American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
Curated OER
Fairy Tales
Once upon a time are four words most children are familiar with when reading a fairy tale. But do they know that fairy tales are a great way to learn the literary elements of reading and writing? Use a thorough fairy tale unit...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Are We Finished with It Yet?
Learners recognize the importance of natural resources and that we need to conserve, reuse and recycle them. In this conserving natural resources lesson, students are given one object and must create something with it. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Vegetable Creatures
Students use different foods to enhance academic skills in all area contents. In this food activity lesson, students use food, such as "bugs on a log" (raisins on peanut butter celery) to estimate and practice multiplication. ...
Curated OER
Beyond The Earth Part I
Students explore the solar system. In this space science lesson plan, students take notes on the solar system provided by their instructors. Students then collaborate to design a computer-generated drawing of the solar system.
Curated OER
Spring: Giving Thanks to the Herring
Learners study the Wampanoag tribe to learn about the importance of the herring to their culture. In this Wampanoag instructional activity, students read information and complete multiple activities to learn about the role of the herring...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Partying with Two/Three Digit Whole Numbers
Learners practice problem-solving with this addition activity. They plan a party for their class and another class by determining how many cupcakes are needed. Students draw a picture of how they determined the number of cupcakes.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Three in a Row Calendar Game
Students explore a calendar. In this calendar and math instructional activity, students view a video clip about using a calendar. Students participate in a game in which a game board is used to identify days of the week, dates, and months.
Curated OER
Observing the Changes: The Warming of the North
After reviewing the causes and effects of climate change, students become observers for "Plant Watch," a program to monitor the effects of climate change on plants. Students record blooming and leafing dates for selected local species...
Captain Planet Foundation
George Washington Carver and the Sweet Potato
Learn about George Washington Carver's important contributions to agriculture by studying the sweet potato. First graders read about the inventor's observations and prepare sweet potato slips for the class garden. Additionally, they...
Curated OER
Twirly Whirly Milk
Student observe the effect soap (or detergent) has on the movement of food color in milk. Pupils observe the properties of solids and liquids while making butter. They read a poem, Shaking, and listen for ryhming words. Studdents...
Curriculum Corner
Guest Teacher Plans: 1st Grade
Have you ever gone to work when you needed to stay home but didn't because the thought of making substitute plans was too daunting? Don't feel that way anymore with a template designed for first grade equipped with general classroom...
Curated OER
Chemistry Day With Glitter Wands
First graders observe examples of the three states of matter and identify matter in each of the three states. They make glitter wands to remind them of the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Pupils brainstorm and record...
Curated OER
Valentine Candy Count
Here is an imaginative take on a classic lesson! Young scholars discover what color Valentine Candy is found more often than any other in a standard bag of Valentine Conversation Hearts. They observe, predict, sort, and classify the data...
Curated OER
Great Picture Books to Teach Social Studies for Grade K-3
Every class enjoys reading new books at the beginning of a unit. Use this resource to identify a variety of books for kindergarten to third grade that can be used to complement social studies standards. The books can kindle learners'...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Understanding Fractions
Young learners explore fractions and demonstrate parts of a whole by using a candy bar and a piece of paper and dividing both into equal parts. Included is a worksheet that requires youngsters to color in half of each polygon shape. Some...
Curated OER
Dental Detectives
First graders explore the theme of dental health and hygeine. They make tooth loss predictions, count lost teeth, and graph tooth loss. In addition, they listen to dental health stories, read online stories, create spreadsheets, and play...
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Cold and Hot
Explore the text, Cold and Hot, with comprehension strategies for young readers. First, give them a purpose for reading: find out what the boy wore outside in the snow! Then have them use one-to-one matching and picture clues to...
Curated OER
Writing Activity: School Activities
In this writing learning exercise, students draw a picture of something they like to do at school, then complete a sentence describing it. A word box is given to help students make a choice.
Curated OER
Exploring All Frontiers
Students utilize higher thinking skills to expand their self concept to include physical, cognitive, and affective frontiers. The teacher create activities which allow students to use raw data and primary sources, as well as...
Curated OER
The Beet Goes On
Root vegetables inspire the series of activities included here. Class members participate in activities related to language arts, social studies, science, visual art, and math. At first, the long list might feel overwhelming; however,...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-In The Small Small Pond
Students read In The Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of the pond ecosystem. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library...
Curated OER
Plant Systems
Students examine plant systems. For this life science lesson, students explore leaf and root systems on paper in a terrarium that they design and construct.