Roald Dahl
Matilda - Miss Honey and The Trunchbull
As the instructor reads aloud several quotes from five chapters of the story Matilda, class members mime their interpretation of the scenes. Then, after reading "Miss Honey" and "The Trenchbull" (chapters seven and eight), the...
Curated OER
Spinelli's Maniac Magee (excerpt): Reading and Critical Thinking Practice
A brief, dialogue-rich passage from Jerry Spinelli's novel Maniac Magee is accompanied by a well-written literacy assessment tool. Thematic content lends itself to age-appropriate discussions about race relations and social justice....
K12 Reader
Finish the Proverbs and Adages
How many common idioms do you know? Test your knowledge with a set of ten phrases to complete. The idioms range in difficulty level, making it a good challenge for even advanced readers.
California Education Partners
Tuck Everlasting
An assessment takes a close look at the story, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, and tests writing abilities. Over the course of two days, scholars read an excerpt, answer questions on a instructional activity pertaining to...
Curated OER
Common Idioms 5
If you have been analyzing idioms, you can assess your learners' grasp of their figurative meanings with this 10-question matching exercise. Or you could give the sheet to groups to foster discussion about literal versus figurative...
Curated OER
Let's Go Exploring!
Use a Courbet painting of a cave or tunnel opening to reinforce the importance of descriptive writing. Writers of all ages use sensory details to describe what the scene depicts as they pretend to be in the painting. Then they imagine...
Curated OER
Onomatopoeia
Some words actually sound like their meaning. When this happens, it's known as onomatopoeia. Learners look at a series of pictures, and match up a bunch of words with the pictures they sound like. For example, the word buzz would go with...
Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
Curated OER
Geo Jammin' By Design - Day 7, Lesson 38: Kool Cups
Create geometric cups by interpreting directions, informational text, and mathematical concepts. Critical thinkers apply geometric theory (congruent shapes, patterns, symmetry) to actual directions to create a cup that holds Kool Aid....
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy Applied
After investigating various forms of print, oral, and electronic media as sources of information, class members research a historical figure and produce a résumé for this person. While templates are provided for an initial sorting...
Curated OER
Similes, Metaphors, and Symbols
Here is an outline of a lesson in which learners examine the use of similes, metaphors, and symbols in poetry. They define similes, metaphors, and symbols, complete a handout, and create a poem using types of figurative language.
Curated OER
A Rose Is a Rose
Flowering learners explore the concept of figurative language as it relates to poems, songs, or creative written expression. In this creative writing lesson, they complete several phrases using similes, metaphors, and...
Curated OER
Idioms
Use this podcast lesson to familiarize scholars with the characteristics, history, and cultural implications of idioms. As part of the Walking Classroom curriculum, kids listen to a 12-minute podcast as they walk around campus. If you...
Curated OER
Noisy Words 1-- Animal Noises
In this language arts worksheet, learners explore onomatopoeia-- words that sound like what they mean. Students read 20 animal noises and write the name of the animal that makes each of the noises. Example: cock a doodle doo (rooster).
Curated OER
The Star-Spangled Banner
Get your kids moving as they learn about the history of the United States National Anthem. Scholars examine the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key, and the meaning behind The Star Spangled Banner as they listen to an 18-minute...
Curated OER
Using a Dictionary-Sounds
Figuring out how to pronounce unfamiliar words can be tricky. Learners use the dictionary to determine the beginning and ending sounds of words and then answer four multiple choice questions that test their understanding of these sounds.
Book Units Teacher
Skill Lessons – Prefixes and Suffixes
Sometimes the best way to understand a concept is to break it down. Young vocabulary pupils work with word parts in a hands-on activity that prompts them to connect flash cards with affixes to their root and base words....
Curated OER
Homophones Activities 1-5
In this language arts worksheet, students discover that homophones are words that sound alike. Students complete 5 activities with homophones: matching words to pictures, completing sentences, explaining differences between words and...
Curated OER
Music from a Place Called Half Moon
Students read the novel, Music from a Place Called Half Moon. They are assigned chapters to analyze for literary elements and to assign titles to the book chapters.
Curated OER
Creating Historians: Giving Scholars the Answers
How allowing index cards on tests can empower critical thinking; part one of a series on approaching social studies as a group of historians.
Curated OER
FCAT Writes! Frenzy
Fourth graders experience a dress rehearsal of timed demand writing. This lesson allows students to prepare for a timed writing test in which they don't know the prompt. This lesson includes writing prompts and rubrics imbedded in the plan.
Curated OER
Common Idioms 5
In this writing idioms activity, students define what an idiom is and then match ten common idioms with their keywords for mastery.
Curated OER
Idioms in English
In this idioms worksheet, students fill in the blanks to idioms with nouns and compare idioms. Students complete 30 problems total.
Curated OER
Idioms that start with L
In this idioms worksheet, students read a list of idioms that start with the letter L and their definitions, and then answer questions by giving advice with the idioms. Students complete 6 questions.