
Piece by Piece
Put an insect together piece by piece with a fun and artistic puzzle project. To increase small group collaboration, learners use photos of insects cut into one-inch squares to create an enlarged puzzle version of the image. Extension...
Curated OER
Human Body Series - Cardiovascular System
Pump up your class while studying the cardiovascular system with this pair of activities. In one, learners record heart rates during different actions. In the second, they read kid-friendly heart health articles online and then write a...
Curated OER
Using Google Docs
This is a fantastic resource for teachers to have in their tool belts upon entering into the world of using Google Docs in the classroom! It is a reference sheet with step-by-step instructions and graphics for everything from basic...
Curated OER
Data Strategies that Drive Motivation
Sharing data after mastery checks or summative assessments helps your learners plot their growth and increases investment.
Curated OER
"The Soil Around Us" Project
Young geographers collect samples of different kinds of soil to match to the soil terms in Barry Rudner's rhyming book Filet of Soil: dirt, mud, dust, soot, etc. They start a glossary for the project on index cards or large sheets of...
Curated OER
Beyond Media Messages: Media Portrayal of Global Issues
Take a close look at news reporting techniques and global issues. Begin by creating a graphic representation of developing nations and defining the term. After class discussion, the second day's activities pick up by deconstructing news...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Syllable Hopscotch
Let your little learners move while they practice breaking words into syllables or chunks. Place a hopscotch "board" on the floor (this can be done with tape). Your class takes turns choosing picture cards, and then they say the name of...
Curated OER
Beyond the Dictionary: Meaningful Word Study
Engaging lesson and activity ideas that grow pupils' word knowledge in all content areas.
Curated OER
A Pill with a View
Students brainstorm a list of potential uses for micro-video technologies. After reading an article, they analyze the development of a new pill-sized camera. In groups, they create a children's book that shows them the various systems of...
Curated OER
Saving Money
After listening to the wonderful book, A Chair for my Mother, young mathematicians engage in an awesome lesson about coins and the value of saving money. The lesson is done in a classic style - everything is beautifully organized, and...
Facing History and Ourselves
How Journalists Minimize Bias
Class members are challenged to write a neutral news story about the events they observe in a short video. After sharing their stories in groups and discussing the different perceptions, the class concludes with a video of journalists...
Curated OER
The Three Rock Groups
Firts graders distinguish between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. They group the rocks into the appropriate group. This is one of the best-organized plans I've seen! Learners watch a PowerPoint presentation which is embedded...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
How Much Water Do You Use?
Incorporate reading strategies, math, research, and the scientific method into one lesson about water conservation. After reading a story about a landlady trying to determine how many people are living in an apartment, learners develop a...
Curated OER
Pop Tops
Get your class primed for a comparative analysis lesson with this activity. They compare and contrast their music preferences to those of their classmates. After reading an article, they identify current trends in popular music, analyze...