Curated OER
Graphing Family Reading Habits
Second graders collect data from their families about their reading habits and graph them. For this graphing family reading habits lesson, 2nd graders interview family members about their reading habits. They then use a graphing computer...
Curated OER
Think & Learn As You Go!!!
Students examine a KWL chart as a tool to generate questions about reading texts. They fill in a KWL chart for the beginning, middle, and end of a book before reading portions of the book. Next, they finish the book, complete the KWL,...
Curated OER
Using Pictures to Support the Main Idea
Second graders practice using photos to support the main idea. In this reading comprehension activity, 2nd graders read and explore the photos in the book, Amazing Tigers! Students examine the photos to identify and support the main...
Curated OER
Pigs: A Visual Splendor
Third graders practice using visualization to aid in their reading comprehension. After a reading a chapter from the book "Charlotte's Web," students write a brief summary of the plot using their visualizations, aided by reading...
Curated OER
Double-Entry Journal Writing
Introduce your learners to the concept of a double-entry journal. Talk about how to connect with the text and model an example for them. Using whatever literature you are working with, have scholars choose a quote and make their own...
Curated OER
Summarization Safari
Students summarize a piece of fiction text. After reviewing the correct way to question while reading, students independently read a short story. They complete a summary organizer using the five Ws outlined by the instructor during...
Curated OER
Do You Know Your Story Grammar?
Young scholars are introduced to the concept of story structure as a way to aid in reading comprehension. They identify the main parts of the story as they read. Students create a story map of the main plot points of their reading.
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...
Curated OER
The Final Word
Although this lesson is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content and style used by...
Curated OER
Writing American Diaries
Young scholars examine the concept of historical perspective in writing. They read the diary of Sally Wister, a young Patriot from Philadelphia during the Revolutionary Era. Additionally, they must include different points of view in...
Curated OER
Don't Believe the Hype
Are hand sanitizers good for you? What about the environment? Research the science behind commonly used cold medicines. The class reads an article, creates a product poster, and conducts independent research on product claims made by...
Curated OER
George vs. George Essay Pre-writing
To practice pre-writing techniques your class will re-read the book George vs. George and complete a T-chart along with brainstorming ideas on how to organize their essay.
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
Analyzing Relationships
Students explore relationships between story characters. In this story elements and reading comprehension lesson, students generate character traits of the characters in Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson. Students describe...
Curated OER
Sum It Up
After a review of the steps involved in writing a summary, class members read The Physics of Baseball by Sarah Ives and use a story web to identify the important details to include in their summary. Class members then choose an article...
Curated OER
Similes and Metaphors
Reward your class with tasty treats while teaching them about simile and metaphor. After a teacher demo and explanation of simile and metaphor, pupils read books, looking for examples of these literary devices and copying them down....
Curated OER
Reading for Information: Chinese Emigration
Pupils explore Chinese emigration and answer comprehension questions from the reading; students conduct interview with someone who has immigrated to the United States.
US House of Representatives
Hispanic Americans in Congress During the Age of U.S. Colonialism and Global Expansion, 1898–1945
New ReviewTo be Puerto Rican, in the words of one politician, is to be "foreign in a domestic sense." Young historians consider the American role in colonialism and its impacts on Hispanic Americans through the first part of the twentieth century...
Curated OER
Parts of a Cell Analogy
Learners reinforce comprehension of the parts of a cell. Theyl synthesize this content knowledge in a descriptive paragraph writing assignment.
Curated OER
Poetry in Motion
Students expand their understanding and appreciation for poetry. In this poetry unit lesson, students complete 5 unit sections of multiple day activities to learn about poetry and its devices or forms.
Curated OER
Do You See What I See?
Students participate in a reading skills lesson to improve reading comprehension. The skill of visualization is taught and practiced to help them better understand the plot of a story.
Curated OER
The Keeping Quilt
Students discover story analysis by discussing a book the class reads together. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read the book The Keeping Quilt and discuss the different characters and plot points among the class. ...
Curated OER
Get the Facts
Students summarize nonfiction text. After reviewing the highlight and cross out process for reading in order to summarize, students independently read a nonfiction article. They write a summary paragraph using the three step process...
Scholastic
Thanksgiving Lessons Grades PreK-2
A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...