Curated OER
Acoustic Poems
Students explore acrostic poems. In this interactive poetry activity, students visit the ReadWriteThink.org website to view characteristics and samples of acrostic poems. Students develop acrostic poems by using the interactive site.
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-How Dogs Really Work!
Students read How Dogs Really Work! by Alan Snow. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of dogs as pets. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections.
Curated OER
Focus on Food Chains
Third graders collect and analyze data about food chains. They conduct Internet research about the habitat of a selected organism, write a narrative, and create a computer slideshow using Kid Pix computer software that illustrates the...
Curated OER
Using Comic Strips to Teach the Use of Quotation Marks
Students identify when and why quotations are used. Using comic strips and speech bubbles, they read and discuss examples of quotation marks, and in pairs write text for a cartoon on a piece of paper using quotation marks around the...
Curated OER
Using Children's Literature to Teach Writing: No, David!
Learners review beginning, middle, and end of a story and how details add to a story.
Curated OER
Once Upon a Genre
Students examine fractured fairy tales before responding by writing in many different genres including a persuasive essay, a personal narrative, a letter, an advertisement, and a resume'. They create a pop-up book with their written...
Curated OER
Conflicting Views
Students complete a Venn diagram comparing the United States and Afghanistan. They research the history of the Taliban and how they relate to the United States and its foreign policy. They write a paper on possible solutions.
Curated OER
Postcards From Noah's Ark
Students complete a research project on a selected animal as the culminating activity on a unit about animals. They write a descriptive postcard sent by the animal as a passenger on Noah's Ark, and with a partner create a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Through Their Eyes: Perspectives on Slavery
Students write a personal account of slavery seen from the eyes of a slave trader, a slave plantation owner, a fugitive slave, or a working slave.
Curated OER
Who Gets to Invent and How Do Inventors Change Our Lives?
Students examine the way various inventions have changed their lives. As a class, they create a timeline of the most important inventions during their lifetime and another timeline of how old they were when it was invented. ...
Curated OER
Ugly? Says Who?
Students explore biology by writing animal poetry in class. In this animal characteristics lesson plan, students research the Internet for facts about an "ugly" animal such as a bug or small critter. Students complete worksheets about...
Curated OER
Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 Man-made Landmarks Around the World
Third graders label continents, oceans, and major mountain ranges on maps and use the maps to write an informational report about landmarks. In this landmarks lesson plan, 3rd graders write about 1 major landmark.
Curated OER
Because of Winn-Dixie
Students make connections with the book Because of Winn-Dixie through writing. In this writing lesson, students pretend to be the main character and write a letter to her mother, using very descriptive language. Students also write...
Curated OER
Farewell to the Former Library Media Specialist
Students write a letter to their former library media specialist incorporating brainstormed ideas of what they have liked about the library media center. In this way students let the teacher know about what has been done in the past and...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
6 Traits: Word Choice
Students explore language arts by participating in a vocabulary usage activity. In this word choice lesson, students read examples of great word usage in literature and discuss with the class why some words appear stronger than others....
Pennsylvania Department of Education
6 Traits: Sentence Fluency
Students practice writing with sentence fluency in order to make the story more enjoyable for the reader. In this sentence fluency lesson plan, students focus on rhythm and flow.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
6 Traits: conventions
Students watch a video and write using conventions. In this conventions lesson plan, students edit their writing for the correct spelling, grammar, and paragraph usage.
Curated OER
Explorers
Young scholars work together to examine Dutch, French, Spanish and English explorers. They create a poster of the information they collected and write about one explore they find most interesting. They share their information with the...
Curated OER
Citizens For the New Zoo
Third graders complete Internet research to find information about an animal and its basic needs. They design a model of a zoo habitat that would accommodate their animal. They write a letter of recommendation to a Zoo board of directors...
Curated OER
Through Their Eyes: Perspectives on Slavery
Learners examine different perspectives of slavery. They write a personal account of slavery as a slave trader, a plantation owner, and fugitives and working slaves. They role-play these roles for the class.
Curated OER
Ahimsa in Writers Workshop
Students investigate nonviolent lifestyles by researching the life of Gandhi. In this journalism activity, students define the word ahimsa and how important nonviolence is when solving conflicts. Students create a timeline of personal...
Curated OER
Scrapbook
Students read a book and use the internet to find images to accompany it. After choosing one of the artifacts, they complete a full analysis worksheet and write a journal entry about how the artifact was used. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
Giants of the Past
Students listen to the book, The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, and create paper sculptures based on ancient Greek and Roman statues in the Getty Museum. They write narrative stories told from the viewpoints of their sculptures.
Curated OER
Images of Children in Dorothea Lange's Photographs
Students look carefully at two photographs by Dorothea Lange for elements of art and narrative content. They use descriptive language when speaking and writing about Lange's photographs of studenT lives.