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Plant Reproduction
Students plant seeds in order to investigate and explore the questions: "How do seed companies develop varieties of plants?" and "What is the ideal plant?" Students will study related vocabulary and sketch seeds as they emerge. Students...
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Harvesting Energy from Food: How do Plants Help Humans?
Beginning botanists view slides of plant vascular tissue. They watch Magic School Bus Gets Planted, which you can find online, and then write a summary of what they have learned about plants. This lesson plan could be used with upper...
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Understanding Flashback
Students are introduced to the definition of "flashback" in that writers use it when they want to reveal to readers something that happened in the past.
Then Students write a short story using a flashback scene and then move back to the...
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Great Expectations By Charles Dickens: A Classic, Or Just a Novel?
Seventh graders read the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. They consult Media Center and online sources as they conduct research needed to write an essay that answers the question, "Is Great Expectations a classic, or just a...
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Zulu King, Zulu King
Students listen to story Brown Bear, Brown Bear, brainstorm everything they know about Mardi Gras, create pages relating to Mardi Gras for class book, type information on computer, play slide show, and take turns reading their books.
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Show! Don't Tell!
Students write a descriptive paragraph. In this writing lesson, students define elaboration and discuss the characteristics of an elaborate paragraph. Students write a paragraph that contains vivid adjectives, strong verbs and exact nouns.
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Details, Details, Details
Students add details to their writing. In this language arts lesson, students use details to enhance their writing. Students view a picture and write a paragraph about what they see. Students conference with another student to edit their...
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Essay on Themes
Students read the book THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London and discuss the different elements in the book. They then write an essay on a theme providing examples backing up their main point of their essay.
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Writing Through Reading
Students are introduced to a new method of writing developed by Robert Gay. In groups, they practice retelling or rewriting one of their fellow classmates stories. They are also introduced to the technique of transcribing and write in...
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Setting Goals for Success
Students construct SMART goals. In this goal-setting instructional activity, students discover how to write a SMART goal for their student portfolios. Working in pairs students write short-term goals that will build towards a long-term...
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Up Close and Personal with Black Bayou Lake
Middle schoolers get up close and personal with Black Bayou Lake. Visiting web sites and taking virtual tours, they write multi-paragraph essays using descriptive words and literary devices.
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Reference Materials
Students discuss reasons to use reference materials, identify correct reference material to use for specific information, find answers to specific questions by locating information in encyclopedia, dictionary, atlas, almanac, glossary,...
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"The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Students read the novel, "The Giver", and test their comprehension through the game Jeopardy. Then students research individual rights of different cultures and write a summary of their findings. Students develop a personal timeline of...
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Making a Family Newsletter: Using a Word Template
Students create a one-page family newsletter about a selected person in their family. They bring in a photo or use a digital camera to take a picture of their selected family member, and use a newsletter template to write and publish...
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Writing a Biography - Helen Keller
Students write a biography of Helen Keller. This lesson takes more than one class period. They may have to do the research during a class period, and then them write their paper at home or during class the following day.
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Picture This
Students create a descriptive paragraph about their past or their heritage and provide a picture to go along with it. In this past and heritage lesson plan, students share their paragraph with the class.
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Eight Lines about home
Students brainstorm positive things about their city and write an eight line poem about it.
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Identifying Clouds
Students work in groups to research and prepare a report on cloud types. They present their findings to the class and take a group quiz competing for points. Students go outside and determine which type of clouds are visible on that day.
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Child Safety Brochure
Learners explore child safety information and use this information to produce a child safety brochure. During this process, they will have a chance to gather, organize, summarize and write information about child safety.
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Introduction to Poetry
Learners explore poetry. They investigate the poetry al around them. Students examine poetry in order to create a deeper understanding of poetry. They read and write a variety of poetry.
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Letter Writing Basics
Students construct a letter about a classroom issue as a class. They then write a letter individually that requests information, file a complaint or complement, or write a letter to the editor/legislator.
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Figurative Language - Part Two
Students need to use their papers from Part One of this lesson. They then write a paragraph for each term. This exercise help them to use these terms in their writing. Using figurative language makes writing more descriptive and alive.
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Deciphering Community
Middle schoolers explore the concept of a community. They identify and group various kinds of communities. Students create a concept map exemplifying their membership in different communities. They write a narrative describing their...
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A Round and A Round
Students practice singing rounds in daily warm-ups for 2 weeks prior to beginning this composition lesson. Students incorporate movement to the rhythm of each syllable, discuss syllables of words and their relationship to note values and...