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The Joke is on You
Pupils discuss catacombs, casks, and Amontillado. The class reads the first two pages of the short story, The Cask of Amontillado, and discuss the situation of the story and the mental state of the narrator. Then they predict what happen...
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Rubric Rating
Students develop a rubric or scoring guide to assess newpaper articles. They rate the story and write the reasons for the rating. An Essay Scoring Guide is attached for reference.
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Writers Workshop
Students work together to brainstorm using a software program. Individually, they decide on a topic to write about and begin their pre-writing activities. They write about their topic using the pictures they previously drew and...
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What Is a Promise?
Middle schoolers brainstorm the definition of honesty. In this honesty lesson, students read Ostrich Egg Wife and discuss events in the story relating to honesty and breaking a promise. Middle schoolers explore ways the main character...
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Bears' House Vandalized, Witnesses say Blonde Girl Spotted Fleeing from the Scene!
Learners approach a familiar story (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) from the perspective of a newspaper reporter. They apply the 5 W's + 1 H (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How).
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I Think Mom Loves You Best
Sixth graders listen to, "The Pain and the Great One", by Judy Blume. They discuss advantages and disadvantages to having a particular position in a family. They write a paragraph from the main character's point of view.
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Creative Autobiography
Learners brainstorm and outline ideas for their autobiography. They begin composition of it as well. Students create a timeline of important events to help them get started and discuss the elements of a what makes a good story.
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Building Believable Characters
Students use descriptive strategies such as physical descriptions, background, and comparison of characters when writing narratives. They develop the topic with supporting details and precise diction to paint a visual image in the...
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Letter Recognition: Confusable Letter Pairs
Young scholars distinguish between easily-confused letter pairs such as b and d, p and b, m and w, and n and m. They read and listen to a story that highlights words containing the letter pairs. They use picture clues to aid reading...
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Successful Traits of Mentors
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the traits that mentors share. They brainstorm in order to create a definition of a mentor that is shared in groups while writing in journals. Students also write about the traits needed...
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What Is a Community?
Pupils determine ways they can help in their communities. In this community involvement lesson, students read a story that facilitates a discussion about neighborhoods and communities. Pupils name the communities they belong to and...
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Trustworthiness
Sixth graders evaluate trustworthiness in others. In this character education lesson, 6th graders brainstorm items that are trustworthy, and then list attributes of trustworthy friends. Then students read a story to evaluate the...
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Author's Purpose
Students discuss and define what folk and fairy tales are. In this literature lesson, students construct their own working definitions for folk and fairy tales. Students choose to work as a class or in cooperative groups. Then students...
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Come On, Rain!
Students read and analyze the story. In this language arts lesson plan, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Students research the...
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Learning the Effects of Weather
Second graders examine how weather affects animals and people. They discuss Navajo and Ute stories told during different seasons of the year, and create a drawing of people or animal behavior and the connection to the weather.
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"One Hundred Hungry Ants" by Elinor J. Pinczes
Students identify arrays and write multiplication and division problems to match. They write their own multiplication book using arrays.
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Reindeer Research
Students research reindeer habitats and purposes. They investigate the historical significance of reindeer and the Christmas holiday. Finally, they write a short fictional story about reindeer using the information from their research.
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A Fish Tale
Young scholars brainstorm a list of famous events that took place on the sea. They write a poem or short story from the fish's perspective about the famous event they have chosen. Students share their work with the class.
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Reduce and Respect!
Students examine how to reduce trash to help the environment. In this environment instructional activity, students listen to the story, The Wartville Wizard, before thinking about how they can reduce trash. They decide why it is...
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Historical Heroes and Character Sketches
Pupils write a character sketch and present it in first person. In this historical heroes and character sketches lesson, students "meet" Harriet Tubman (played by their teacher) and discuss her contributions. Pupils read examples of...
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Santa's workshop
Students are split up into groups of 3-4 kids, they write one story problem for each catagory: Santa's workshop, Reindeer Barn, Mrs. Claus' Kitchen. They read their story probems to the class and award points to the other teams for their...
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We Thank You, Veteran!
Fifth graders use information from videos, picture books, and relatives' military backgrounds to write a short or extended message of gratitude on a greeting card for local veterans.
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Picture This!
First graders watch the teacher model how to draw pictures and write words in a First, Next, Then, Last - 4 block graphic organizer. They write and draw in their own 4 block papers.
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Judaism
Students brainstorm what they know about Judaism, participate in question and answer session about Judaism and its relation to World War II with guest speaker of Jewish faith, and write journal responses about their feelings on...