Students read about polar bears and discuss and identify the facts they learn about them. In this facts lesson plan, students explain why their facts are not opinions.

Kirsten Hall's animal books provide learners with an opportunity to practice forming statements of opinions and factual statements. Using sentence starters such as "I learned. . ." and "I think. . ." class members craft sentences cite a...

Second graders investigate information in non-fiction texts. They review the features of a non-fiction text and read the book Nature's Food Chains: What Polar Animals Eat. Pupils discuss the text features and write down one fact they...

Learn how to apply visual and meaning cues to reading unknown words. Readers will explore what to do when they come to a word they do not know as they watch the teacher model the use of these cues and then participate in guided and...

First graders use cues to identify unknown words. They will learn strategies to assist them in decoding while reading.  Then they discuss how to listen to themselves read in order to decide whether or not the word makes sense in the...

You're as cute as a bug. But are you really as cute as a bug? Bugs aren't cute! Idioms are fun nonliteral phrases that mean something different than the words they contain. Second graders learn about idioms as they read the book, More...

How do a character’s feelings and actions influence the plot of a story? The interaction between character and plot is explored in this lesson that uses When Charlie McButton Lost Power to launch the discussion. Charlie’s love of...

Examine the different strategies that could be used to determine what genre something is with upper graders. They will learn that knowing the genre type can sometimes help their comprehension. They will also complete a worksheet to help...

Are your scholars reading Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee? If so, use this textual analysis packet and lesson guide to drive deeper thinking about the characters, create personal connections, and apply historical...

Start kids thinking about point of view and autobiographies by telling them a short story about your morning (first person), and then asking a volunteer to re-tell the story to you (second person). There are tips to help you tie this...

What's the buzz these days? Learn some fun and interesting facts about honeybees with an informational reading passage, including the steps for successful pollination and honey creation.

Did you know dogs had an important job on September 11th, the day airplanes took down the World Trade Center? Learn more about the furry heroes with a three-page informational read designed to aid pupils in answering 10...

Scholars experience Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night, with an engaging interactive. After watching the story, six activities extend the learning experience. Topics include characters, vocabulary, a sequence of events, comprehension, and...

What do you remember about your childhood home? Scholars listen to Oscar Gonzales reading his poem "We All Return to the Place Where We Were Born" in Spanish and English, then discuss what they learned about Gonzales.

Young readers explore informational texts as they read a text entitled Giant Pandas by Gail Gibbons. The teacher will begin by explaining that one characteristic of informational texts is that they teach the reader new information...

Factual books about animals are great for sparking interest in non-fiction text. Little ones will love learning about the foods animals eat as they practice identifying facts in a text. They chart the information they've learned by...

What kid wouldn't love to learn about George Washington? The class reads a simplistic biography about George Washington to find out why he is so famous. They chart the things he did, as well as what makes a non-fiction book a biography....

Let's learn about bats! Those flying creatures of the night inspire a lesson plan about non-fiction books. They start by charting characteristics commonly found in informational texts, specifically charts, diagrams, and labels. They look...

Perfect for your unit on pumpkins and autumn! Learn how to write step by step directions on how to dry pumpkin seeds based on The Pumpkin Book. Youngesters also explain how they know this is a "how to" book. A fun and yummy lesson!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a perfect book to use when your class is ready to learn about cause and effect. They consider the meanings of the words cause and effect as you read the story. Working together you'll...

If you are in need of a lesson on identifying information in a non-fiction text, look no further. The class learns how to use a KWL chart to identify explicit information in the book, Frogs by Gail Gibbons. They fill out the KWL...

Examining life events is a great way to learn about chronological order. Sequencing and time order are analyzed after reading a book about Rosa Parks. With a chart, the class works together to put the events from Mrs. Parks' life in the...

What makes a fairy tale a fairy tale? Teach young readers one characteristic that defines the fairy tale genre. They'll learn that events, objects and characters in fairy tales often occur in threes. They read Goldilocks and the Three...

Second graders sort items into predetermined categories. In this sorting activity, 2nd graders learn the meaning of the word squirt before listening to a reading of the book, Splish! Splash! Animal Baths by April Pulley Sayre. They...