Curated OER
Data Collection
Students write a journal exercise that relates to pets. They collect information from each other in order to practice making and interpreting bar graphs. They Continue building different kinds of graphs with the group.
Denver Art Museum
My Animal Symbol
Here is an art lesson that combines visual arts and language arts into one very nice package. In it, youngsters study a fascinating painting called Painting of Bear and Sun Dances. They begin to understand the importance of traditional...
San Francisco Symphony
By the Great Horn Spoon!
By The Great Horn Spoon is a fantastic novel for introducing learners to life during the California Gold Rush. First, kids research and analyze American folk songs, then they connect to the text as they listen to symphonic pieces written...
Curated OER
Jay Chou: Famous People (ELL Assignment)
This 13-page assignment was designed for English language learners and includes a one-page reading on the Taiwanese entertainer, Jay Chou, and 10 activities/exercises that address listening and reading comprehension, speaking, vocabulary...
Curated OER
Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain to...
Curated OER
A Way with Words or Say What?
Students explore the language of Shakespeare. In this literature lesson, students examine words invented by Shakespeare as they interpret their meanings in drawings. Students pantomime the meanings and then write a short story...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Dance Critic
What do writing and dance have in common? They both have a six-trait rubric for assessment. Just like a good story, a good dance must have a hook, beginning, middle, end, logical sequence, and a climax. Learners use a structured...
Curated OER
Writing - Combining Ideas to Write Descriptive Paragraphs
Students develop a strategy for combining various ideas into well formed sentences which then combine to produce effective descriptive paragraphs.
Curated OER
Nutrition (Weight Management)
Seventh graders explore nutrition and the effect it has by participating in class discussions. In this diet and exercise lesson plan, 7th graders analyze print advertisements and discuss how unrealistic their expectations are and how...
Walters Art Museum
The Symbolism of Allegorical Art
Introduce learners to allegorical art with four bronze sculptures by Francesco Bertos. After modeling how to recognize bias and allegory in Bertos' Africa, class groups examine the other three sculptures in the series before creating...
Curated OER
Poetry Gifts
What kind of shoe is this person? What time of day is this person? Aspiring poets’ responses to a list of questions provide descriptive words and phrases that can be crafted into a blank verse poem. A link to sample poems is provided.
Curated OER
Me, Myself, and I
Young scholars visually express their personalities using writing and PhotoShop. They manipulate imagery to illustrate their written description of themselves. Students display their creations.
Curated OER
Exercise for Health
Fourth graders chart and analyze data on a physical fitness chart pertaining to assessment, improvement and maintaining cardiovascular fitness. Each group develop an exercise program for cardiovascular fitness. This program be followed...
Curated OER
Spring-Aloud Read
Students study the season of spring and create stories about the season. In this spring season lesson, students read books about spring and discuss the season. Students then color and create a mini-book about Spring.
Denver Art Museum
Putting Images into Words
Engage your class in art analysis of Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie. Using this work of art as inspiration, writers compose a poem or short story. After a peer review session, the teacher conveys information about the work of art as...
National Constitution Center
Address America: Your Six-Word Stump Speech
Stump speeches are the focus of this exercise that combines politics and language arts. After learning about this type of speech, the class listens to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stump speech and answers a series of questions that...
Curated OER
Literacy through Photography
Students photograph scenes from their lives and use the images to become a catalyst for related writing exercises. They explore the themes such as self portrait, family, community, visual storytelling, and dreams to encourage them to...
Curated OER
Telling Stories in Art: Witness to a Brawl
Middle schoolers examine how a piece of art tells a story. In this visual art lesson, students interpret a piece of art work by writing a newspaper article that tells the story of the moment in time that is depicted in a picture. They...
Whole Person Associates
Teen Self Esteem Workbook
Happy teens are healthy teens! Pupils embark on a self-reflective journey using a series of assessments and discussions to promote personal development. The lessons focus on identifying low and high self-esteem attitudes and behaviors,...
Curated OER
Hyperbole, Idiom, Oxymoron
Fourth graders identify the usage of idiom, hyperbole, and oxymoron in literary passages. They apply this knowledge of figurative language through a composition exercise. The writing of teacher generated examples is also helpful.
Curated OER
Thinking Syntactically: Using non-print text to faciliate generation of syntax and analysis of tone
Students write with a command of the stylistic aspects of composition. They respond to non-print text. Students demonstrate working knowledge of syntactical choices. They construct sentences using descriptive language. Students analyze...
Curated OER
Prepare for a Field Trip
Students write a journal exercise that relates to preparing for a trip. They make a visual map to generate ideas about things to see, do and learn during the field trip. They assign roles for different tasks that need to be performed...
Curated OER
Mountain Myths
Students become familiar with Native American myths and legends created to explain volcanic activity. They apply the clustering, writing process and peer-editing techniques to the writing of an original myth about Mount St. Helens
Curated OER
Exploring Color Vocabulary
Students explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize the...