University of Kansas
Newspaper in the Classroom
Newspapers aren't only for reading—they're for learning skills, too! A journalism unit provides three lessons each for primary, intermediate, and secondary grades. Lessons include objectives, materials, vocabulary, and procedure, and...
Scholastic
Owl Moon Teaching Plan
Capture the engagement of young readers with this collection of activities based on Jane Yolen's book, Owl Moon. Following a shared reading of this children's story, the class explores the geography of the American Northeast, creates...
Curated OER
Recreate the Race
Students research and find the route of the Alaskan dog sled race.In this Iditarod race lesson students find the checkpoints for the Iditarod on a map. Students research information in pairs about each one of the checkpoints. Students...
Curated OER
The Desert Alphabet Book
Students explore world geography by researching a science book with their classmates. In this desert identification lesson, students utilize a U.S. map to locate the geographical locations of deserts. Students create an oral report based...
Curated OER
A Child's Daily Life in South Africa
Students compare the life of a child in South Africa to the life of a child in America. In this multicultural education instructional activity, students read the book Not So Fast Songololo and discuss the differences and similarities...
Curated OER
A Zoo Book for All
A visit to the local zoo launches an integrated life science/ language arts research project into the habitat, feeding habits, offspring, lifespan, and other interesting facts about animals. Each group selects two animals to photograph...
Curated OER
Using Text Features
Investigate a "table of contents" with your students! They read the table of contents in Deserts by Darlene R. Stille and predict where the answers to specific questions might be found. Learners complete a worksheet in which they find...
Curated OER
The Mitten
Explore children's literature by researching a book and it's author. Youngsters read the story The Mitten by Jan Brett and discuss the animals and characters mentioned in the story. Then, they practice retelling their favorite portion of...
Manchester University
Where The Forest Meets The Sea
Join a father and his son as they explore an isolated location off the coast of Australia in the children's book Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker. Engage young learners in reading this fun story with this series of...
Curated OER
Reading-Author's Purpose
Students review what author's purpose is by understanding that authors either persuade, inform, describe, or entertain with their story. For this language arts lesson, students bring in junk mail and in small groups discuss what the each...
Curated OER
Encouraging Students to Embrace Their Inner Author
Everyone is a writer! Youngsters compose an original piece of writing. For this writing lesson, they come up with their own idea for a piece of writing, revise it, and then publish it with illustrations. This lesson includes three...
Curated OER
The Palm of My Heart: Poetry By African American Children
Elementary students explore African American culture by reading children's poetry. They read the book, The Palm of My Heart which features poetry by an assortment of young African American boys and girls. Students define several...
Curated OER
Sorting
Learners explore indexing by participating in a library book search. In this sorting lesson, students complete a "flood game" on the Internet and discuss the techniques of locating books in a library. Learners locate specific titles in...
Curated OER
Sorting
Students sort class books into categories to help classify and organize them so they are easier to find. In this sorting lesson plan, students go to the library and see how they organize their books and do the same in the classroom.
Curated OER
Sorting: Library Books
Students discover organization by participating in a class game. In this information sorting lesson, students utilize the Internet to play a library role-playing game with their classmates. Students answer study questions about library...
Curated OER
Create a Computer Story
Second graders will create their own story and read it aloud. In this literacy/technology lesson, 2nd graders use computer software to create their own story, which is read back to them while they write it. Afterward, the student should...
Curated OER
What is a Biography?
Investigate biographies with your class. Compare autobiographies and biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr. as an example. Learners explore the factual components that make up a biography and locate several biographies of notable...
Curated OER
Dig Into the Dictionary
Second graders explore their vocabulary by participating in a dictionary word find activity. In this vocabulary lesson, 2nd graders locate words in a dictionary based on the beginning letter which must match the teacher's instructions....
Curated OER
Whoever You Are
Students examine cultures, traditions, and feeling throughout cultures. In this cultural lesson, students use literature, maps, and cultural information to examine how people have universal feelings despite their different cultures and...
Curated OER
Brazilian Animals
Students research the animals of Brazil. In this animal science instructional activity, students locate Brazil on a map and discuss the types of animals that can live in its tropical climate. They research a Brazilian Carnaval and see...
Curated OER
Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My!
Research animals and develop a non-fiction presentation. Young scholars will complete research on a particular animal and determine the animal's characteristics as well as habitat before choosing a differentiated project to present using...
Curated OER
Spider Body Parts
Students identify spider body parts. In this arachnid lesson, students review the story Amazing World of Spiders and discuss the various spider body parts. Students fill in the correct body parts on a copy of a blank spider diagram....
Curated OER
Text Elements of Fiction and Nonfiction
Second graders examine the text elements associated with fiction and nonfiction texts. For this text elements lesson, 2nd graders listen to Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel. They take formative assessments to determine...
Curated OER
The Musher's Trail
Second graders follow the Iditarod race that begins in March. They research data and select a musher to trail in the race. Then they write daily in a journal about events that happen on the trail, including pictures from the Website.