MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Media Literacy
Young learners today are bombarded by media manipulation. Help them develop the skills they will need to become savvy 21st century media consumers with a unit on media literacy.
Curated OER
Changing the Grade
How one school took the first few steps in changing the way we viewed our grading approaches and practices.
Curated OER
Apps for the ELA Classroom
A look at several effective programs you can use to enhance your curriculum.
EngageNY
Summarizing and Synthesizing: Planning for Writing an Apprentice Wanted Ad
In instructional activity 13 of this unit on colonial trade, young researchers learn about apprentices as they prepare to write help-wanted ads for the specific trade they have been researching. To begin, the class listens closely as the...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Colonial Craftspeople
In the first lesson plan of this unit on colonial trade, fourth graders gain background knowledge of different jobs performed by early colonists. The class begins with a slide show presentation that includes a variety of great...
EngageNY
Synthesizing Information: Writing an Apprentice Wanted Ad
Fourth graders view examples of help-wanted ads as they plan and create their own writing in the fourteenth instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. The engagement of the class is captured when the teacher shares an actual...
EngageNY
Researching and Note-Taking: Building Expertise about a Colonial Trade
Building on the previous activity in this unit on colonial trade, the ninth activity has young experts continuing their research and writing summaries of the information they find. To begin, children participate in guided practice where...
EngageNY
Reading and Taking Notes on Colonial Trades
In the tenth instructional activity of this unit, young scholars learn to categorize information as they continue researching their colonial trade. During guided practice, the teacher models how to read informational text slowly while...
EngageNY
Listening Closely and Taking Notes: Colonial Trade Podcast About the Wheelwright
Voices from the past. Young scholars listen to a podcast interview with a historical re-enactor as they continue their research in the eleventh instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. Applying their close reading skills,...
EngageNY
Listening Closely and Taking Notes in Expert Groups: Colonial Trade Podcast
The twelfth instructional activity of this unit builds on the skills developed in the previous instructional activity, as fourth graders continue their quest to become experts on colonial trade by listening to interviews with historical...
EngageNY
Researching and Note-Taking: Becoming an Expert on a Colonial Trade
Fourth graders work in small groups to become experts on different colonial trades in the eighth instructional activity of this unit. Working toward the long-term goal of writing a piece of historical fiction, young scholars read...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Performing Arts
The classical arts have made a lasting impact on our society and your advanced learners get to find out why. The activity starts as the children create a list of the arts found in society, they discuss how these art forms impact their...
Curated OER
Six Ways to Effectively Use Classroom Volunteers
Parents are often an untapped resource, offer them a variety of ways to help in your classroom.
Curated OER
Speeding Up Grading with Online Resources
Use websites and apps to increase peer editing, digitize your papers, and automate the objective editing.
EngageNY
Documenting Research: Sorting and Recording Information About the Wheelwright
Fourth graders practice using a graphic organizer to record their notes and answer text-dependent questions while supplying evidence of how they found their answer. They focus on a machine called the wheelright, which was commonly used...
Curated OER
The Hatfield and McCoy Feud
Fourth graders investigate the Hatfield and McCoy feud. In this Hatfield and McCoy feud lesson, 4th graders examine factors that caused the feud. Students also locate on a map where the feud took place, make a timeline of the main events...
Curated OER
Pollution and Environmental Studies- Daily Water Use
In this environmental studies worksheet, students create a data table to discover how much water each person uses on a daily basis and what it is used for. They complete a post activity to make and test solutions for pollution using a...
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources in the Classroom
Scholars study a historical photograph to make predictions of what happened right after the picture was taken. They research a variety of different topics and use primary sources to answer questions about common food, fashion trends, and...
Curated OER
Research for State Brochures
Ask your young researchers to create a state brochure by working together to research Alaska and then use facts they have learned from the novel Woodsong to create a travel brochure about Alaska. Pupils must include a bibliography and...
Curated OER
Was - Were - Wasn't - Weren't
Check out this cute online interactive worksheet. Pupils fill in the blank for each of the 10 sentences with one of four helping or linking verbs. Verbs focused on include was, were, wasn't, and weren't.
Curated OER
Quantifiers
Many people, regardless of their age, confuse similar words. Little or few, much or many, some or any...the list goes on and on! Use this online resource to test your learners' ability to choose the correct quantifier. Consider using...
Curated OER
Role Play Debate
Suggested topics for a role play debate include school uniforms and culpability for drunk driving, but any issue of interest to your class will work. What are the hot issues in your community or on the news right now? Class members...
Curated OER
Dictionary Skills
Now this is a cool dictionary focused resource. There are 6 worksheets you can make into a homework packet for the entire week. Learners choose 10 words (these should be spelling words) they draw an image for each word, put the words in...
Curated OER
ABC-Introduction to the Dictionary
Looking for an excellent way to give your class practice using and a better understanding of how the dictionary works? Try this 4 page printable packet! They read about the dictionary, sort and alphabetize words, the create a dictionary...