Lied Center of Kansas
The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare
Both The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare are great additions to an elementary language arts lesson. Young readers focus on the literary elements of each story, including characters and plot development, and apply counting and...
Curated OER
Discover Picture-Perfect Projects
Use classic, well-loved picture books as means of infusing visual and language arts in the elementary classroom.
All for KIDZ
Building Relationships: The Orphan of Ellis Island
Family and friendship are two very important themes of the historical fiction novel The Orphan of Ellis Island by Elvira Woodruff. From video clips and writing prompts to reader's theater and family interviews, this resource provides...
PJ Library
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Teach children that just because something is old, doesn't mean you have to throw it away with a reading of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback. Engaging children with an arts and crafts activity in which they patch the holes in...
Curated OER
Foods and Languages of the World
Students explore cultures around the world. In this cross-curriculum geography lesson, students listen to This is the Way We Go to School , a Book about Children around the World , and locate various countries on the globe and a map....
Curated OER
Literature Response for Home-School Connections: Fables
First graders participate in home and school based literacy activities in this unit. They examine fables in school and practice the literacy activities at home.
Montclair Art Museum
Eric Carle: Animals and Friends
Celebrate Eric Carle’s beloved children’s books, especially those about animals. Teachers and readers alike engage in Carle’s books as they explore the art and color in each of his stories, and how these elements support comprehension.
Curated OER
Sign Language
Students create short video tutorials on various American Sign Language signs. This lesson is a six-day project that begins with internet research and ends with student self-evaluations of project results.
Curated OER
Stimulating Narrative Writing
Students create an art project and write a process paper as a response to literature. In this literature response lesson plan, students listen to Lynn Ehlert's, Snowballs before decorating a construction paper snowman. They write a...
Macmillan Education
Happy 40th Birthday Brown Bear
What do you see? Wish a happy birthday to Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? The lesson includes six extension activities for the books and its companion stories, including a maze and animal...
Curated OER
Storytelling
Show young readers how to put some personality and voice into their storytelling with an in-depth assignment. Kids practice saying the same thing, such as counting from one to ten, in different tones and perspectives, and then work on...
Curated OER
Cinderella Project
Young scholars compare and contrast the stories of "Cinderella" and "Little Gold Star." Students discuss the magic helper in both stories. Young scholars become the magic helper by bestowing random acts of kindness on others. Students...
Curated OER
Picture Fists Full of Kisses
Ease children's back-to-school jitters with this primary grade lesson based on the book The Kissing Hand by Ruth E. Harper. Starting off with a singing of the song "I Wish I Had a Little Red Box", children go on to discuss and create a...
International Reading Association
Children’s Choices 2014
Books for kids, chosen by kids! What could be better? This packet is made up of book lists, each with approximately 30 books included, organized by age group. Kids will enjoy the summer reading materials they choose from this resource!
Curated OER
Lesson Mystery: The Game is Afoot
Students enter and experience the world of Sherlock Holmes and hard-boiled detectives in this unit on mysteries. They review and analyze the ""Whodunit Requirements" and the "Mystery Contract" that accompany this instructional activity....
Curated OER
Giving Thanks for Food and Farms
Sarah Stewart’s The Gardener and Food from Farms by Nancy Dickmann display the importance of community farms. After reading these short picture books, class members draw connections between farms and the food we eat each day. As a...
Curated OER
Searching for Stars
Positive character traits in literature are explored in this character development and literacy instructional activity. Learners listen to Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci, followed by a...
Curated OER
Self Portraits from the Future
Students make craypa self portraits of what they might look like in 100 years. They explore the different ways of using craypas: smearing, blending, and scratching.
Curated OER
Poem in Your Pocket Day: Ideas for Celebrating
First instituted in New York City in 2002 and recognized nationwide in 2009, "Poem in Your Pocket Day" is part of National Poetry Month (April) and celebrates poetry in everyday life. A brief news story includes 9 ideas about how to...
Curated OER
Back to School Books for All
Start the year off strong with reading that inspires, engages, and
entertains.
Curated OER
Using Words to Work Things Out
Students explore classroom community building. In this character development and community building lesson, students listen to Hands Are Not for Hitting and generate a class list of positive ways to handle classroom conflicts. Students...
Curated OER
Quilting Canada
Learners explain the symbols of Canada and their relevance. In this Canada lesson plan, students read Oh Canada and exchange pen-pal letters with learners in Canada. Students create a class quilt with Canadian symbols.
Curated OER
Symbols of the World, Country and State
First graders understand what a symbol is and recognize symbols of the world, country, state, and local areas. In this symbols instructional activity, 1st graders identify symbols, and play a bingo game with traffic symbols. Students...
Curated OER
Loving Literature
First graders, after having "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman read to them, participate in group discussions or independentally work to analyze a spreadsheet to identify essential elements in the story and graph their data. In...