Curated OER
Gingerbread Baby
Young scholars explore gingerbread stories. In this poetry activity, students read the folk tale "The Gingerbread Man" as well as Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett and identify rhyming words. Young scholars also make art projects, dramatize...
Curated OER
Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)
In this Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) worksheet, students read the book and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 13 questions total.
Curated OER
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Students identify main idea and supporting details from a short reading selection using a two-column note taking process. For this literacy lesson, students work in groups of three to four, then compare their papers with the other...
Curated OER
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Eighth graders identify the main idea and supporting details in paragraphs. In this language arts lesson, 8th graders review organizational patterns in paragraphs and determine which pattern is best for a given situation. Individually,...
Curated OER
Literature Circle Preparation
In this literature circle preparation worksheet, students draw a picture of something important in the story, summarize what they read, answer a teachers question, and write two new words they learned. Students answer a total of...
Curated OER
‘Pay it Forward’ Lesson Plan
Students develop their speaking skills. In this oral communication lesson, students read "One Hen" by Katie Smith Milway and work in groups to discover how making a small loan to the main character in the story had positive effects....
Curated OER
Summary, Note Taking, Main Idea and Details
Students take notes from oral readings and lectures to create a summary of the material. They use different sizes of post-it notes to complete the activity. They practice pulling the main ideas out of the given material.
Curated OER
The West: US History
In this U.S. history learning exercise, students read assigned textbook pages that tell the story of Westward Expansion and respond to 35 short answer questions.
Curated OER
The Outsiders: Anticipation Guide
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is always a favorite for middle and high school readers because it addresses issues that hit home to them, decades after the book is set. Have learners fill out an anticipation guide that encourages them to...
Curated OER
The Environment In The News
Students explore environmental issues. Using a newspaper, students scan headlines for articles related to environmental or sustainability issues. From the article title, students predict the article's intent and then read the article for...
Curated OER
How to Write a Summary of a Book
Young scholars explore ways to write book summaries. In this summary writing instructional activity, students discover the steps for writing summaries of fictional books.
Curated OER
Knowledge or Instinct? Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
Students examine the relationship of man and nature in "To Build a Fire" and discuss the juxtaposition of knowledge and instinct. They investigate third person, omniscient point of view.
Curated OER
Poetry Project
Choosing a poet or a theme, eighth graders conduct research in the world of poetry. They conduct Internet research and select five poems that fit their poet or theme, and create a seven slide PowerPoint presentation on their selected...
Curated OER
How Advertisers Persuade
This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the lesson itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their products from the shelf...
Curated OER
Comparing Themes Across Texts
Read various texts to compare the themes across each text. Learners write a journal entry describing the most beautiful scenery they've seen and use a map of the United States to locate the Sequoia National Park and Muir Woods. They then...
Curated OER
Nonfiction Lessons That Motivate
Incorporating nonfiction lessons into literature instruction can be interesting and engaging for all students.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Greek And Latin Root Words
Students examine Greek and Latin root words. They research the history of the English language, solve word games and puzzles, write paragraphs about the impact of Greek and Latin on the English language, and create flip chart study guides.
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Animal Farm: Allegory and the Art of Persuasion
Introduce your class members to allegory and propaganda with a series of activities designed to accompany a study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Readers examine the text as an allegory, consider the parallels to collective farms...
Curated OER
"Julie of the Wolves"
Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...
Curated OER
"The Minister's Black Veil"
Young scholars participate in a layered curriculum unit for a novel. The novel study allows for a variety of activities for assessment and differentiation. The difficulty of the assignments is chosen by the student.
Curated OER
Figurative Language and Symbolism
Learners identify figurative language and symbolism in poetry as well as prose. In this literary elements lesson, students read and discuss the role of symbolism in Yellow Man by Moonlight, A Christmas Carl, The House of Wings, and...
Curated OER
Lizards
Fourth graders recall lizards from the text and report their important traits. The teacher adds the information to the map. They watch the map expand while it organizes all of the lizards and their characteristics.
Curated OER
The Tell - Tale Heart
Students read The Tell Tale Heart and practice critical analysis while reflecting on its underlying meanings. In this reading lesson, students make predictions, monitor their own comprehension and adjust their reading accordingly....