Curated OER
Parrot in the Oven: Word Tree - Bonsai or Banyan
What fun! As part of a vocabulary exercise designed for Victor Martinez's Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida readers create word trees with the trunk representing the root word and the branches representing prefixes that can be added to the...
Curated OER
Irresistible Irregular Verbs
Four fun games for practicing irregular verbs? How fabulous!
Word Up Project
Mini Games
You've got a few minutes left at the end of class to practice vocabulary, but what can you do other than call out a word and ask for definitions? Play one of these 12 quick games! Each game is explained in detail and easy to modify for...
Primary Success Publication
St. Patrick’s Day Ideas
Poems, activities, games, recipes, and leprechaun tricks abound in a resource packet designed for St. Patrick's Day. There are even measuring, graphing, and mapping activities. How lucky!
K12 Reader
Why Do We Need Pronouns?
Who needs pronouns? Everyone! Show your class the power of pronouns with this worksheet. Learners read a sample paragraph that doesn't include any pronouns and then revise that paragraph by filling in the appropriate pronouns.
EngageNY
Getting the Gist and Determining Word Meaning: Paragraphs 12–14 of Steve Jobs’ Commencement Address (and connecting to Chapter 8)
Groups use a Venn diagram to compare the theme of love and loss in Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement address to Stanford University students and Christopher Paul Curtis' Bud, Not Buddy.
EngageNY
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Figurative Language and Word Choice in Bud, Not Buddy (Chapter 5)
Individuals utilize the strategies practiced in the previous lesson to complete a mid-unit assessment on figurative language and how Christopher Paul Curtis uses word choice to create meaning in Bud, Not Buddy.
EngageNY
Analyzing Figurative Language and How the Author’s Word Choice Affects Tone and Meaning (Chapter 3)
How figurative language affects the tone and meaning in Chapter Three of Christopher Paul Curtis' Bud, Not Buddy is the focus of a series of exercises that ask readers to locate, record, and analyze Curtis' word choices.
EngageNY
Figurative Language and Word Choice: A Closer Look at Bud, Not Buddy (Chapter 2)
The difference between an average and an unforgettable writing can lie in the author's word choice. The figurative language in Chapter 2 of Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Medal Winner, Bud, Not Buddy, is the focus of a series of...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary Morphemic Elements: Affix Game
How well do you know your affixes? Find out how proficient your learners are with a game that requires them to define various affixes and use them to create words that will go into sentences.
Poetry Society
How do Poets Use Language?
Why do writers choose the language they do? Here's a resource that has the poet himself answer that very question. Joseph Coelho explains why he chose the words and images he used in his poem, "If All the World Were Paper."
Poetry Society
A Conceit Poem
Young writers needn't be self-involved to craft a conceit. Directions for how to craft this form of extended metaphor, models, and a worksheet are all included in the packet.
Curated OER
Convergence with The Cay: Exploring Geographic Concepts Wrapped in a Story
Here's an awesome unit that uses The Cay as the anchor text. The 16-page packet is loaded with teaching ideas, activities, and suggested adjustments.
Storytelling World
The Cay: A Packet for Teachers
Andrew, Katrina, Irene. Recognize these names? They are all retired hurricane names. Investigating why these storm names were retired is just one activity in a 33-page packet designed to be used in conjunction with a study of The...
National Behaviour Support Service
Academic Vocabulary Building Activities
Suggestions for using Roberto Marzano's six-step approach to academic vocabulary instruction are detailed in a packet that includes graphic organizers, worksheets, and activities.
Scholastic
A Reading Guide to Sarah, Plain and Tall
Eliminate the hard work of creating an entire literature unit with this reading guide for the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall. From background information about the author and her motivation for writing the story to reading comprehension...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Galileo: Revealing the Universe
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then compare...
Scholastic
Helen Keller: An Inspiring Life (Biography Mini-Book)
Inspire young readers with this printable biography of Helen Keller. Including a timeline, glossary, and realistic illustrations with supporting captions, this is a great resource for not only teaching children about this amazing...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Dictionary Cube
Young scholars investigate new vocabulary words with a fun, collaborative activity. Given a deck of word cards, pairs of students flip over one at a time and independently look up the term in a dictionary. They then take turns rolling a...
Curriculum Corner
ELA Common Core Checklists for K-6
In the hustle and bustle of life in the classroom, it's easy for teachers to lose track of the standards they have taught, and those that still need to be addressed. This Common Core checklist provides educators with an easy-to-use...
Curated OER
“I Can” Common Core! 6th Grade Language
Help your sixth graders know exactly what is expected of them when it comes to Common Core language standards. Distribute the checklist, which is written in kid-friendly "I can" language, to each child. While most of these standards are...
US Department of Energy
Geothermal Energy
With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...
Curated OER
Beyond the Dictionary: Meaningful Word Study
Engaging lesson and activity ideas that grow pupils' word knowledge in all content areas.
Curated OER
Build Automaticity with Weekly Vocabulary Exercises
Require a deeper understanding and application of your weekly vocabulary words by presenting in-class exercises that build automaticity.