Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Short Biographies to Discover Characteristics of Biographical Writing

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students read short biographies on Abraham Lincoln from various artists. Using the texts, they identify the subject of the biography and discuss whether or not illustrations contribute to a biography. They research specific information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life And Death of Tupac Shakur

For Teachers 6th - 7th
For this reading comprehension worksheet about Tupac Shakur, students read a short article about his life and death. Students answer 5 questions. There are mature themes in this article.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Problematic Situation: the Outsiders

For Students 7th - 10th
For this The Outsiders problematic situation worksheet, learners read a scenario pertaining to a gang member's death. Students then mark whether they agree of disagree with 12 statements.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Chapter 10

For Teachers 5th - 10th
In this Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry comprehension check worksheet, young scholars respond to 20 short answer questions pertaining to chapter 10 of the Mildred D. Taylor novel to better understand the novel and the author's craft.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Match the Song Lyrics - "Keep Going"

For Students 5th - 6th
Oh no, we're missing several lines of lyrics! Using the song, "Keep Going," test the listening skills of your English language learners. They listen as you say the word lyrics aloud. Can they correctly identify the missing lyrics? 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Everyone has a Culture-Everyone is Different

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students explore cultural features.  In this multicultural acceptance lesson, students define and discuss "culture," and distinguish the difference between individual characteristics and cultural characteristics.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biopoem: Bud, Not Buddy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young poets focus on one character from a story they are reading, collect details, and use a biopoem template to analyze this character. The activity can be used with any text.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Finding the Main Idea: Little Women

For Students 8th - 10th
Whether or not your class is reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, you can use this exercise as the basis of a mini-lesson on how to determine the main idea of a passage or as a pre-test to assess mastery of the skill. A graphic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Educational Skills/Career Skills

For Teachers 1st
How can you help first graders be aware of the relationship between work and learning? By having them think of five jobs that use math, reading, and writing you will help them understand the need for an education. Each job will be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a Bibliotherapy Technique for Foster Children

For Teachers 9th - 11th
As the title suggests, this instructional activity is designed for a foster care therapy group. C.S. Lewis' novel provides children an opportunity to discuss life issues vicariously through fictional characters. However, the discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Weighing the Elephant"

For Teachers K - 12th
Can your class solve the problem presented in the Chinese folktale, "Weighing the Elephant?" Read your class the description before having them attempt to solve the problem. After they've come up with an answer (or attempted to!), finish...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twain's Hannibal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use primary resources to examine the context the writings of Mark Twain. They criticize the resources for reliability, accuracy, perspective, relevancy, and authoritativeness.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Play: It's Not Just For Kids

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students realize that play is an important part of life and in the effort to staying healthy. They explore the role of play in society. In addition, they illustrate listening and speaking strategies for different purposes that pertain to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Miss Rumphius

For Teachers K - 5th
Students engage in a literature study in order to appreciate the world around them and create an innate instinct of working for the cause of conservation for the environment. They answer guided questions that use the story as a resource.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Pianist

For Students 2nd - 3rd
Do you play any musical instruments? Consider using this question to interest readers in this short passage. Then, have them read the passage and answer the multiple-choice questions that follow. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bud, Not Buddy: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hoover flags? Hoover blankets? Hoovervilles? Drawing upon prior knowledge of the Great Depression class members respond to the prompts on an anticipation guide for Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis’s tale of Bud Caldwell’s quest to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Start off your study of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with a lesson spent exploring some of the concepts that will be present in the novel. This anticipation guide focuses on honesty and lying. After learners decided if they agree or...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Deciding the Mode

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Are your young writers having difficulty distinguishing between expository and persuasive writing? Discuss the difference between the two, and how some prompts can be responded to in either fashion. Included here is a simple lesson plan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Childhood Through the Looking-Glass

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Junior high learners discuss Lewis Carroll's classic story, Alice in Wonderland. They observe the image of childhood in his photographs and compare them to present-day images. There is a plethora of ideas and links for discussions...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Name that animal

For Students K - 2nd
A great way to classify organisms, is by counting the number of legs it has or how it moves. Little ones count the legs on five different creatures, then match the leg count to the proper animal name. Tip: Have them come up with other...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity Plan 5-6: Let's Create Stories!

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students examine wordless books and other pictures in order to learn how the teacher "reads a picture" to tell a story about it. In this early writing lesson, students then create their own picture for story telling by painting....
Worksheet
Curated OER

Trees

For Students 1st - 3rd
In these language arts worksheets, students will analyze the poem "Trees" by Sara Coleridge. Students will then read about and color nine different types of trees.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Science in An American Childhood by Annie Dillard

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read excerpts from Annie Dillard's memoir, "An American Childhood," with the teacher. They experience opportunities to connect English, science, nature and art together from a new and unique perspective. This approach...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Curriculum Connections with Keiko Kasza

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students read books by the author Keiko Kasza and complete critical thinking skills, and connections to different subjects. In this language lesson plan, students connect the books to language arts, social studies, science, math, health,...