Curated OER
Analyzing Two or More Nonfiction Texts
How does recognizing the author's purpose help you draw conclusions about a topic? Using two articles (both are attached), learners brainstorm why each author wrote each article. Are their purposes similar or different? Learners use a...
EngageNY
Point of View: Comparing Esperanza's and Isabel's Perspectives About Life in the Camp (Chapter 7: "Las Cebollas/Onions")
Explore point of view and more with a Common Core-designed instructional activity. Learners experience different points of view by representing one of two characters from Esperanza Rising during a partner discussion. They must use...
Curated OER
Comparative and Superlative 2
In this comparative/superlative learning exercise, students fill in blanks in sentences with the correct comparative/superlative. Students may click on an answer button beneath each sentence to check their work.
EngageNY
Gathering Evidence and Drafting a Two-Voice Poem (Chapter 13: "Los Duraznos/Peaches")
Begin class with a short comprehension quiz and review and then move into a new genre: two-voice poems. The activity provides information about this type of poetry as well as a video example made by eighth graders that you can show your...
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Curated OER
The Lightning Thief: Questioning Strategy
Step into the shoes of the Oracle from the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, with this response to reading activity. After reading chapter nine, scholars answer questions from the Oracle's point...
University of Kansas
Newspaper in the Classroom
Newspapers aren't only for reading—they're for learning skills, too! A journalism unit provides three lessons each for primary, intermediate, and secondary grades. Lessons include objectives, materials, vocabulary, and procedure, and...
EngageNY
Getting to Know Esperanza (Chapter 2: “Las Uvas/Grapes”)
Delve into Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan with close reading and evidence-based, text-dependent questions. Part of a unit series, this well-sequenced, Common Core designed instructional activity draws on material from the previous...
Curated OER
Reading the Play
Do figures of speech enhance a play or story? In small groups, learners locate and describe figures of speech they find while reading a reader's theater play. After making predictions, they describe how the figures of speech make the...
Classroom Adventures Program
Creating Characters
Examine character in depth. Over the course of these six lessons, learners explore their own character traits, determine the traits of characters in the books they read, practice comparing and contrasting, and collaborate in small groups...
Curated OER
Venerable Inventors
Students discuss important historic inventors and read their biographical information. In this world history lesson, students describe Alexander Bell, Thomas Edison, and Guglielmo Marconi using vocabulary terms used in their text....
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension Practice: Nonfiction Text
Students practice their reading comprehension. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read or listen to a nonfiction article about meditation. This instructional activity includes discussion questions and...
Curated OER
Asda in a Pickle After Rat Found in Gherkins
Practice reading and speaking through a simulation activity in which learners role-play as store managers and angry customers. The class also reviews present and past-perfect tenses. Extensions and a print-friendly handout are provided.
Curated OER
Fort Detail
Learners explore U.S. history by participating in a scavenger hunt. In this Civil War instructional activity, students read assigned text discussing the many battles of the Civil War and the importance of a fort to the fighting parties....
Curated OER
Mexico's Day of the Dead
Learners explore global culture by researching a Mexican holiday. In this Day of the Dead lesson, students read assigned text which discusses the view of death in several different cultures including the U.S. and Mexico. Learners write a...
Curated OER
A Pixie Biography Report
Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. For this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Students utilize their...
Curated OER
Combining Clouds and Art in the Classroom
Students observe landscape paintings consisting of cloud formations. In this identifying cloud types lesson, students discover different cloud types and characteristics by looking at paintings. Students paint their own pictures at the...
Curated OER
What Makes a Cat a Cat?
Students investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them. In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab. Students review the footage from the cat and other animals and...
Curated OER
Where are the Famous Women in History?
Pupils investigate sexism in history by identifying important women from the U.S. In this women's equality lesson plan, students discuss why they remember more men in the history of the U.S. than women. Pupils compare women's and men's...
Curated OER
Puberty
Students investigate life science by answering maturity questions. In this human health lesson, students identify the changes which occur during puberty and answer study questions based on sexual awareness. Students define scientific...
Curated OER
Specialized Structures and Environments
Fifth graders explore biology by completing an Internet activity in class. In this adaptation lesson, 5th graders identify several organisms and mammals that fight for their existence through slow changes to their anatomy over the course...
Curated OER
Civil War: Generals at the Battle of Stones River
Students explore U.S. history by creating a computer presentation in class. In this Civil War battle lesson, students read assigned text about the Battle of Stones River and research individual generals from the battles. Students utilize...
Curated OER
Writing a News Report
Students explore journalism by analyzing current events. In this news report lesson, students identify important questions to ask during an interview and discuss a fictitious news story about a missing teacher. Students read published...
Curated OER
Death On Board La Belle: Finding Clues from Old Bones
Students practice analyzing skeletal remains for clues by using the Internet. In this scientific investigation lesson, students research the La Belle shipwreck using the Internet and written materials, later completing a Skeletal Report...