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Printing Lowercase M
Watch the magic pencil! Beginning printers practice lowercase m, first examining how the magic pencil writes it. Consider creating a "magic pencil" for your class, and inviting willing participants up to demonstrate proper handwriting...
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Proper Nouns
Learners read the 19 nouns on the elephant and then circle each noun that is a proper noun. They write 10 additional proper nouns on the lines provided on the second elephant.
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What's Proper?
Learners practice using capital letters for proper nouns and adjectives. They play a matching game with word cards and correct paragraphs with incorrect capitalization, and edit their work with a partner.
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My School Trip to the Aquarium
Second graders correct verb usage in context, fill in the blanks to complete sentences, and use the writing prompt to write about a school trip to an aquarium or a zoo. They write 20 answers.
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Writing a Character Sketch
Combining descriptive and expository writing skills, middle schoolers create a character sketch about someone they know well. They use a graphic organizer to help them discuss a model character sketch and organize/write one of their own....
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Punctuation (The Comma vs. The Semicolon)
Explore English by participating in a grammar correcting activity. Elementary and middle schoolers distinguish when to use commas from when to use semicolons. Then they correct twelve sentences by placing commas and semicolons in the...
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Edward Lear, Limericks, and Nonsense
Introduce your class to the delights of nonsense poetry and explore literary devices with the writing of Edward Lear. Learners identify rhyme and meter as well as figures of speech, alliteration, and onomatopoeia in "The Owl and the...
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Text Structure: Organizational Patterns
Explore plot structure by analyzing text samples with writers. They define terms such as problem and solution, cause and effect, and story arc. They also identify the sequences used in modern stories by reading samples and determining...
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Dictionary Research Work
Explore new words and examine an unusual alphabet book with your young scholars. They are introduced to an alphabet book containing many unfamiliar words. They are then guided as they search for definitions in a dictionary. They then...
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Reliving History through Slave Narratives
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
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Circle of Life
Here is a well-designed science lesson that shows learners that everything that organisms do in ecosystems, including running, breathing, burrowing, growing, requires energy. After a thorough discussion of their own eating and drinking...
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Scary Stuff
Fourth graders interview community members for a newspaper, design a business brochure, write a disappearing ghost story, and try their hands at monoprinting. This series of three lessons combines art, journalism, and creative writing....
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Outlining Main Ideas and Details
Practice outlining and evaluating expository writing in this lesson. After discussing main ideas and seeing examples, young writers go through a sample outline and discuss the way to properly format a piece of writing. They then create...
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Duck Detectives
Students explore biology by completing animal activity pages in class. For this bird characteristics lesson, students discuss the different types of birds that exist in North America and identify their migration habits. Students read...
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Columbus Day (Native American Perspective)
Teach your class the perspective Native Americans had on Christopher Columbus. They will examine the effects of Christopher Columbus' exploration on the Native Americans using a reading theater and a carousel brainstorming activity. They...
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Fractions in Action
Investigate equivalent fractions with your class. They compare and order fractions. Then they work cooperatively in groups to experiment and problem solve with fractions using a game format. Multiple resources are provided.
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Showing not telling writing
How do good writers exhibit emotion in their work without using an emotion word (angry, sad, happy, etc.)? This plan offers learners model texts that describe an emotion without using an emotion word. A well-formatted writing activity is...
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Editing Marks, Part 1
Dander from the show Twisted Whiskers and characters from My Little Pony are featured in this three part lesson that explores using story pyramids to scaffold ideas, adding sensory details to enrich writing, and editing using common...
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Writing in First and Third Person
Explore narrative writing by participating in a role-playing activity. In this perspective lesson, learners define first and third person in writing and discuss how it changes the mood of the reader. The first activity has pupils write...
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Writing Lesson Plan: Homework Books
What a way to end the day! Class members recall important events that occurred throughout day. These events are posted on the chart board for class members to copy into their Homework Book. Books are sent home for parents to read, sign,...
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What is Air?
Learners investigate air by participating in a class experiment. In this matter measurement lesson, students identify air as a gas which consists of mass. Learners utilize a windsock or balloon to measure oxygen and explore it's true...
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My First Book
Introduce young writers to the process of writing a book. Start by reading a book of your choice and discussing the essential elements of any book such as the cover, story, and illustrations as well as who is responsible for each...
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Geography of Canada
All about Canada! Learners explore the geography and providences of Canada by watching videos, studying maps and conducting internet research. By the end of this lesson, your class should be able to locate major areas and compare and...
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Proper Nouns
Learners read 10 sentences and underline each word that should have a capital letter. They write the proper nouns correctly. Good, basic practice for the use of proper nouns.