California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
Curated OER
The Diary of Anne Frank
Eighth graders read the Diary of Anne Frank. In this novel reading instructional activity, 8th graders read and analyze the story. Students do online activities and create a newspaper giving a summary of three major events in the story....
ReadWriteThink
Literature Circles: Getting Started
Make reading more enjoyable and interactive with literature circles! Here you'll find detailed lessons to begin the literature circle process. Ten lessons introduce each role learners take on. Literature circle roles include...
Curated OER
Reciprocal Reading
The strategies associated with Reciprocal Reading are outlined in this language arts presentation. Pupils discover what it means to be the questioner, the summarizer, the predictor, and the clarifier. All four strategies lead to...
Curated OER
Algebra I: Linear Functions
Using rates from a rental car company, young mathematicians graph data, explore linear relationships, and discuss the role of slope and the y-intercept. This lesson allows for the discussion of independent and dependent variables, as...
Curated OER
Leveled Vocabulary for And Then There Were None
Chaotic, perjury, tenacious, vague, predatory, idiosyncrasy. Using Marzano and Brown’s six steps of direct instruction for vocabulary (choose, restate, illustrate, use, discuss, play) readers of And Then There Were None engage in a...
Goodwill Community Foundation, Inc.
Helpful Phrases
Learning Spanish in the classroom is a lot different than using the language in a Spanish-speaking country! Beginning Spanish learners learn how to ask whether someone speaks English, if their conversation partner can repeat him or...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy
Dedicate one or two class periods to creating a class glossary of geometry terms. Many geometry terms also appear in our every day vocabulary, but they have very different meanings. For example, the word gross in geometry is very...
Curated OER
Let's Focus on Idioms
Get online and explore idioms. Your class will use the Internet to locate, choose, and illustrate their favorite idioms. They make a class PowerPoint with illustrations for their idioms and explain the meaning of each. A great way to...
Curated OER
Expressions with Tener Explanation
Study tener and show beginning Spanish speakers common expressions that use this verb. But wait! Tener can also serve as a form of the verb "to be?" There's a great chart that helps clarify the verb and its purpose in different situations.
Curated OER
Express Yourself Lesson Seed 2
Use Langston Hughes's poem, "Words Like Freedom," to explore the concepts of freedom and liberty. Learners read the poem, determine the theme, and use the provided graphic organizer to examine the connotative and denotative meanings of...
Curated OER
Drawing the Line on Financial Reform
Use this political cartoon handout to give a humorous edge to learning about financial reform legislation. Background information helps analysts "read between the lines," and questions prompt analysis of symbolism and message. Because...
EngageNY
Resource Materials and Gathering Information: Reading Another “Choice” Text from the Research Folder
Look it up. Scholars use a dictionary and thesaurus to verify the meaning of the research vocabulary words they defined in the previous activity. They then use sticky notes to write a synonym for each word. Finally, individuals choose a...
Pearson
Non-Action Verbs
A verb is something you do — but can you always see the action? Use a slideshow presentation to clarify the differences between verbs that describe actions, and verbs that describe senses, preferences, and emotions.
Broadway Teaching Group
Acting the Song
Get to know the meaning behind the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the legendary 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Groups of two take the roles of performer and questioner. Performers sing lines of the song while questioners interrogate...
Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education
Minnesota v. Hershberger
Freedom of religion has been a controversial, yet fundamental, tenet of the United States since even before the nation's birth. In a well-constructed lesson, the class compares the Minnesota Constitution to the US Constitution as a means...
Curated OER
"The Gunny Wolf": American Folktale
While you tell the story of "The Gunny Wolf," your class will actively participate by asking questions and clarifying. Next, they answer questions about the story to increase comprehension before creating a storyboard to document the...
Curated OER
Verbs with Irregular yo Forms
What are the Spanish verbs with irregular yo forms? Estoy, dar, conocer, and hacer, among others, are conjugated here to illustrate the irregular yo form. This reference guide will help clarify irregulars for your Spanish class!
Beth Kupper-Herr
Taking Notes
When you ask your students to take notes during class, do they really know what you mean? Are they taking the right kind of notes and using their time effectively? Make sure they are by offering this handout, a comprehensive guide and...
PBS
Broadcast News
Just because a story is on the news doesn't mean it's being presented fairly. Analyze news broadcasts with a instructional activity focused on evaluating television journalism. At home, kids watch a news show and note the stories...
Museum of Tolerance
Essential Vocabulary and Concepts
Genocide. Scapegoat. Propaganda. Words are powerful. Words carry the weight of history. To prepare for a visit to The Museum of Tolerance, class members consider the weight of meaning in words related to intolerance.
Curated OER
America the Beautiful
Sixth graders examine the meaning and background of the song, "America the Beautiful." In this "America the Beautiful" lesson, 6th graders read the words and history of the song and answer comprehension questions about it.
Curated OER
Factors
Students investigating the concept of factors and use the method of index notation in order to clarify meaning. The lesson includes example problems that are written to be executed in a discussion format. Students also practice writing...
Curated OER
Monitor and Clarify Unknown Words in Corgiville Fair
Students identify unknown words and select a strategy to comprehend text. In this vocabulary lesson students listen for specific words as the teacher reads. Students try to figure out what the meaning of the specific words are. The words...