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How to Write A+ Essays!
This lesson, which promises to improve the essays of your middle schoolers, contains a list of characteristics an essay should include. It breaks it down into the introduction, thesis statement, body, etc. There's also a list of things...
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Appropriate Use of Helping Verbs
Intended for learners struggling with or having issues using auxiliary verbs, this activity has them orally compose sentences using one of the provided helping verbs. They will attempt to find patterns in groups of verbs and make class...
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The Facts, Gimme the Facts!
Young scholars engage in a variety of activities which help them memorize their times tables. There are some very good ideas imbedded in this plan of how to systematically teach the basic facts in a way that help students retain what...
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Ivan the Fool: Lesson 1
Students read and analyze a classic Eastern European folktale. In partners, they read the story, take notes, define vocabulary terms, and write a summary of the folktale.
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The Power of Poetry
Sixth graders read several poems and choose one to create a Powerpoint presentation. They create original illustration for the poems and use graphics from software resources. Students are then are given jobs in order to create a...
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Red Hot Resume!!
Sixth graders identify personal strengths and the importance of highlighting their talents when writing a resume. They write a reflection narrative on "Cool Stuff I Can Do." They generate the information for the narrative from class...
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What's the Big Idea
Discuss the concept of main idea in a story or other reading material. Middle schoolers identify the main idea in a passage using a technique that eliminates unnecessary words not relevant to the main idea.
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Enjoying the Adventure
Students watch the video of "The Prince and the Pauper" and analyze, compare and contrast the characters. They write letters to a character from the point of view of another character and create a new ending to the play.
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The Young Basketball Player
Students explore the history of basketball by reading and listening to a book entitled, "The Young Basketball Player." Afterwards, they create a trivia basketball game and write an interview for their favorite player. As a...
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Word of the Day
Students use Internet to research definition of an assigned vocabulary word, and brainstorm ideas for how to teach the new word to classmates in an innovative way using a digital format.
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Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
Students compose a letter to a family member. In this writing lesson plan, students listen to the book, Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers and identify the parts of a letter.
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Storybook Theater
Tell a story visually using this resource. Learners design a storybook theater by creating a book and painting watercolor pictures describing scenes from the story. This is a creative means to have your class practice summarizing skills.
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Appropriate Use of Helping Verbs
Readers of all ages correctly use appropriate verbs in their speech and writing. The focus of this lesson is on the proper use of helping verbs.
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Guest Speaker Preparation: A Cooperative Lesson
Are you planning to have a guest speaker talk to your class? Prepare in advance and help your class transform into an engaged and thoughtful audience. Before the visit, young writers work cooperatively to brainstorm what they want to...
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Mapping the Lewis and Clark Trail
Students explore how physical and human geography features effected Lewis and Clark's expedition by using the Lewis and Clark Digital Discovery Web site.
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Lily's Crossing
Students listen to a story, "Lily's Crossing," about life during a World War. After completing worksheets, they compare and contrast characters in the story. Using math skills, students develop a time line of the war, calculate the...
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Poetry Cubes
Reading aloud can be scary, but it's an important way to build oral fluency. Break the class into groups of four or five learners. Each learner will roll a cube to determine which poem they read aloud to their small group. Feel free to...
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Animation Pre-Production
Does your class love reading cartoons? Use their talents and interests to examine the process of writing a story they wish to tell through a cartoon. They develop the beginning, middle, and end of a story based on their original...
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My Mind is Blank
Investigate prewriting activities in this brainstorming lesson. Middle schoolers are divided into groups and are assigned a topic. They decide which prewriting technique to choose from, including free write, looping, brainstorming,...
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The Sounds of Daydream
Based on the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by Irish poet William Butler Yeats, this resource is well constructed and guides learners through examining the Yeats poem (rhyme, meter, content) to composing a poem of their own about a...
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Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is an important topic to address with middleschoolers. Here, learners take an active role in identifying and discussing this issue. Reviewing this resource with your class will help to equip them to be a part of the...
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MyVocabulary.com: Word Roots SPECT, STA, and VERT Beginner Definition Match
Learners are provided with 12 vocabulary words, all of which contain the word roots SPECT, STA or VERT, and their corresponding definitions. They must then match the appropriate definition to each word. This is a beginner level...
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The Raven
After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.
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Dreams, Stars, and Beaches
Compare and contrast ideas, hopes and dreams with those of Cassie in Faith Ringgold's, Tar Beach. your students can entries in their journals expressing their ideas.