Curated OER
Basic Knowledge of Big Cats
First graders create a KWL chart on big cats. In this animal science lesson, 1st graders brainstorm what they already know about big cats and research big cats using various suggested websites. Students fill in the last column of the KWL...
Curated OER
The World of Cinderella Stories
First graders listen to traditional and nontraditional Cinderella stories and watch a video entitled "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters." Individually, children draw and illustrate the stories they have heard, create a story sequence, and...
Curated OER
Using Words to Work Things Out
Students listen as teacher reads Words Are Not For Hurting, and answer questions about the content. Students discuss how to prevent arguments and work disagreements out with words. Students watch a puppet show that promotes discussion as...
Curated OER
Homelessness
Students explore the importance of soup kitchens. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students brainstorm ways they can be philanthropists. Students watch a puppet show about a young girl who doesn't have enough to eat at home...
Curated OER
Predict and Clarify with The Old Woman & Her Pig
Primary readers predict and check for understanding by using comprehension strategies. Prepare readers the first day by frontloading vocabulary and using pictures to visualize the words. On the second day, read the story The Old Woman...
Curated OER
Puppets 'n' Plays
Students reinforce communication skills, create the puppets, write or improvise dialog for them, and put on a play.
Curated OER
Balanced Literacy: Presidents
Students participate in a unit (all lessons on the same page) to explore the Presidents of the United States. They choose one President to write a mini-book about, create a puppet and an original puppet show to perform about their chosen...
Curated OER
Teaching Creation Myths
Students examine various creation myths from around the world. They compare/contrast the myths, write their own creation stories, and present their myths to the class in the form of storytelling, role-playing, dance, or a puppet show.
Curated OER
Unicorns, Dragons, and Other Magical Creatures
Pupils exoplore the world of imaginary creatures (dragons, unicorns, etc.) They discuss the creature's special attributes and read stories about them. They create their own magical creatures in the form of puppets.
Curated OER
Bird Interdisciplinary Possibilities
Students explore birds, their territory, breeding, and seasonal movement. They research and collect information on birds through writing letters to ornithologists, reading in books, comparing web sites, and observing pictures. Students...
Curated OER
Inventions, Puppets, and Commercials
Fourth graders, in groups, invent a product to sell, create a commercial for it using a stick puppet they make.
Curated OER
Reader's Theater: Presenting Asian Folktales
Students, working in groups, rewrite Asian folktales as Reader's Theater scripts. Depending on grade level, they visit Websites and copy assigned stories. Students then perform their versions for classmates.
Curated OER
Communicating with "I Messages", Part I
Third graders watch negative puppet scenario and discuss the dialogue used. They offer ideas and discuss whether their friendship can be saved. They watch a new puppet play and discuss why the second scenario had a more positive outcome...
Curated OER
Whales
First graders investigate two different types of whales; toothed and baleen. They describe what the different types of whale eat. They listen to a cassette of Dyan Sheldon's, The Whale Song before making stick puppets to dramatize the...
Curated OER
Bats
Learners investigate bats. In this animal science lesson, students use several websites and suggested bat books to write an informative paragraph. Learners should be able to write with 90% accuracy.
Curated OER
Lyddie
Students investigate the character trait of perseverance and how it is used to help a girl gain independence in a fictional story. The story also has them think about the value of relationships and then write reflectively about...
Curated OER
Legends in Their Own Times
Students learn folk tales from many different cultures and retell them using the medium of their choice. They write about the cultural indications found in these tales.
Curated OER
Showtime Jobs
Students plan and present a play or puppet show. In this artistic lesson, students practice organizational and communication skills to put on a performance. The task should focus on the many jobs that take place "behind the scenes."
Curated OER
Rainforest
Students create a rainforest poster and move to music learning about the rainforest. In this rainforest lesson plan, students express themselves in a variety of ways using their knowledge of the rainforest. Activities include creating a...
Curated OER
Play with Words: Rhymes & Verse
Students listen to poems and rhymes, clap out syllables, and sing along with familiar tunes. They use puppets and crafts to help recall and retell favorite poems, and craft their own poems.
Curated OER
Mice are Nice 80
Students complete a variety of mouse-themed activities. They listen to stories, recite poetry, identify rhyming words, write sentences, create art projects, take a survey and design an original mousetrap.
Curated OER
Communicating with "I Messages", Part 2
Third graders listen to ways they share their feelings with others. After brainstorming situations where "I messages" would be appropriate, pairs of students write messages from the lists they developed. They discuss how their messages...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Friendship Line Dancing
Develop social awareness with a lesson that challenges scholars to properly communicate with their peers. Standing in two lines, participants practice introducing themselves, asking how their partner is feeling, asks if they want to...
August House
Anansi And Turtle Go To Dinner
That tricky Anansi! Join him and Turtle in the story Anansi and Turtle Go to Dinner by Bobby and Sherry Norfolk, based on the African folktale. Kids answer comprehension questions and sing songs about spiders before creating spider...