Digital Commons
Convince Me! A Persuasive Writing Unit for 2nd Grade
Elementary learners are not often shy about expressing what they want, but they could use a little help organizing their arguments. Help young writers work through a series of persuasive writing exercises that emphasize the importance of...
University of Houston
The Snow Queen Study Guide
Even the kindest friends can become selfish and tyrannical in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." Class members complete story-themed exercises in language arts, social studies, and even physical science.
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Matilda
Chances are, you've got some precocious Matilda fans in your class! Use a thorough set of lesson plans to address Roald Dahl's classic novel about a bright girl who just wants to be understood. Vocabulary exercises, comprehension...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 16 - Adding Vowel Suffixes to CVC and Silent E Base Words
There's a big difference between hoping and hopping. A instructional activity on adding vowel suffixes discusses when to double a consonant before adding a suffix such as -ed or -ing. Readers practice breaking down words into syllables...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 15 - Soft G and Soft C
The names Cindy and Carrie start with the same letter, but have very different sounds. The 15th of 17 word recognition lessons focuses on the soft C sound found in Cindy and the soft G sound found in Gene. Direct instruction starts with...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 8 - Open Syllables
Just like scholars plug something in to close a circuit, they must plug a consonant onto a word to make closed syllables. Help learners distinguish between open and closed syllables with a series of activities that emphasize open...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 6 - Vowel-Consonant-E Syllables
Adding an e sometimes significantly changes the pronunciation of a word. An informative lesson introduces Vowel-Consonant-E syllables by helping learners see the difference between the pronunciation of words like mop and mope. A script...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 1 - Short Vowels
Apple, Adam, and At all have something in common. What is it? They all start with the short A sound. The first lesson plan of set in the Word Recognition and Fluency series introduces readers to short vowel sounds with a series of...
National Science Teachers Association
Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom
A good concept map requires high thought processes. This makes it a great tool for teaching and evaluating your pupils. A helpful article describes a great approach for teaching young scholars the art of concept map building and how best...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Classroom Activities: Pedigree Analysis Activity
Trace a genetic trait through an entire pedigree. A class activity provides pupils with an opportunity to explore a pedigree tree displaying a specific trait. They draw conclusions from the display and provide recommendations based on...
Biology Junction
Genetic Problems
In a world of DNA testing popularity, understanding how to solve basic genetic problems allows scholars to better understand and interpret test results. They work through many different types of genetic problems using statistics, Punnett...
History Alive!
Thomas Edison: Inventor, Lecturer and Prankster
It's no small wonder that a lightbulb has come to represent a bright idea. The light bulb, the bright idea of Thomas Edison, was just one of his over 1,000 inventions. A teacher's guide introduces young audiences to works of the man who...
Reading Through History
Reading with a Purpose: Haunted Houses
Boo! Whether you're easily scared or enjoy a good fright, a reading passage on haunted house attractions is a great addition to a Halloween-themed unit. Learners read a short informational passage before answering multiple choice,...
Institute for Humane Education
Selling "Boy" and "Girl"
Monster trucks, action figures, and video games. Are these toys designed for boys or girls? Scholars work in small groups to find and categorize examples of boy and girl toys from catalogs. Next, learners analyze the two sets of pictures...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 4: Similarity and Right Triangle Trigonometry
Right you are to use a great resource. Starting with a lesson on dilations, scholars learn about similarity transformations and similar triangles. They use the knowledge to develop an understanding of right triangle trigonometry in later...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 6: Modeling Periodic Behavior
Around and around we go ... again, and again, and again, and again! That's the nature of a periodic function. Young scholars learn how to model a periodic pattern with trigonometric functions. The nine-lesson unit explores the connection...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 4: Polynomial Functions
Bridge the gap between graphical and algebraic representations. Learners complete six lessons that begin by pointing out connections between the key features of a polynomial graph and its algebraic function. Later, pupils use the...
Insurance Zebra
Insurance Curriculum for Middle and High School Teachers
Liability, deductible, premium ... what do these words mean, and how do they relate to insurance? Scholars complete a pre-test, matching vocabulary activity, and insurance timeline worksheet and become familiar with these terms. Next,...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 17 - Adding Suffixes That Change Base Words' Finally to I
If it ends in a y, change the y to i when adding a suffix like -ness, -ly, or fy. The final lesson in the Word Recognition and Fluency series of 17 explains when to change the final letter in a base word to i before adding a suffix....
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 14 - Consonant-Le Syllables
The consonant-le syllable may appear in the word idle, but it is anything but dull. An informative lesson plan introduces words containing the consonant-le syllable. Using guided instruction, learners discover how to break words...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 13 - Multisyllabic Word Reading
One- and two-syllable words may flow from the tongue with ease, but longer words, such as department and volcano, feel like tongue twisters. Scaffolded instruction explains how to break words into their individual syllables, and then...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 12 - Ed Suffix with Unchanging Base Words
Understanding different verb tenses begins with knowing how to decode words. A lesson on the -ed suffix with unchanging base words introduces readers to the past tense. Teachers present the skill with oral reading and spelling...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 11 - Affixes with Unchanging Base Words
Adding an affix to a word sometimes changes its meaning, just like magic. Using 11th of 17 lessons in the Word Recognition and Fluency series, readers become vocabulary magicians, learning to form and decode words that contain common...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 10 - Compound Words
Individually, words have power, but when added together, they can take on a whole other level of meaning. Readers learn about compound words in the 10th of 17 lessons of the Word Recognition and Fluency series. A script provides guidance...