Illustrative Mathematics
All vs. Only Some
All shapes have certain defining attributes that set them apart from others. In order to understand this, young mathematicians look at examples and non-examples of triangles, rectangles, and squares, working as a whole class to create...
EngageNY
Modeling with Polynomials—An Introduction (part 1)
Maximizing resources is essential to productivity. Class members complete an activity to show how math can help in the process. Using a piece of construction paper, learners construct a box with the maximum volume. Ultimately, they...
Teaching Ideas
The Aztecs
Did you know the Aztecs had two different calendars? Or that Aztec men could have more than one wife? Find out more about this ancient civilization including how they lived, what they ate, and their cultures and beliefs with a set of 20...
Curated OER
The Lightning Thief: Vocabulary Strategy
Take an in-depth look into the vocabulary from the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. With a list of words to choose from, scholars discover the definition, origin, stories associated with the...
Achieve3000
Discriminating Phonemes
Develop the fluency of beginning readers one sound at a time with this phonemic awareness lesson. Through a series of whole-class instruction, independent practice, and collaborative learning activities, children practice identifying the...
Curated OER
Shizuko’s Daughter: Discussion Web
Is Yuki a selfish character? Analyze her motivation and behavior during a unit on Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori. Readers fill out two sides of a graphic organizer with reasons why or why not she is selfish, and then come up with a...
Novelinks
Where the Red Fern Grows: Anticipation Guide Strategy
How do you rise above your challenges? This is a question the anticipation guide for Where the Red Fern Grows answers. Full of questions and direct statements about themes of the text, pupils investigate whether or not the writer would...
PB Works
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Record the plot elements of The Cay on this worksheet. Pupils note basic information about the book and answer questions about the introduction, point of view, character, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of...
California Education Partners
T Shirts
Which deal is best? Learners determine which of two companies has the best deal for a particular number of shirts. They begin by creating a table and equations containing each company's pricing structure. Individuals finish the seventh...
Inside Mathematics
Conference Tables
Pupils analyze a pattern of conference tables to determine the number of tables needed and the number of people that can be seated for a given size. Individuals develop general formulas for the two growing number patterns and use them to...
CK-12 Foundation
Patterns and Expressions: Cookie Jars
It's okay to get caught with your hand in a virtual cookie jar. Pupils use an interactive to drag cookies from two cookie jars onto a plate. They investigate how an expression representing the number of remaining cookies changes as users...
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Protesting Violence without Violence
The ultimate legacy of Emmett Till's violent death is its role in the non-violent roots of the Civil Rights Movement. A lesson compares contemporaneous articles with the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "The Death of Emmett Till" and prompts...
Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.
Schedules and Routines: Grade 5
Before diving head first into the year's curriculum, take time to establish clear routines and procedures for your classroom. Starting with how to set up a class schedule that meets the needs of fifth grade learners, this sample chapter...
Sea World
Shark!
Is that a shark? Here's a 10-lesson unit that will have learners expanding their definition of what a shark actually is as they examine different features, habitats, and diets. They explore endangered species, using information cards...
Nemours KidsHealth
Eating Disorders: Grades 3-5
Explore the idea of self-esteem through different mediums. Research what is needed for increased self-esteem: list three things one might do well in, take a photo of an activity where each student is performing well, and examine how the...
Calvin Crest Outdoor School
Survival
Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...
Oregon Department of Education
Habits of Mind
There is more than one way to approach a problem. Explore the habits of mind as they relate to the methods of approaching learning, and to how young writers can develop success once they learn to foster each skill.
Noyce Foundation
Lawn Mowing
This is how long we mow the lawn together. The assessment requires the class to work with combining ratios and proportional reasoning. Pupils determine the unit rate of mowers and calculate the time required to mow a lawn if they work...
Inside Mathematics
Two Solutions
Many problems in life have more than one possible solution, and the same is true for advanced mathematics. Scholars solve seven problems that all have at least two solutions. Then three higher-level thinking questions challenge them to...
Weebly
Author Study: Eric Carle
Dive into an author study of one of the most beloved children’s book authors, Eric Carle. After reading some of his stories, including Papa Get me the Moon, A House for Hermit Crab, The Grouchy Ladybug, and The Very Busy Spider, readers...
It's About Time
Is It Heredity or the Environment?
Himalayan rabbits are black when raised at low temperatures and white when raised at high temperatures. Young biologists participate in an experiment using seeds to demonstrate the ways the environment can influence an inherited...
K12 Reader
Using Prior Knowledge
Sometimes it's hard to relate to a new text. Teach kids to use their prior knowledge when reading something new with a comprehension exercise. A short passage tells them how to think of their brains like filing systems, and provides five...
Universal Press Syndicate
The Mini Page: Make It a Good New Year
The New Year is a time for reflecting on the previous year in order to make resolutions and set goals for self improvement. With multiple suggestions towards becoming a better classmate, student, friend, and healthy person, the resource...
Talking with Trees
What is Responsibility?
Encourage responsible behavior with a instructional activity that challenges scholars to read four scenarios, identify the level of responsibility, and brainstorm consequences of the actions taken.