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Can You Find It?
Plan a Parts of a Book scavenger hunt. Begin by giving your young adventurers a book, and asking them to find the title, author, illustrator, and table of contents. After a discussion of the purpose of each of these items, class members...
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Lesson Six: Nonfiction Text Elements (Part One)
Students examine nonfiction text elements in preparation for writing a nonfiction book about Lewis and Clark. In this social studies/language arts lesson, students discuss the term research and complete a cluster map. Additionally,...
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Problem-Solving Processes and Figurative Language
Nonfiction texts about people on the move provide young readers with an opportunity to examine not only the problem-solving strategies employed by immigrants, but to also find examples of figurative language these writers use to tell...
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What Do You See at the Pond?
With What Do You See at the Pond?, young readers explore pond life and practice reading strategies. Learners first make predictions and then read the simple story independently. After a second read-through with a partner, kids come...
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Researching Using Books
Pupils investigate researching techniques by exploring their library. In this literature references lesson plan, students identify the different types and genres of books that are readily available at their local library as well as...
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How-To Books
Pupils apply their knowledge and create a how-to book of their own. In this early childhood language arts worksheet, students learn about non-fiction books and write their own procedural non-fiction booklets.
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Guided Reading: Three Little Pigs (Plus Wolf: Javalinas)
Guide your class through reading various versions of The Three Little Pigs. Talk about the traditional story line and then discuss a different point of view: Maybe the wolf was just an innocent bystander! This lesson plan, which has...
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Habitat Hunt
Third graders read several nonfiction texts and practice finding the main idea for the text as well as learn about various habitats. In this main idea lesson, 3rd graders read several nonfiction texts and make habitat cards. Students...
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You Be the Judge
Students explore nonfiction writing by completing a worksheet in class. In this research questions lesson, students read several stories about the Wild West icons Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. Students answer study questions about the...
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Non-Fiction Animal Picture Books
Pupils complete a multi-lesson unit using research to create their own book about an animal of their choice. After discussing the elements of non-fiction texts, they use internet research to explore an animal of interest to them. They...
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Heartsongs Poetry by Mattie Stepanek
Use Mattie Stepanek’s Heartsongs book of poetry to inspire young poets to write about their own lives, experiences, and feelings. After reading the introduction to Mattie’s book, in which he talks about himself and his reasons for...
University of Arizona
Found News Poems
Combine informational text and creative writing with one fun activity! Middle and high schoolers write found poems based on newspaper headlines that they find. The resource includes a thorough lesson plan and many links to articles that...
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Magnificent Mexico
Students complete a variety of activities in a unit about the art, culture, and traditions of Mexico. They read books about the Day of the Dead, create a skeleton puppet, and create a traditional Mexican tissue paper cutting. Students...
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?Que ser de nosotros? (What Will Become of Us?)
Students discuss uses of a pumpkin. They fill out graphic organizers. Students listen as the teacher reads a story, and participate by repeating sounds the objects make as the story progresses. One student narrates the story while others...
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Radical Reads
Students recreate an "American Idol" contest in which they present their favorite books to their classmates using arguments for and excerpts from the books. Following the presentation, students will be polled and the least popular books...
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Library Curriculum: What Would a Wonderful Library Be Like?
Second graders complete a KWL chart about libraries. They create a book using writing patterns of a particular author. Students decide criteria for awarding the Second Grade Librarian Award to books in the classroom library, and use a...
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Creating Comic Strips
Students recognize the elements needed to create a comic strip. In this comic strip lesson, student understand that comic strips need words and pictures. Students find differences and similarities in comic strips. Students describe how...
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We Like to Imagine - Animals
Students describe a pretend animal. They read "The After School Monster." Students read other books and discuss whether or not the characters are real. Students make a drawing of a pretend animal and of a real animal. They make up a...
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Publisher Brochures
Students create brochures on subjects they are studying in Publisher. In this nonfiction writing lesson plan, students use Publisher to create a brochure telling all the main ideas of a topic they are studying. Students use text boxes,...
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Coral Reefs
Students examine the animals that live in a coral reef and how they adapt to their environment. In this coral activity students write a short book on how animals inhabit the coral reefs.
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Drawing Birds
First graders discuss what they know about birds and share picture books. They read text on the page and discuss the question and draw the flying bird on their paper by having them look at the color drawing of the bird.
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Literal Meaning of Reading
Students practice basic reading skills. In this reading lesson plan, students review the letter M, read the story If You Give a Mouse a Muffin. Students will then write a book using their name, for example: If You Give a Taco to Tracy.
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Spider Watching
Spiders are creepy, crawly - and interesting! Young entomologists learn about parts of a spider's body, their habitats, ways spiders catch their prey, and what they most like to eat. Some excellent art activities are included in the plan...
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Into the Bat Cave
Learners explore the lives of bats. In this bat lesson plan, students participate in up 6 activities that focus on bats and build their background knowledge about the nocturnal mammals.