Curated OER
Printable Story Starter: Christmas Morning
A writing prompt about a surprise on Christmas morning provides students with the beginning of the story, and invites them to finish the middle and ending. This prompt could be a good addition to a Christmas-themed unit, or as a lesson...
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Story Starters: Woodpeckers' Park
A great Earth Day and environment assignment, or even a basic creative writing lesson, this prompt helps students to begin the story of Woody and Woodruff, two woodpeckers who don't like litterers! Both a picture and an introduction can...
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Poetry Cut-Ups
Students write with controlled and/or subtle organization. They sustain a logical order. Students include a recognizable beginning, middle and end. Students begin by selecting a narrative poem.
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Storytelling in the Oral Tradition
Seventh graders research Greek mythological characters. They write about problems faced by middle school-aged children and how the character would handle them. Students also create story boards to accompany their oral narratives.
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The Basics of Journalism: A Little Preview
Students define journalism and identify the basic components of a news story. In this journalism basics lesson, students define the word journalism, read a new story, and break it into parts with two major characteristics for each...
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The Woman Who Slept for Thirty Years
Students are given a bit of information, but must share their information with other students in order to learn enough to solve the puzzle. When students have all the clues, they construct a theory to explain the facts. The teacher adds...
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Building a Biome
Students investigate how plants grow in different biomes. In this biomes lesson plan, students plant sees of impatiens, lima beans and rye seeds in egg cartons. When the plants begin to grow they simulate the assigned biome conditions...
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English--"Humpty Dumpty"--Identifying Rhyming Words
In this rhyming words worksheet, students read Humpty Dumpty and begin recognizing rhyming words. Students unmix a mixed up batch of words by putting the words in 3 word family columns and list each one underneath one of the families....
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Welcome to Our School
Students build a friendly environment for future students by creating a PowerPoint presentation. In this middle school introduction lesson, students utilize a camera to record important moments throughout the school year....
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Scenario Challenge: Farenheit 451
Students choose books to preserve for future generations. Students are given a scenario in which they are allowed to save only five books for future generations. Students write a persuasive letter in which they try to...
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Monoprint
Students review Gerald Ferstman's work and discuss abstract art. They design and create monoprints on Mylar. They reflect on their work and write about the experience of creating the piece.
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Seven Famous African-American Masters of American Art
Students examine seven different African-American artists. In groups, they use the internet to identify their contribution and techniques to the art world and examine the time period in which the artwork was produced. To end the...
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Vocabulary - Unfolding Meaning
Students write the "word for the day" onto a note card. They add a definition, discuss in class and file the card in their own metal box. At the end of the week students play a game with the words from that week.
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Me, Plain and Tall
Second graders read and discuss Patricia MacLaclan's book Sarah, Plain and Tall. They write a narrative putting themselves in the setting of the story.
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The Legend of the Blue Bonnet
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book The Legend of the Blue Bonnet. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer...
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Sunrise Sequencing
Learners examine sequencing events by discussing what they do each morning. They complete a four-panel sequence of events assignment, drawing a picture and writing a sentence for each box in the panel.
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Catherine, Called Birdy: February and March
Middle schoolers discuss characterization and relate to the main character in Catherine, Called Birdy. For this Catherine, Called Birdy lesson, students discuss passages that are comedic and sad and the effect they have on their...
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Passing Notes
Students demonstrate how to give compliments. In this character education activity, students are given an envelope with strips of paper to write compliments on. Students are asked to give one compliment to each classmate. The students...
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Who Writes History?
Students examine why certain historical figures get credit for their accomplishments while others are forgotten. They read and discuss two informational handouts, discuss why people remember Columbus even if he was not the first person...
Novelinks
The Chosen: Biopoem
What better way to get to know a character than through a biopoem? Learners choose a character from Chaim Potok's The Chosen and create a well-crafted poem about his or her desires, traits, and ambitions.
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An Amazing Story
Students develop sequential stories to guide a partner through a computer-generated maze. In pairs they illustrate each place and character listed, build and print a maze, and write a class-generated story.
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Understanding Narrative Poetry
In this poetry worksheet, students learn about narrative poetry. They then answer 7 questions about one of the poems they read, practice writing their own narrative poem, and complete a research project using the internet. The answers...
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The Great American Fire Drill
Students read a story about fire safety and create their own ending to the story in order to learn about fire escape plans and to demonstrate their writing skills. In this fire safety lesson, students discuss the parts of a story, read...
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Jalapeno Bagels
Young scholars read the story Jalapeno Bagels and then write a summary about it. For this summary lesson plan, students retell the story as if someone else has not read the story.