Curated OER
Thanksgiving Traditions
Everyone celebrates traditions in different ways. Young writers share the ways their families celebrate Thanksgiving with a journal writing prompt and discussion activity.
New Jersey Historical Commission and New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park
What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: One Tiny Turtle (Davies)
The loggerhead turtle is a fascinating species, and budding readers learn all about it in Nicola Davies' account One Tiny Turtle. This informational narrative offers excellent vocabulary in context, and you'll...
Curated OER
Subject/Verb Agreement
Students recognize the relationship between singular and plural subjects and verbs as they relate to developing stronger writing skills. In this writing lesson, students write and organize their thoughts and feelings while using their...
Curated OER
Holidays Around the World
Students explore how different holiday traditions are celebrated around the world. Scholars write a paper describing how they celebrate their own favorite holiday. Email partners, from different states and countries, share their...
Curated OER
Buzz Up My Hive
Students research bees. In this organisms instructional activity, students participate in various learning centers to find out more about bees. The centers include watching a video and taking notes, reading books about bees, and going on...
Curated OER
Wanted Poster
Students examine a fairy tale character of their choice in great detail. They create a wanted poster that includes the following: a picture of the character, a written description of his/her appearance, a reward amount, and reasonthe...
Curated OER
Drumming from the Heart
Students complete a craft activity using recyclable containers and read a story to a younger child. In this service lesson, students read the story 'The Drum' and do a service project retelling the story and making a drum from recyclable...
Curated OER
How Do Storms Influence Our Lives?
Students investigate the various ways storms influence our lives. They conduct Internet research, identify the characteristics of different storms, plot storm coordinates, and write a report on a particular storm.
Curated OER
Animal and People Habitats
Students examine how animals create a unique space in which they can live. Students read a poem about animals' habitats discuss the habitats. They draw a space of their own and write a poem that describes their habitat.
Curated OER
Remembering Waiting
Young scholars draw a pastel drawing and compose a narrative of when they had to wait for something. In this pastel drawing lesson plan, students study and discuss the pastel drawing Waiting by Edgar Degas, discuss the story it tells,...
Curated OER
People of the Earth
Students explore the rich culture of the southwestern Native Americans through the integration of curriculum. Pupils read and research stories about Native Americans. They write an essay about Native Americans. Additional cross...
Curated OER
Pick a Pet
Students design informational materials to educate people on the importance of matching a new pet to the family's lifestyle and living arrangements. Students use critical thinking skills to make a decision on the appropriate choice for a...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Story Writing With Arthur
This series of 12 downloadable activities teach students some basics of story writing, using books or videos from the PBS "Arthur" series as a springboard. Activities include creating story maps, asking questions about characters and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing a Roundabout Story
In this lesson plan, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff, is used as a mentor text to highlight the trait of organization. The content focus of the lesson is to highlight that authors' story structures can be imitated. Story...
EL Education
El Education: A Walk Through Highland Park
This book was created by 2nd grade students in Rochester, New York as part of a three-month learning expedition on animals and habitats called, "A Walk Through Highland Park. Students spent time in their local park doing fieldwork making...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Narr. Text Structure: Picture the Character
A lesson plan in which students read a narrative text and complete a graphic organizer to illustrate and write characteristics of one of the characters. Materials are included.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Monitor for Understanding: Sum Summary! [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a narrative or informational text and complete graphic organizers to help them write good summaries of the texts. Materials are included.