Curated OER
Teaching Reading Comprehension through Social Studies Readings
Examine how immigrants have changed the environment of the United States. Individually, middle schoolers will take a pre- and post-test to assess their reading comprehension. In groups, they compare and contrast the religions of...
Curated OER
Module: Self Awareness
Get your scholars ready for the workplace! This is a comprehensive plan that will really prompt a big picture approach to career planning. Learners consider whether or not school is a real job, and how well it prepares them for the...
EngageNY
Understanding Themes in Esperanza Rising
Determining a theme or central idea is greatly emphasized in the Common Core standards. Target that skill though big metaphors and central symbols in Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising. Help your class reach the standard through...
Curated OER
Daily Writing from Self Selected Reading
Second graders practice their reading comprehension by analyzing stories they read in class. In this children's literature lesson, 2nd graders are assigned to read a book for 20 minutes each day in class and also reflect on it in their...
Curated OER
Reading
Students are introduced to various types of folk tales. During a read-aloud, they predict what they believe is going to happen next and practice following the story line. To end the lesson, they answer comprehension questions and...
Curated OER
Blast-Off to Blending
Practice working with different phonemes in consonants and vowels. Sounds are written on squares that get put on a rocket to "blast off" and meet other sounds. The teacher first models blending, then reads the new words. Young readers...
Cave Creek Unified School District
Crusades and Culture in the Middle Ages
The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...
Curated OER
A Teeth Changing Experience
Students research human health by reading an educational story in class. In this oral health lesson, students identify the importance of brushing their teeth and consuming calcium. Students read the book A Teeth Changing Experience and...
Curated OER
‘Pay it Forward’ Lesson Plan
Students develop their speaking skills. In this oral communication lesson, students read "One Hen" by Katie Smith Milway and work in groups to discover how making a small loan to the main character in the story had positive effects....
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Why Do Workers Strike? (Chapter 11: "Los Aguacates/Avocados")
Make connections between Esperanza Rising and human rights with the activities outlined here. The instructional activity starts out with a brief quiz and review of the novel. After that, pupils circulate and share quote strips that you...
Curated OER
Reading Power through Visualizations
Students practice visualizing images as they read in this lesson plan. Students create an oral collage with their visualizations. Students are then given three separate scenarios to visualize, and are assessed on their description of...
Curated OER
Light and Elements
Here is a full-fledged investigation of light waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and element spectra. Physicists research a scientist that contributed to our understanding of the behavior of light. They take notes on your lecture, and...
Curated OER
Nos Creemos Americanos: Braceros in History and Song
Mexican folk songs offer an authentic look at WWII immigrant workers. This study of the U.S. Bracero Program sets historians up with context information so they can write their own corrido. The class reviews themes and formulas of...
New York Public Library
What's for Lunch?: New York City Restaurant Menus
Do you remember the days when a cup of coffee cost five cents? At A.W. Dennett restaurant in 1894, you could buy a five-cent cup of coffee and as well as a five-cent slice of pie to accompany it. The menu from that year is a primary...
Curated OER
Discussing How Plants Grow
Study how plants grow with your English language learners with a cross-curricular lesson revolving around pumpkins. These activities provide opportunities to practice new scientific vocabulary while practicing skills such as estimating...
Curated OER
The Five Senses
Students use their senses to identify a variety of items in mystery boxes after listening to a read aloud of Aliki's, "My Five Senses." They taste and smell items to identify them before completing a Senses Literature Log. They label the...
Curated OER
Story Retelling
Students explore storytelling by participating in an image analysis activity. In this story structure lesson, students read the book Cookie's Week by Tomie dePaola and retell the story to their teacher in sequential order. Students...
Curated OER
Matter
First graders are read a story about the various stages of matter with a focus on gases. Using a ziploc bag, they capture as much air as possible and discuss how it takes up space even though it is invisible. To end the lesson, they blow...
Curated OER
What is a Seed?
Students share experiences they have had with different types of seeds. After being read a story, they are given a lima bean in which they split apart and examine the inside. To end the lesson, they share their own ideas on how they...
Curated OER
Putting On Armor
Seventh graders are read the story "EMS Code Blue" and asked to share what they would do in the different situations. As a class, they discuss the importance of getting help for mental or social problems and are given a list of resources...
Curated OER
Stop Signs, Musical Notes, Letters & Logos: Designing Symbols
Pupils develop an awareness of environmental print, such as signs, logos, brand names, and other print and non-print items that the children see and read in their neighborhood each day. They then engage in active problem solving as they...
Curated OER
Illinois Biodiversity
Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...
Curated OER
"Me and My Family Tree"
Students explore genealogy by reading a family history book in class. In this family tree lesson, students read the story Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney and discuss their own family history. Students identify what the term...
Curated OER
Worms! Nature's Recyclers
Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.