Curated OER
Conversations about childhood
Encourage your class to discuss their childhood with other classmates using the six questions listed here. After sharing their answers, learners write a paragraph detailing general information about their childhood. This plan is designed...
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Understanding Character
Readers practice character analysis by reviewing Gary Soto's short story "La Bamba" with the whole class (anything you've read together will work). They design t-shirts that feature traits and story elements to reveal the nature of a...
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I am Special and You are Special Too - Project Children L.E.A.D.
Eighth graders recognize what makes them special through class participation and discussion of rap music, writing a poem about themselves, and designing their own special hat while working in groups.
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Maus I and II: Pictionary
Why is visual literacy so important in understanding Maus? Introduce your class to basic elements of graphic novels with a game of pictionary. A list of 13 words are included, but you could potentially add some World War II-related...
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Kitchen Vocabulary Words
Working in groups of four, class members sort cards, labeled with kitchen equipment vocabulary words, into groups based on function, i.e., mixing tools, measurement tools, serving tools, baking pans, stove top pans, or preparation tools....
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Fairy Tales
Students research the Internet using hotlists to find two different versions of a fairy tale after watching a teacher presentation of two versions of The Three Little Pigs. They design a PowerPoint presentation that shows the comparisons...
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Word Walls
Students participate in creating a word wall using words important to them and design other organized displays to entice memory and assist in teaching. As a class, they clap out letters of words and solve mystery words from given clues....
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Giggle Poetry
Poetry can be fun! To set your pupils giggling, have them listen to poems from If Kids Ruled the School by Bruce Lansky. Then, they can study the different types of poetry on www.gigglepoetry.com, and choose one form on which to...
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Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
Do your young readers know that poems can be performed as a team? They listen to a few examples from Paul Fleischman's book Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, paying attention to how the how readers work together....
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My Antonia: Magic Squares (Vocabulary Strategy)
Help your pupils discover the power of context clues by teaching the this vocabulary strategy. Designed to go with words from Willa Cather's My Antonia, this exercise focuses on having individuals use their own words to define new...
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One Of A Kind
Students explore current fashion trends. As a class, they discuss the statements that a dress makes, brand names, and cultural trends. Fashions from other cultures are observed and discussed by students. In pairs, students create...
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Japanese Abstract Wind Sock
Students use paper bags to create a Japanese wind sock with original abstract art.
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Daily Lesson Plan for a Struggling Reader
Strategy-based programs that are executed with consistency are the best for achieving growth in any learner with a learning disability. Here is a seven-step lesson plan that is highly structured and is intended to help learners with...
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First Grade, First Grade, What Do You See?
First graders read the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" by Bill Martin, Jr. and work cooperatively to create an online book about their geographic region. Books can be posted on the internet with other books from around...
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Double Self Portrait
Students meet an artist who overcame learning and physical disabilities and became a successful artist. They use a digital camera to imitate the style of one artist; and explore the connection between the use of technology and art.
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Getting To Know You
Students listen to the book "I like me" by Nancy Carison, or a similar self-esteem book, and then create self-portraitswhile the song "Getting to Know You" is being played. This is an excellent ice-breaker for the beginning of the...
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Corn Cob Painting
Students explore creativity and imagination. In this lesson about art, students experiment with different tools used for creating prints. Students use ears of corn with kernels and without kernels, tempera paint, paper plates for the...
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Maracas
Students create Maracas out of various supplies while learning about percussion instruments in this Art and Music lesson for the elementary and middle level classroom. Detailed directions for two different methods are given.
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Molas from South America
Third graders research world geography by creating a class presentation. In this South American lesson, 3rd graders read assigned text regarding the customs and traditions of different Indian communities in South America. Students...
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A "State of the Arts" Coin 4-6
Students study the historical figures depicted on the penny,
nickel, dime, and quarter and explore how symbols of U.S. patriotism were used in their design. They research symbols of Texas and choose one to draw in a design for a Texas...
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Home Design
Students investigate house structures by examining photographs. In this architecture lesson, students read the book Houses and Homes, analyzing the different structures and materials. Students utilize mud to create model huts...
Scholastic
A House for Hermit Crab
Engage young marine biologists in a reading of Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab with a fun hands-on activity. Given a set of clipart images of the different aquatic animals that appear in the book, children identify each one...
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Creative Writing Story Boards
Students design their own memorable three-D book with rubbings for illustrations. They draft and edit an original story and then choose which characters or scenes they want to illustrate. Each student also shares their art and writing...
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Events From a Story Graphic Organizer
Here is a well-designed graphic organizer which should help your readers organize the sequence of events from any story they read. The organizer should help any pupil who is trying to piece together events from a story for a book report.