Curated OER
Developing a Topic for Writing Using an Idea Web
Teach your upper graders how to use an idea web to develop a topic for writing. After reading a variety of stories about friendship (a list of stories with the theme of friendship is included), model using an idea web. Class members...
Curated OER
Civil War Essay
Upper graders explore equality by writing an essay. They read the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, and discuss the meaning of the story and its relevance to Civil War events. Learners investigate the five writing process steps and...
Curated OER
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...
Scholastic
What’s the Good Word? Etymology Project Guidelines
Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional...
Curated OER
Vivid Verbs
Spice up your writing! Your amateur writers will benefit from concentrating on understanding and improving verb use in writing. An introductory activity addresses weak verbs. A second exercise helps them see the importance of strong...
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Marvelous Mysteries
Fifth graders explore mystery stories. In this reading and writing lesson, 5th graders complete a planning guide for an original mystery. Students use the writing process to create a mystery story.
Curated OER
Quick Writes
Students write on a variety of topics, maximize creative and expository writing skills, develop focused writing, organize ideas, incorporate detail in writing, and exhibit varied and precise word choice.
Teacher Web
1920's Magazine
What a creative and engaging project to incorporate into your studies of the 1920s! Your young historians will work in groups to design a magazine discussing the political and cultural topics of the decade, each member writing one...
Curated OER
Self Biography
Get to know your students with this project. Each individual writes an autobiography that is at least seven pages long with major facts, visual facts, focal stories, and chronology. The lesson includes a point breakdown for the...
Curated OER
Six Trait Writing with Charles Dickens and Shel Silverstein
Second graders identify the traits of good writing in poems and stories in the six lessons of this unit. The traits analyzed are used to improve the student's own writing skills.
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Science Inventions
Third graders explore the world of inventions by describing their impact on their own lives. In this technology lesson, 3rd graders practice writing descriptive paragraphs about different inventions that they find interesting Students...
Curated OER
The News Article and The Editorial
Here is an outstanding series of lessons on journalism, writing newspaper articles, and writing editorials. This type of writing has long-been neglected in our schools, so this collection of writing activities is most-valuable. Along...
Curated OER
A Course in Basic Skills
Tenth graders complete a course in basic skills in order to meet the standards for sophomore year. Using one of their classmates papers, they identify the main idea, topic sentence and theme. They also identify the transitional words...
Curated OER
Creating a Peace Poem
Second graders write a poem using words from a list and practice poetic forms. In this lesson on writing a peace poem, 2nd graders brainstorm words or phrases associated with "peace." Students choose a poetic form to express their...
Curated OER
Descriptive Paragraphs
Third graders gain the necessary skills to write a descriptive paragraph. They see the evaluation and decision making process that are used in good wriitng. The bible is used to see illustrations and then used to paint a picture in...
Curated OER
Economics: Products of South Louisiana
Students explore the economy of Louisiana. In this economics activity, students examine the roles of farmers, processors, and distributors in food production and consumption. Students use flip cameras to record how selected products are...
Curated OER
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
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Animals of the Sea
First graders construct a story using adjectives. They type and edit their story using a computer and ClarisWorks, Kids-Paint and Write.
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Haiku Leaves
Fifth graders create their own Haiku poem about something they saw on a trip outdoors. They write it on a handmade leaf which is used to create an autumn display in the classroom.
Curated OER
Changing the World, One Month at a Time
Young scholars participate in kindness and good citizenship activities in this lesson. Each month of the school year, they are assigned a different activity. For example, in August the theme is "Getting to Know You!" The students hand...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs: "If I had a Dinosaur"
First graders analyze what it would be like to own a dinosaur. In this dinosaur writing lesson, 1st graders review knowledge and key terms about dinosaurs in order to complete a one paragraph creative writing assignment. Students compile...
Curated OER
Swimming with Crabs
Students explore Earth science by completing several graphic organizer activities in class. In this oceanography lesson, students research ocean inhabitants such as blue crab and oysters. Students complete graphic organizers about the...
Curated OER
Change the World, One Month at a Time
Students complete monthly acts of kindness using the given instructions. In this acts of kindness lesson plan, students follow the directions for each month to create and give an act of kindness to their classmates or other individual.
Curated OER
A Peaceful World
Students recognize the rights of children, what they mean, how the rights are violated, and how students can uphold those rights. Students express their knowledge and feelings about a right of their choosing.