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What's That?
Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another activity be completed first. In that activity, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic communities. In this...
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Time Capsule: Oral Presentation
A great way to gain proficiency when learning a new language is to prepare an oral presentation. In this foreign language lesson, pairs collaborate to develop a Time Capsule which they present to their class using their target language.
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Rules, Routines and Protocols of P.E.
Divided into groups of threes or fours, class members develop skits that demonstrate their knowledge of classroom rules, routines, and protocols.
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Your Own Classroom Court
Create your own classroom court. After studying courtroom proceedings, with a focus on the concept of a trial by a jury of your peers, pupils create a set of classroom rules and develop a procedure for solving conflicts. They then are...
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Using the Internet to Challenge Young Writers
Designed as a professional development exercise to introduce teachers to the Internet, the activities in this resource ask novice web surfers to access a series of sites, bookmark them, and answer question about information found on the...
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Feelin' Swing, Part 2
Upper elementary schoolers listen to and reproduce the rythm of Mary Lou William's musical piece, "Scratchin' in the Gravel." The swing song was written at a time that women did not play jazz. She broke the rules by playing and writing...
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Beat the Clock
Tired of wasting time trying to get your class to split up into groups? Engage in an activity to help your charges manage time. Learners reflect on a time they were left out or rejected, and then practice forming groups of three within...
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Making Sense of Homographs
What is a homograph? Develop your students' vocabulary with a word association tool. Language arts classes discover what a homograph is and how it can be used as a visual thesaurus. They discover the other uses for homographs such as...
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Forensic Files: A DNA Dilemma
Seventh-graders come in to science class to find a file on their desks detailing a crime to be solved! As a demonstration, you simulate the restriction of DNA samples and separate them by electrophoresis. From the gel, learners can...
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Magical Creatures Land
The opening of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit provides a model of how to use rich details to create a setting. After reading the description of Bilbo Baggins’ abode, young writers create their own magical home for a fantasy creature. The...
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Introducing the Hamburger Model or Persuasive Writing
A one-page template provides primary writers with a graphic organizer to assist them in drafting a persuasive paragraph. Labeled the “Hamburger Model” because of its appearance, the worksheet asks pupils to craft an introduction, provide...
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Identify Intended Media Messages
How does media convey different messages? Use this lesson to explore media by identifying and analyzing selected images. Middle schoolers analyze a poster and discuss the intended meaning of the imagery and how it makes them feel. They...
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Speak Up for Recycling
Are you looking for ways to enhance a persuasive writing or speech unit? Use this lesson to prompt your young writers to investigate a school recycling program. After conducting research, they present a persuasive, well-organized speech...
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Let's Go Shopping
Learners explore how to become better observers, demonstrate point of view as a literary and human function, and learn an important lesson about how to explain differing perspectives in the same situation.
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Crashed on the Moon
Students compare and contrast the environments of the moon and the earth. They discover how the differences might change one's daily activities.
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American Revolution Simulation: Colonial History, Drama
Learners explain why the American colonies declared the independence, students should relate to that which is held most dearly i.e. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They participate in a drama that illustrates this.
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Science and Art Museum
Imagine each one of your learners on task and interested in scientific material. Learners investigate science related art by creating a small museum! Using digital cameras, pupils photograph different scientific actions that look...
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Limericks
Introduce your class to the limerick with a focus on the form and its history. Resource is short on procedure, but contains useful suggestions about where to look for school-appropriate limericks for young readers. Examine the...
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Who's On First?
Have you ever considered why the number 10 is so important to us? That's what learners do here. They explore patterns formed by powers of ten and by decimals, convert units of measure within the metric system, and express these in the...
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Bats, Bees, Birds, and Blossoms
Youngsters use a paper bee to pollinate two paper flowers. They use hole-punch dots as pollen. Older learners dissect flowers and name the structures involved in pollination. The handouts mentioned in the lesson plan are not included, so...
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Point of View
A picture is used to begin considering point of view. Then, have kids role play included scenes which all involve some type of conflict where the character's have very different perspective. Discussions ensue each role play, with kids...
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Reader's Theater
Conduct a Reader's Theater. Third, fourth, and fifth graders rewrite books with a baseball theme to a Reader's Theater format. They form groups of four or five, practice reading the script, and then perform it for an audience.
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"Hello, I Am Deborah Sampson"
Fifth graders learn the role played by individuals during the American Revolutionary War.