Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Short But Sweet

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
After analyzing and evaluating news summaries found in the New York Times "Week in Review" section, middle schoolers study the steps for summarizing a news article briefly and accurately. They write two news summaries: one on a newspaper...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Who Could Have Been Who

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can word choice affect a candidate's likeability? Use a New York Times lesson to explore how a presidential candidate's likeability factor can fluctuate in public opinion polls. Young readers choose a presidential election from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map It Out

For Teachers K - 4th
Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Community Book

For Teachers K - 3rd
Young learners examine different places in their neighborhood using informational texts. First they identify a place that they like to play and predict if it will be in the nonfiction book Community at Play.They will share their favorite...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Details from Text to Identify Author's Purpose

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Explore writing techniques by analyzing newspapers and magazines with middle schoolers. They will collaborate in small groups to read local news stories and identify the main ideas and author's intent. They also utilize an information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle Reading and Writing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Here is a great way to get pupils to express a scientific concept in a fun way. After hearing the story of Walter the Water drop and learning facts about the water cycle, the class will write a creative expository piece describing what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medical Explorer: The Big Idea

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Read informational text which relays how medical care differs around the globe and throughout history. There are three separate lessons, each focused on a particular case study, regional medical availability, and cultural norms. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geo Jammin' By Design - Day 7, Lesson 38: Kool Cups

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Create geometric cups by interpreting directions, informational text, and mathematical concepts. Critical thinkers apply geometric theory (congruent shapes, patterns, symmetry) to actual directions to create a cup that holds Kool Aid....
Activity
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Curated OER

Lovely Ladybugs

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Make cute ladybugs with egg cartons and pipe cleaners! After you read some facts about ladybugs, use different materials to make some ladybugs for your classroom.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bread in a Bag

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Could the history of bread really be interesting? Yes, it could! An informational text gives scholars wheat production background from 8,000 years ago, discussing different types of bread and the current industry in Oklahoma. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Call it "Macaroni"

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Who knew there were so many fun educational opportunities featuring pasta? Scholars read a brief informational text about the history of pasta (note that "macaroni" is spelled two different ways, so address this if kids are reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get in the Newspaper Habit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Dive into journalism with your high schoolers! The resources provided here will help your learners write unbiased, clear, and succinct newspaper articles. First they spend time sifting through stacks of articles, filling out a graphic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Butterfly, Butterfly: Teaching Vocabulary

For Teachers K
Kindergarteners practice new words through listening to and reading the science book Butterfly by Jenny Feely. The teacher will first choose words that are essential for understanding the text. Then, using pictures in the text,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking News English: French Football

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Intermediate or early advanced English speakers practice their reading comprehension skills with this short passage and its accompanying activities. After reading the text, learners talk about racism, discrimination, equality, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Choosing A Search Site

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Computer savvy kids construct a lift-the-flap poster to aid them in selecting appropriate search sites for research and information gathering. Through online observations, they record and compare the features of four children's search...
Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Informational Writing

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Emerging writers identify an informational piece of writing. They are provided with examples of informational writing and view a PowerPoint on narrative writing. Then, they design their own informational writing with a brochure,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Save an Endangered Species

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Have your young learners work in pairs to find and research an endangered species. They use research to develop ideas about saving their animal from extinction. Pairs develop a three-dimensional model of the animal's habitat. Then,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Campaign Trailblazers

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Explore the backgrounds, qualifications, and platforms of the presidential candidates for the 2000 election. Though the lesson is outdated, the activities within the informational text could be good practice for your young learners as...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Learning From World War II and Connecting It to the Present

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Compare and contrast World War II to the modern Iraq war with this instructional activity. After watching a film, learners use supporting evidence to support their point of view of the conflicts. Using the internet, they create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Purpose and Power of Persuasion

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Examine the power of persuasion and have learners consider how it influences events in their own lives. After reading and analyzing informational texts to understand the author's purpose, class members take a written test and craft a...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Planning Writing: Making Notes for the Accessing Books Around the World Informative Paragraph

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Encourage your young writers to thoughtfully plan and organize their work. First, model how this is done and vocalize your thought process as you work. Next, create a class list of strategies that they can use during independent writing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange Going to the Promised Land

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
To better understand the migrant experience during the Great Depression, pupils analyze two primary resources: photographs by Dorothea Lange and a U.S. Map that shows the Dust Bowl. They compare and contrast Lange's images to Steinbeck's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Japan Through Cooperative Research

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Search a variety of sources to create a multimedia or book project about Japan. Learners use the independent investigation method to plan and conduct research about Japan. They use the information they discover to create a computer book...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Saturn, The Real "Lord of the Rings"

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Reading, writing, and rings! A lesson plan from NASA combines space science with authentic reading and writing tasks. Included in this lesson plan are pre-reading activities, four mini informational booklets on Saturn, a...