Curated OER
When were you selfless today?
Students, after reading and discussing the poem, Selflessness of Mind, by Joe Gutknecht, discuss specific recent acts of selflessness and then write a first draft paper on selflessness. They compare/contrast their own lives to the poem...
Curated OER
Calm After the Storm
Students create posters providing information about Sri Lanka's history and society both before and after the tsunami. They write response papers considering the future of this small country devastated by the natural disaster.
Curated OER
Weekend With Wendell
Students discuss prior knowledge about mice, and read a mouse poem. They listen to the teacher read "A Weekend With Wendell" and discuss Wendell's possible reaction when coming to visit the school media center. Students compose a class...
Curated OER
Jack of All Tails
After reading the book Jack of All Tails, learners complete vocabulary activities, play charades, consider a list of questions, and complete a list of verbs. There are also several suggestions for how to connect this language...
Curated OER
Map It Out
Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...
Curated OER
Gordon Parks:First Survival, Then Success
Have your class examine the work of Gordan Parks. They determine how Park's childhood in Kansas inspired his artwork as they analyze his writings and photographs. Students complete the provided worksheets as they compare, contrast, and...
Curated OER
A Primary Source Picture Book
Travel through Europe with ten-year-old Teddy Roosevelt in this writing activity, which uses the picture book My Tour of Europe: by Teddy Roosevelt, by Ellen Jackson. After reading the book, readers compare it to passages from The...
Curated OER
Journey to Topaz: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Have you used the directed reading thinking activity in your classroom? Doubling as either a prereading strategy, or a during reading strategy, it helps readers connect the historical background of the text to the text itself. As the...
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs
Students draw names of dinosaurs out of a hat and write a report about the one they picked. Students write a riddle about their favorite prehistoric animal, post it on a bulletin board, and have other guess which animal it is about....
Curated OER
The Tale of Genji
Did you know that the world's first novel was written by a woman? Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, was published in 1021. Class members research Eastern and Western cultures in the 10th and 11th centuries, view modern adaptations of...
Curated OER
Lily and Miss Liberty
Learners discuss ways to earn money and why they might need it. Students create crowns to wear all day like in the story. Learners create a play using characters in the story. Students interview "eyewitnesses" at the unveiling of the...
Curated OER
Making Field Journals
Students follow a bookmaking format to create a book and use it as a garden journal. In this science journal instructional activity, students follow book making directions to create a garden and science journal.
Curated OER
Teaching the Theme: The American Dream
This can be a good time for students to discuss what the idea of the American Dream means to them.
Curated OER
Rainforest Animals
Third graders make a presentation or a booklet to help class learn about rain forest animals. They sketch or use a few words to describe the picture that goes with the facts. They use the computer to make a presentation or use...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Voyagers: Challenge Activities (Theme 5)
Young voyagers face the challenge of the wide dark sea, travel with Yunmi and Halmoni, and even get trapped by the ice as they explore the reading selections offered in these enrichment activities designed for the Houghton...
Curated OER
A Beary Good Beginning
Students complete first day of school activities. Through instructor modeling and demonstration, they become acquainted with the rules and procedures for the classroom and school. Students create a book of their first day experience.
Curated OER
Exploring the USA and the World with Cartograms
Students investigate cartograms in order to explore the different countries on Earth. In this world geography lesson, students use the Internet to analyze data on different cartograms. Students compare data, such as population density,...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Garden
Students explore gardening. In this Quiet in the Garden lesson plan, students read the picture book by Aliki and extend the lesson by taking part in up to 5 hands-on activities.
Curated OER
What Could Be Better Than This?
Young scholars read the book What Could Be Better Than This and complete a word search, poems, and write an adventure. In this What Could Be Better Than This lesson plan, students read about an even that changes someone's life.
Curated OER
The Highwayman
Fifth graders re-read the story "The Highwayman" understanding the term "narrative verse". As a paired activity, they predict who or what might be the audience and provide feedback.
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Young scholars examine the life and works of Theodor Seuss Geisel. In groups, they compare and contrast the stories, characters and illustrations he used. They complete a book review on one of the books and share them with other...
Curated OER
Reduce and Respect!
Students examine how to reduce trash to help the environment. In this environment lesson, students listen to the story, The Wartville Wizard, before thinking about how they can reduce trash. They decide why it is important to reduce...
Curated OER
Schools of the Past and Present
First graders take a look at schools of the past and present, and try to conjure an idea of what schools of the future will look like. After taking a walk around their own school and taking note of the buildings and the things that are...
Curated OER
The Magic Apple
First graders read The Magic Apple and complete interdisciplinary activities related to the book. In this folktale instructional activity, 1st graders answer comprehension questions, recognize and record short /i/ sound...