Curated OER
State the Facts
Students, while silently reading the book, "Mr. Pilling's Pond," by Patricia Nikolina Clark, and "One Good Turn," by Bette Anne Rieth, discuss how to summarize each book. They review the five steps to summarization and write them down.
Curated OER
Whooz-z-z Can Summarize
Students summarize an article by reading fast for details and reading slow for important facts. They practice outlining an article. They identify parts of an article such as the title and subheading. They write a short and concise...
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears Pantomime
Students investigate acting and performing arts by portraying a story in class. In this pantomiming lesson, students read the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and discuss the characters amongst themselves. Students portray the 4...
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My Insect Report
Is your class writing a report on insects? If they are, you have to check out this great set of worksheets. It provides a well-scaffolded system they can use to organize their research findings in order to compose a well-structured...
Curated OER
Guess What It Is?
Third graders write and present a descriptive 'powergraph' that describes a secret object using prior knowledge of adjectives, clustering graphic organizers, and presentation skills. Authors read powergraphs and classmates 'Guess What It...
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What Is Haiku
Students engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the study of poetry while focusing on Haiku as a format. They practice reading a variety of different pieces of literature in order to increase exposure. Students discuss...
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An Author Report on Beverly Cleary
Students examine Beverly Cleary as a reader and an author. They write a letter to Beverly Cleary that details their personal journey as readers and writers after reading her work and keeping a reading journal.
Penguin Books
Core Curriculum Lesson Plans for Jefferson's Sons
Thomas Jefferson lived a controversial life. A series of lesson plans shares information about Jefferson's Sons, a novel about the infamous founding father. Discussion questions and other tasks explore different points of view and cover...
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The Outsiders
Are you working on an Outsiders unit? Use this list of activities to deepen your middle schoolers' understanding of the novel. After reading S.E. Hinton's novel, young readers work on three required activities, including participating in...
Curated OER
Left-to-Right Reading
Left-to-right, left-to-right, that's the way we read and write! Watch this short video clip and teach your young learners this chant before they start writing!
Curated OER
Phineas Gage: “Medicine: Then and Now” Pre-Reading Activity
What did medicine look like a hundred years ago? Two hundred years ago? Invite small groups to conduct research on the history of a chosen medical advancement before reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science....
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Visualization: Cricket in Times Square
After reading The Cricket in Times Square chapter titled "Caught in the Kitchen," learners list three describing details about the characters and setting. Groups collaborate to find sensory details to support their character assertions....
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Masterpieces and the Mass-Produced
Students examine "masterpieces" and mass-produced objects as they discuss humankind's inventiveness and creativity. They also analyze the role of problem solving in the creation of masterpieces and mass-produced items.
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Research Skills: Evaluating Information and Sources
While this focuses on Ancient Rome, the objectives are improved research and information evaluation skills. In one class period, class members narrow their topic, research it, select the best information, log useful sources, and discuss...
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Enemy Pie
Third graders pair up with a partner via an online classroom. They analyze half of the story "Enemy Pie" and communicate with their online peer to predict the outcome of the story.
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Email Buddies
Collaborate with another class (or school) and have your learners share ideas about their reading through the use of email. Perhaps you'll create a specific question or a few questions for writers to choose from. Not only will they...
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We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Second graders participate in guided reading and writing experience in this set of five lessons. They complete a picture walk of Michael Rosen's, We're Going on a Bear Hunt before listening to the story and retelling it. Working with a...
Curated OER
Comparing Cultures
Young readers compare two stories/cultures, identifying how they are alike and different. They share their own version of a well-known story and adapt it to another culture. They explain their adaptations.
Curated OER
"The Three Billy Goats Gruff:" Retelling the Story
Youngsters retell the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. They write a sentence for speech bubbles for a character in the story, identify the phrases that can be used for retelling a story, and in small groups write a sentence for the...
Curated OER
We're Flipping for Nursery Rhymes
Students read a variety of nursery rhymes with a focus on "Humpty Dumpty". While reading, they identify the words that rhyme along with the setting, plot and characters. To end the instructional activity, they complete a Venn Diagram...
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Sticky Note Reading Lesson
Fourth graders read about Indiana's history and use sticky notes to record important information. In this sticky notes lesson, 4th graders record cultural information about the people of Indiana.
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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Spiders Have Special Characteristics
Students state reasons why spiders are grouped in specific categories, including what distinguishes a spider from an insect. They report on their observations of the spiders. They illustrate their report with drawings in their journals.
Curated OER
TEXT MESSAGING
Students examine the differences between standard and non-standard English and use text-speak to rewrite a plot summary and a news story. They identify a type of non-standard English and determine the characteristics that make it...