Curated OER
Retelling
Explore language arts by completing a story worksheet in class. Readers will identify the importance of plot, setting, and character while they write their own short story. They also retell their story to a classmate and participate in a...
Curated OER
Gingerbread Man Retell
Explore the concept of retelling a story with the Gingerbread Man. Read various gingerbread man stories with your class. They will create character puppets and retell the story to one another and in small groups. Additionally, they will...
Curated OER
What is a Make Believe Story?
Explore the concept of make believe stories. In this genres of literature instructional activity, students discover the difference between realistic fiction and fantasy. They are asked questions during and after the reading of a book to...
Weebly
Author Study: Eric Carle
Dive into an author study of one of the most beloved children’s book authors, Eric Carle. After reading some of his stories, including Papa Get me the Moon, A House for Hermit Crab, The Grouchy Ladybug, and The Very Busy...
Museum of Disability
Ian’s Walk and Apples for Cheyenne
Help young learners understand friendship and empathy with two reading comprehension lessons. Each instructional activity focuses on a story about a child with autism, and encourages readers to compare and contrast the characters to each...
Curated OER
Aboriginal Hand Prints
A part of a study of Australian Aboriginal culture, class members listen to a Dreamtime story about a father who stenciled his handprint on a rock wall. Class members then make their own hand print art representative of themselves...
PreKinders
Community Helper Word Cards
What does a dentist do? What about a farmer? Explore different jobs with a set of picture word cards. Each card in a set of 12 features the name of a career with a picture of the person who has that job.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: "I Can't," Said the Ant (Cameron)
With both rhyme and a fun storyline, Polly Cameron's story "I Can't," Said the Ant is a useful resource for vocabulary in context. Emerging readers focus on five key words: cooperate, mend, nimble,...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Over in the Meadow (Keats)
If you're reading the classic story Over in the Meadow, consider this strategy to cover vocabulary in context with budding readers. After a brief introduction, listeners raise a hand when they hear each word (bask,...
PreKinders
Spring Picture Word Cards
Ring in the spring with a set of picture word cards. Eight pages of cards introduce animals such as rabbits and chicks, as well as spring items such as umbrellas and blossoms.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Priceman)
What a fun way to explore new vocabulary words! Marjorie Priceman's book Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride offers plenty of new words for scholars to learn in context: amateur, assembled,...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: My School's a Zoo (Smith)
Your classroom may feel like a zoo sometimes, but it's nothing like this! Stu Smith's book My School's a Zoo is an excellent way to introduce some fun vocabulary words in context, and it's available on YouTube in case...
Community Social Studies Unit
Lesson 1 - Community Social Studies Unit
Some problems are so big it takes an entire community to solve them. So was the case in the children's book Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story by Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall. This primary grade lesson plan uses a class...
Curated OER
What Kind of Vessel Are You?
This is a strange question; but what kind of vessel would you be and why? After examining images of a large Inca jug, the class sets to writing a creative narrative that answers that very interesting question. They start by researching...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
We’re a Family: Challenge Activities (Theme 3)
Focus on family during this themed collection of extension activities for more advanced learners. Class members draw, share, retell stories, create posters, and more during these activities.
Curated OER
Random Acts of Kindness For Kids
Develop a world-wide, email chain on which class members can showcase their acts of kindness. After defining the meaning of random acts of kindness through discussion and through a reading of Random Acts of Kindness,...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
A World of Animals: Challenge Activities (Theme 10)
Animals are the theme of this series of challenge activities. Extend scholars' learning opportunities by writing personal narratives and book reports, creating picture and alphabet books, and drawing scenes from stories read aloud.
California Academy of Science
Be Prepared for an Earthquake
Earthquakes can be frightening and dangerous, but being prepared can make a world of difference. Perform an earthquake simulation during which the class practices how to drop, cover, and hold on as you read a script...
Scholastic
Ruby Bridges: A Simple Act of Courage, Grades K-2
A civil rights movement lesson designed specifically with the Common Core State Standards in mind, young learners are introduced to the story of Ruby Bridges as the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Shapes - Kindergarten
Extend scholars' learning experience with a unit consisting of five shape lesson plans, an extension activity, assessment, and rubric. Begin by reading a story about shapes, then conduct an overview and assign pupils' their first...
Curated OER
Travis the Train Learns Colors
Reinforce color words, word recognition, and color identification with this train-themed color book. Each page contains an image of a colored train and a sentence describing that train. Additional pages show the same trains but ask,...
Teachers.net
Point of View
Work with your class on point of view by reading "The Three Little Pigs." Learners demonstrate an understanding that the point of view is determined by the author and that different points of view exist. They then read a different short...
Curated OER
Making Sense of Our Senses
Students participate in activities about the five senses. They explore objects, listen to stories and discuss the senses with classmates.
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension: Setting
Use this worksheet on setting to help guide learners as they read a book with their family. As they read, they answer four questions about when and where the book takes place. This worksheet is designed to be signed by reader and parent...