Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go Free or Die: Figurative Language

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Figures of speech, sensory details, and academic language are all targeted while reading Chapter Two of J. Ferris’ Go Free or Die. First, learners engage in an exercise to practice describing with detail. Then, partners use a...
Lesson Plan
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Acoustic Poems

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students explore acrostic poems. In this interactive poetry lesson, students visit the ReadWriteThink.org website to view characteristics and samples of acrostic poems. Students develop acrostic poems by using the interactive site.
Lesson Plan
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring Sensory Details in Fiction and Nonfiction Text

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders analyze storytelling devices by examining sensory details in literature. In this descriptive writing lesson, 2nd graders define the 5 senses and practice using descriptive vocabulary words in their writing. Students read...
Lesson Plan
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Poetry: What's on Your Plate (Part 2)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write a short paragraph using strong descriptions.  In this using modifiers lesson, students define modifier, adjective, adverb, metaphor, and simile.  Students then write a journal entry in which they write about a...
Lesson Plan
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Language Arts: Awesome Authors Website

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the writing techniques of professional authors and apply them to their own work. In pairs, they email authors to discover the tricks of the trade. Students create their own Website for their work.
Lesson Plan
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Ocean Life Mural

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
How many oceans can you name? First, have learners try to name as many oceans as they can, and then have them locate and identify the oceans on a world map. They create a recognizable ocean animal using poster board and tissue paper....
Lesson Plan
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Using Imagery in Poetry

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars examine the use of imagery in poetry. In this literature lesson, students read "Thought of Hanoi," by Nguyen Thi Vinhand use the provided graphic organizer to chart the poem imagery. Young scholars then describe the...
Lesson Plan
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Praise for a Color

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students discover the 5 senses by analyzing poetry.  In this poetry lesson, students read a poem with their class and analyze how each sense plays into their understanding of the poem.  Students write a poem based on a specific...
Lesson Plan
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Out of the Dust

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders read a book of poems called "Out of the Dust". In groups, they research the Dust Bowl and how it affected people living through the Great Depression. Using the text, they identify the theme and key turning points and...
Lesson Plan
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Crafting Poetry: A Sensory Journey

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders experiment with poetry devices to write poems. In this poetry lesson, 10th graders participate in learning stations. Students create a word pool and select a word from the list to create a line of poetry. Students complete...
Lesson Plan
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Poetry on the Prairie

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore the history of the Nebraska prairie by looking at different pieces of art. Using the art, they write a poem that captures the essence of a prairie. They use their senses and any feelings or emotions they get from the...
Lesson Plan
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Cesar Chavez Biopoem

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students demonstrate their learning about Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union by writing a biopoem. They word process the poem.
Lesson Plan
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Five Senses and Four Seasons Quilt

For Teachers K - 1st
Students explore the four seasons and the ways that their five senses give them information about each of the seasons. They work in groups to create a class quilt with one block for each season. Each block should include sensory details...
Lesson Plan
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Locational Writing

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students go outside to the playground and write a piece in the style of beat poets based on what they see and hear outside.
Lesson Plan
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Outer Space Creature

For Teachers K - 4th
Students read poems by Shel Silverstein about planets and outer space. As a class, they compare and contrast his descriptions to actual facts which have been discovered through explorations. They write a description of an outer space...
Lesson Plan
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The Raven: Creator of the Universe?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore biology by researching birds in class. In this raven identification lesson, students utilize the Internet to identify the anatomy, habits and habitat of ravens. Students write descriptive paragraphs about ravens and read...
Lesson Plan
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Memory of a Kiss

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read, discuss, and memorize the poem "Jenny Kissed Me." as an example of lyrical poetry. They write a letter to Jenny reliving the memory of her kiss from an elderly person's point of view. They illustrate their poems.
Lesson Plan
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Out of the Dust 4

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders read the novel, "Out of the Dust," and create a free-verse poem about a treasure of their own. They use the attached checklist to evaluate their own poem.
Lesson Plan
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Visual Aural Impressions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students view a piece of impressionist art, listen to a piece of jazz music and then write a piece about the picture in the style of beat poets. They compare their writing and look for differences in their perceptions.
Lesson Plan
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Happiness is A Warm Puppy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate dog breeds and write a short story from a dog's perspective. In this dog research and writing lesson, students watch the film, "Dog: The Early Years. They apply critical thinking skills to determine which type of dog...
Unit Plan
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Getting To Know You

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes ten lessons from the American Literature series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading and response activities are included for each...
Lesson Plan
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Build Your Own Adventure

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders write a narrative. They choose options for plot and climax within the context of an outdoor survival story.
Lesson Plan
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A Day During Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in read aloud activities of three books about life in Colonial times. They compare their life to that of children of Colonial times using a Venn diagram. They draw a picture and write about what a day in the...