Curated OER
Look Before You Think: How To Appreciate a Painting
Learners develop an elementary understanding of the history of art. They study the basic elements of a painting including perspective, composition, color, light and symbolism. They look at each selected painting and analyze it, moving...
Curated OER
A Happy Time
Second graders listen to stories about feelings and identify their own feelings during certain times of their lives. In this a happy time lesson plan, 2nd graders explore writing elements as a way to communicate with a variety of...
Curated OER
Looking at Life through the Creation of Personal Metaphors
Young scholars focus on the creation of personal metaphors, which are first illustrated in pictures and caricatures and then extended to descriptive/analytical paragraphs. They teach the lesson to others using their own personal...
Curated OER
The School: School Culture Across Louisiana
Students identify and research school customs and folk groups through discussion and interviews. Then they identify and learn that traditional culture exists within other cultural contexts, such as the academic world of school, and in...
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources to Discover Reconstruction
Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. In this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...
Curated OER
Charging Redchief
Read and analyze the novel, Ransom of Redchief. They identify the elements of character development, and participate in a mock trial, creating the witnesses through the use of character development.
Curated OER
Gingerbread Baby v. Gingerbread Boy #7
Students read two stories. In this comparison lesson, students read "The Gingerbread Baby," by Jan Brett and the original "Gingerbread Boy." Students use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two stories.
Curated OER
Cover To Cover
Young learners are introduced to the most basic elements and concepts of a book with this pre-kindergarten language arts lesson plan. Through modeling and discussion, the whole class explores how to read a book and how to determine if...
Curated OER
Author Study
Learners examine and identify the characteristics of the different genres of literature. After being read and reading various stories, they identify how different books by the same author carry the same story elements. They discuss how...
Curated OER
American Folktales and Tall Tales
Middle schoolers explore the elements of American folktales. They discuss how they are passed on from generation to generation, how they use exaggeration, and how they convey a message or make a point. Students identify common elements...
Curated OER
Break the Pentomino Code!
Students read and analyze the book, Chasing Vermeer. They discuss the main story elements, analyze how pentominoes are important to the story, use a pentomino code to decipher a message, and create a secret code of their own.
Curated OER
Reading Partners
Students participate in several activities using a reading partner. They plan and organize reading meetings with their partner, and then review story elements by retelling the stories orally. The partners question each other and make...
Curated OER
More Than Mock Elections
Students create a presidential campaign story. In this presidential campaign lesson, students produce, direct and act in their own campaign story. Stories focus on setting, characters, context, critical incidents, and concluding events.
Curated OER
Hoe Down: An Integrated Unit on Social, Folk & Square Dancing
Fifth graders experience the movements required to perform social, folk and square dancing. They describe each dance movement. Students discuss the elements found in folk art, folk music, and fold dance.
Curated OER
Dragonwings
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the literature study of Dragonwings. They write about the story from the perspective of a reader that is well informed towards the last chapters. Students also find target vocabulary and...
Curated OER
Cuentos
Students revise Spanish mystery stories. They sequence the events from a group's mystery story and suggest revisions for the setting. They revise their stories using the suggestions from classmates and describe characters in folktales....
Curated OER
Storytelling and Drawing
Learners orally retell the Yosemite Miwok legends and design accompanying artistic depictions. They discover the various storytelling elements, such as plot and theme.
Curated OER
Story Plot Flow Map
In this story plot flow map worksheet, learners complete the flow chart through short answers writing about the beginning, middle, climax, and conclusion of the story.
Curated OER
Modern day Folktales: Recasting Folktales in the 21st Century
Young scholars write their own modern day folktale and compare it with "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In addition, they illustrate a character from the original Irish folktale and how the same character would appear today. Students...
Curated OER
Christmas tips
Students integrate a wide variety of Christmas themes within this lesson. They research the background to the history of this holiday. Students create Christmas cards, crossword puzzles and write creative stories on their special...
The New York Times
The Horror! The Horror!
Gear up for Halloween by studying the horror genre with your class and analyzing films and texts to uncover the genre's traditional conventions.
Curated OER
Making Magical Creatures Talk
Invite your young writers to take the reins with writing dialogue. Using two characters of their own creation, kids work with partners and then individually to write short conversations.
Stanford University
Lesson Plan: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what about Claudette Colvin, Virginia Durr, Freedom Summer, or the Birmingham Children's Crusade? A five-lesson unit prompts class members...
Curated OER
Civil War Literature Circle
Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...