Bermingham City Schools
Opinion Writing
It's no secret that children can be very opinionated, but rather than fight against this natural tendency, embrace it with this primary grade writing project. After a shared reading of a children's book about...
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Our Dinopals with WordArt
Elementary schoolers use the writing process steps to write a descriptive paragraph about a fictional dinosaur. Using a tech tool lesson, they create a graphic title for the paragraph. A nice blending of technology with "old-fashioned"...
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Writing Process
Introduce primary graders to the writing process. After reviewing the steps, they practice using the process by writing a book report. Before writing the draft, they complete a graphic organizer. The completed draft is reviewed by peers....
Student Handouts
Process Steps
A straightforward graphic organizer is a great way to outline steps for any subject. Kids fill out 10 steps to describe a process or brainstorm writing, with small arrows indicating that one step leads to the next.
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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Daily Lesson Plan for the Struggling Writer and Speller
Special educators know that it isn't all about the lesson plan, but rather the strategies and practices you choose to use. Here are a set of research-based practices and tips you can use to inform your choices when teaching learners who...
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Relate Counting to Addition and Subtraction
Use patterns to practice basic addition; pupils count by two, starting from eight and counting on to 20. They record the five numbers missing from the sequence. Below, the instructional activity walks learners through...
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Learning to Interview
An authentic and engaging way to practice literacy skills, this lesson calls for young language arts pupils to conduct interviews with classmates and family members. First, pupils watch as the teacher models the interview process with a...
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Ice Cream Toppings
Students explore the five senses. In this senses lesson, students use their senses to top their ice cream. Students compare and contrast the different toppings and write their observations, using descriptive words, in a notebook.
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Safety Around Dogs
Students assess how to properly greet a dog and cover the safety tips when and if they should encounter a loose dog. They follow a five step-by-step process to greet a dog as well as see a demonstration of the process first hand. In...
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Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Students discuss the differences between a storybook and an information book. Students use various materials found in nature to make a nature collage. Students make a nature dictionary using pictures and their own definitions from the...
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Using a Graphic Organizer to Research a Question
Is Pluto still a planet? Using this popular question, kids are introduced to graphic organizers as a writing tool. As a class, they watch a demonstration on how to use them and work together with a partner to research whether Pluto is a...
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Monster Descriptions
Monsters take center stage! Elementary schoolers are assigned to write a descriptive paragraph by a toy company to help in designing a new monster for their toy line. One student composes the paragraph, another uses that to create a...
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Natural Twig Journals
Artists of all ages participate in a very basic bookbinding technique incorporating a dimensional object and simple fastening method. They create their own book to use as a sketchbook, writing surface or scrapbook. The results are...
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Build Mastery: Prediction
What do you think will happen? Use a graphic organizer to help learners predict what will happen in a text. Consider modeling the chart using a familiar story, pretending you don't know what happens. Show scholars the book, explaining...
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Decisions, Decisions!
Introduce young learners to the conscious process of making decisions. Guide them through a scenario where a boy is going to a sleepover and is trying to decide whether to take his teddy bear or not. Use the included worksheet to write...
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Comparing 3 Digit Numbers
Warm up your mathematicians with this comparing numbers activity. Because it includes an explanation, consider projecting this as an all-class activity, covering up the answers until after learner responses have been shared. There are...
Achievement Strategies
CCSS Unit Design Template for Art
Art classes, like any lab class, require extensive preplanning and set-up time. Use this planning template in the quiet before the storm to identify the equipment and materials that will be needed, the procedures and processes...
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Eating Your Words!
First graders study how to complete activities in sequential steps. They participate in various activities describing each step needed to complete the tasks. They work in pairs to type the list of steps necessary in making a sandwich. ...
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Study Buddies: Counting Back Tens and Ones
In this math worksheet, students will work with a coach to solve a problem in which they must subtract by counting back by tens and ones. Students will follow a step-by-step process and notes are provided for the coach.
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There's a Monster in My Classroom
Students work in groups making drawing of monsters and then given written instructions to students in another class about how to draw the same monster. After the drawings are complete, they share with other students using an iSight...
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Our Illuminated Alphabet
Students examine artwork and create their own. In this writing and illustrating lesson plan, students view illuminated letters from the Getty Museum's collection and discuss art vocabulary. Students examine the visual...
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Oh, Baby!
Young scholars explore one's goals and dreams using a combination of research and imagination. They produce a web site that portrays a vision of one's future. They plan, conduct and write up an informal journalistic interview.
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Feast For 10
Students complete a variety of activities related to the book "Feast For 10" by Cathryn Falwell. They read the book and follow the recipe for pumpkin pie from the story. Students then write about their cooking experience, describe the...