Center for History and New Media
Growing Up in a Segregated Society, 1880s–1930s
What did segregation look like in the beginning of the 20th century? Middle and high schoolers view images of segregated areas, read passages by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and come to conclusions about how the influence of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Frederick Douglass’s Narrative: Myth of the Happy Slave
The firsthand accounts of what it was like to be an enslaved person in the mid-1800s riveted a nation and the issue ultimately led to civil war. Using excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, budding historians examine what it...
Nemours KidsHealth
Smoking: Grades 6-8
Light up middle schoolers' understanding of the monetary and health costs of smoking with two activities. First, class members calculate how much a smoker would spend in a year if they smoke a pack a week or a day. They then explore...
Curated OER
Reading to Calculate
Students explore uses of the calculator. They explore using reading strategies to solve problems. Students recognize when calculators are useful. They construct real life situations for calculator use.
Curated OER
Here's an Instant Activity for May 3, 2004
First graders use their visual skills to improve their spelling skills. In this spelling lesson plan, 1st graders read words and find smaller words within each example.
Curated OER
Here's an Instant Activity for February 16, 2004
Fourth graders complete a spelling activity that also improves their proofreading skills. In this spelling lesson, 4th graders read a list of words and proofread to find the word spelled correctly in each row.
Curated OER
Reading a Map
Third graders become familiar with the vocabulary and skills related to mapping. In this guided reading activity, 3rd graders find proper nouns on from the map. Students read Goldilocks. Students make a map of their room.
Curated OER
Here's An Instant Activity for April 7, 2003
Fifth graders practice their spelling skills with soft syllable endings. In this spelling activity, 5th graders complete soft syllable interaction activity with their teacher. Students then write 16 le-ending and ly-ending word pairs to...
Curated OER
Reading the Newspaper
Students explore how to find needed information about community events, resources, and employment. Students identify headlines, datelines, and sections of the newspaper. They participate in a newspaper treasure hunt. Students read and...
Curated OER
Finding Self-Reliance
Fourth graders relate what is read to their own experiences and feelings and use active listening to respond to other students' comments. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders utilize an Active Listening Chart imbedded in this plan to gain...
Curated OER
Can You Feel the Book?
Students observe and demonstrate a variety of strategies for reading with expression. As a class they identify different expressions and emotions, then create expression cards. Students then discuss appropriate punctuation for the ends...
Curated OER
Ask Questions About a Topic
Pupils explore reading comprehension by completing a graphic organizer. For this journalism technique lesson, students discuss important questions they can ask about stories they read to improve comprehension. Pupils identify keywords...
Curated OER
Go Ahead--Say What You Feel!
Young scholars observe and demonstrate a variety of strategies for reading with expression. They listen to the teacher read sentences with and without expression and discuss the type of punctuation that is needed. Students then listen...
Curated OER
Pre-writing activities for improving students' connections to literature
Students, while reading a novel together in class, jot in their journals any connections to their own lives they can make between the text and self, text to text or text to the world. Various themes are connected to open more doors to...
Curated OER
Reader R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N.
Learners practice their reading comprehension skills. In this reading skills lesson, students use the R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. model to identify story elements in books that learners elect to read independently.
Curated OER
Faster, Faster!
Young scholars practice reading faster, smoother and more expressively by exercising the strategy of reading and rereading text to become more familiar with word recognition. They participate in reading a page or two of "Pen Pals" to...
Curated OER
African Dance: Drumbeat In Our Feet
Second graders read "African Dance: Drumbeat in Our Feet". In groups, they identify the message of the story and discuss a personal experience that relates to a part of the book. They practice reading fluently as a class and making...
Curated OER
Yesterday's World "th" activities
Students read through the text, and discuss the main points. They discuss the commonality of the digraph/th/. Students highligt any text with 'th'word where they see it. They identify the words. Students discuss the different sounds on...
Curated OER
Who Am I Without Him?
Students read and discuss the book, Who Am I Without Him? In this fluency lesson, students practice reading with expression and making text to self connections. Students practice writing expressively in their journals.
Curated OER
Instant Spelling Activity: Homographs
Learners identify homographs. In this homograph lesson, students listen to a sentence that contains a homograph to identify the homograph. Learners choose 16 homographs to put in a BINGO grid. Students write sentences that contain a...
Curated OER
Examining Letters to the Editor
Young scholars write letters to the editor. In this written communication lesson, students read sample letters to the editor and use the active voice to compose letters to the editor about issues they are interested in.
Curated OER
Discovering Rhythm and Rhyme
Students explore ways to provide enjoyable phonemic awareness and conversation experiences for their children while reading and discussing children's book, A Tree For Me. Students extend their expertise in reading by fluently reading...
Curated OER
Big or Little
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Big or Little, . In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...
Curated OER
Big Snowball Fight
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Big Snowball Fight. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, answer short answer questions, have discussions,...