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Word Origins
Understanding a word's etymology can really help with decoding and building vocabulary skills. Readers compare and contrast words of similar origins but with different difficulty levels. They focus on prefixes, suffixes, and affixes....
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Where Do Words Come From?
Students examine the foreign-language roots of various English words. Using the dictionary's word derivation notes and abbreviation key, they develop a list of words with a foreign-language origin, and create a class dictionary.
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Once Upon a Word
Students explore the derivations and usage of common slang terms. Through internet research and discussion, students consider the Latin and Greek roots of contemporary slang terms. Groups complete an etymology chart documenting their...
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"Building a Word Wall" Roots - The Foundation of Language
Students probe the impact of Greek and Latin on the English language in this ten lesson unit. Root words are analyzed for their origins and displayed on a word wall. Inventions are created using the words and placed in a class museum.
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Ancient Origins: The Role of Archaeology in Reconstructing the Past
Students read information about the ancient origins of art and archaeology with a focus on the Malian culture. In this art origins lesson, students read background information for the topic and compare ancient and contemporary objects....
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Vocabulary Building Cards
Students select vocabulary words from their reading each week then complete a card for each word which includes definition, source and a sample sentence. They share their cards with the class and complete vocabulary building cards...
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A Vocabulary Word a Day
Students research one assigned vocabulary word and prepare a short teaching activity and memory aid to present with the word to the class. They take notes on all the new vocabulary words presented to them by other classmates then they...
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Writing History: From Students to Scholars
An Online NewsHour article about scholarly ethics launches this study of plagiarism. Since historians are supposed to bring original ideas and perspectives to their publications, they must give credit to the ideas of others. After a...
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What's In a Name?
Students examine the origins of the names of U.S. states, focusing on names that were derived from Native American words. They are provided with lists of the names of the 50 states, and then research online or in library resources the...
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What is Diabetes?
Students examine basic information about diabetes and related vocabulary words. They explore various health websites, complete a worksheet, discuss the worksheet answers and discuss diabetes myths vs. facts.
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WHAT'S ORGANIC?
Learners explore how certain foods come to be certified "organic." They write the words "organic" and "synthetic" and given the definitions of each. Students are given dictionaries. They are asked: "What is organic food?" Learners grow...
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April Fool's Day
Young scholars research how April Fool's Day began. They identify and discuss various theories, interview family members, write original myths about the first April Fool's Day and design a wild goose chase for another class.
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Conveying Message Through Musical Composition
Students listen to and discuss various protest songs from the 1960's, and write original lyrics for a song addressing global or societal issues. They write a paragraph evaluating the efficacy of the song to convey a message.
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Pysanky Eggs
Students explore Ukrainian culture and the additive dye process using wax as a resist. An original design is created displaying Ukrainian symbolism and placed onto an egg.
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From Land to Lunch
Students record their three meals and snacks for three days. They determine which items in their diets are grown on farms and record the items in various categories. They conduct Internet research to determine where carious ingredients...
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Letters from the Frontier: Reading and Writing Primary Documents
Students examine historical documents about George Caitlin to derive meaning about his life and contributions. The lesson is multicultural and helps students to appreciate art and history.
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Reading For Meaning
Select an article that explores people of another culture. After reading it as a class, distribute copies of this worksheet. It asks for a brief summary, encourages readers to make text-to-self connections, and asks learners to identify...
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Ancient American Art and Geometry
Students explore the relationship between geometry and ancient American art. They see how to recognize geometric properties in specific works and explain how these properties contribute to their meaning and artistic merit.
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Reading for Meaning
Students answer questions to a worksheet called Connect with Cultural Connections in order to read for meaning. In this read for meaning lesson plan, students read and answer 5 comprehension questions.
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The Life of Milton Hershey
Students examine the life and business success of Milton Hershey. They conduct an interview with a local entrepreneur, define key vocabulary terms, develop a list of jobs they can do to earn money, read a biography of Milton Hershey,...
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"Julie of the Wolves"
Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...
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Imagery
Ninth graders explore poems, various poetic devices, and identify imagery used in poetry. In groups, they examine poetic devices, define them, paraphrase and summarize poetry. Students study poetry by Robert Frost as they explore...
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Up, Up, and Away
Fifth graders participate in a WebQuest that introduces them to a study on clouds and how they relate to weather systems.
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The Journey of a Banana
To investigate the price of bananas in order to evaluate basic counting and number sense skills, your mathematicians focus upon multiplication and problem solving that incorporates social studies in the form of building awareness about...