Curated OER
Examining the African American Family through the Eyes of Women Authors
Students read stories by women authors on the characteristics of the African-American family. Using the internet, they research the history of issues that have affected African-American families from the Civil War to the Civil Rights...
Curated OER
Shhhhhhh! The sheep are sleeping!
Students examine the use of /sh/ in written and spoken words by watching how their mouth moves while making the sound, identifying words, listening to a story, and making words with Elkonin letterboxes. As an assessment, they complete a...
Curated OER
The Jones Family Express
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book The Jones Family Express. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, answer short answer questions, have...
Curated OER
Rainbow Joe and Me
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Rainbow Joe and Me. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, answer short answer questions, have discussions,...
Curated OER
How to Write a Biography
Looking for a great lesson on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography. They follow a...
Scholastic
Thomas Jefferson and Monticello: An Introduction to Writing Historical Fiction
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most recognized names and faces in America—but is there more to the third president of the United States? Upper elementary and middle schoolers conduct research on Jefferson, his famous home at Monticello,...
Curated OER
Giving with Imagination
Demonstrate gift giving as an act of caring about someone versus gifts for show (or gifts from the purse). Elementary learners practice giving gifts from the heart by creating a poem for someone special to them.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Early American Novel: Exploring the Emergence of a Genre
Need an extra challenge for your best readers? Check out a unit that uses Hannah Webster Foster’s epistolary novel, The Coquette, published in 1797, as the anchor text. The resource is packed with project ideas; each with its own...
Curated OER
Learning About Writers
Students explore how authors write stories. In this careers lesson, students invite an author into the classroom and ask him/her questions about writing as a career.
Curated OER
Edgar Allan Poe and Anna Katherine Green
Students go over the summary of the story by Edgar Allan Poe and answer questions to predict what they think happens in the story. They then read the story, read the summary of Anna Katherine Green's story and do the same. They finally...
Curated OER
Do a Ditty
Fourth graders work in cooperative groups to create a ditty to teach the characteristics that distinguish literary forms to younger students. The ditty is performed before the class.
Curated OER
In Conclusion
Fifth graders practice identifying the conclusions they can draw using the "In Conclusion Introduction" story which is attached. They complete a Conclusion worksheet which is attached.
Curated OER
The Lady or the Tiger
Eighth graders make predictions on the topic of a story based on the title and the preview. After reading the story, they analyze what took place and create a graphic organizer explaining what they think would have happened had the...
Curated OER
Holiday Writing Prompts
Students experience and practice their writing skills during the holiday season. They express themselves in a variety of ways including writing about a favorite part about the holiday break, what's the best gift you've ever gotten and...
Curated OER
Spark Students Interest in Fire Safety Week
Students explore and analyze about Fire Safety Week. They assess what a fire is, how is spreads so fast, , that it is hot and dark. Each student becomes aware that fire related incidents is the number three cause of death for children in...
Curated OER
Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
Curated OER
Exciting E's "/e/...what did you say?" Exicing E's!
Students recognize the short /e/ sound in spoken and written words. They say a tongue twister which emphasizes words with the short /e/ sound. They then listen to the story "Red Gets Fed" and identify the words in the story with the...
Curated OER
The Pink Pig
Students identify the short /i/ sound in spoken words and the letter symbol in this activity. They say a tongue twister emphasizing words with the short /i/ sound. They then read the story "Liz is Six" and identify the words with the...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Dolphin’s First Day
Learners explore language arts by reading a story with their class. In this tier two vocabulary lesson, students read the book Dolphin's First Day and discuss the vocabulary used in the story. Learners participate in a word play activity...
Curated OER
Report Writing in Primary Grades
Students learn how to read a short section and parepare a sentence to share with the group. Students listen to the reading of expository text, restate, in sentence format, one fact learned from that text, and produce a report.
Curated OER
A Listening Walk
First graders listen to "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers. They discuss sounds they heard described in the story and then take a listening walk around their playground. They return to the class and draw what they heard.
Curated OER
O, Do You Know?
Students identify the short /o/ sound in this lesson. They discover that the "o" is shaped like a magnifying glass, and are "detectives" looking for the /o/ sound in words. They listen to "No, David!" and identify the short /o/ sound...
Curated OER
Musical Freeze Improvisions
Students are introduced to the process of creating story from movement through improvisation and invention. When the music is playing, they move. When the music stops, the students freeze. A discussion on the role that music plays in the...
Curated OER
Formulae One Champion To Take Driving Lessons
Students are asked to call out 5 words or expression to do with 'education' and 5 to do with 'crime.' They make up a story that includes at least 6 of the words and expressions. Students are told that they are going to read a text...