Overcoming Obstacles
Clarifying Values
Encourage thoughtful decision making with a lesson that highlights the importance of values. Scholars take part in a grand conversation, listen to stories, and make decisions based on their personal values.
Curated OER
Pythagorean Theorem
Reinforce the use of the Pythagorean theorem with this problem solving lesson. Middle schoolers use the Pythagorean theorem to solve word problems. They work in pairs to find the answers to the problems, and then explain how they got...
Santa Monica College
Mole Ratios and Reaction Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry sounds complicated, but it really means the study of the amount of substances involved in a reaction. The sixth lesson in an 11-part series has scholars use stoichiometry to find the theoretical yield of a reaction. Then,...
Curated OER
Harcourt Story: Eleanor and Amelia Go for a Ride
Fourth graders are introduced to a list of vocabulary words as it relates to the story Eleanor and Amelia Go for a Ride and a use graphic organizer to clarify the meaning of the text. In this "Eleanor and Amelia Go for a Ride"...
Curated OER
Investigate a New Word from "Notes from the Trail"
Young scholars read and take notes from Notes from the Trail. In this reading fluency lesson, students read back and share their notes finding 7-10 new words. Young scholars define, write an unrelated sentence and present.
Curated OER
Shizuko’s Daughter: Before, During, After Lesson Plan
Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori presents a vivid picture of Japanese culture and history. As kids read through the third chapter, they find novel-specific vocabulary to enhance their understanding and use context clues to determine...
Curated OER
Monitor and Clarify Unknown Words in Corgiville Fair
Learners identify unknown words and select a strategy to comprehend text. In this vocabulary lesson students listen for specific words as the teacher reads. Learners try to figure out what the meaning of the specific words are. The words...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Predicting and Clarifying Techniques
First graders discover predicting and clarifying skills while reading "The Old Woman and Her Pig." During the reading, they check their predictions while evaluating the characters, setting, problems, and solution. On the second day,...
Curated OER
Unlocking New Words
Students are introduced to the various types of suffixes and prefixes. In groups, they identify the root words and determine the proper suffix or prefix to add to the root. They complete a worksheet and review their answers to end the...
Curated OER
Weaving a Story of Cooperation: The Goat in the Rug
Weaving is an important part of Navajo culture. Read The Goat in the Rug to your fourth and fifth graders, and give them a glimpse into the process of rug making from the point of view of a goat! They will learn new vocabulary words and...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Builder- Using Inspiration to Generate Lists of Descriptive Words
Students discover how to engage all their senses and powers of observation to effectively communicate and idea or emotion. Using Inspiration Software, they create a vocabulary web and practice using descriptive language to clarify and...
EngageNY
Resource Materials and Gathering Information: Reading Another “Choice” Text from the Research Folder
Look it up. Scholars use a dictionary and thesaurus to verify the meaning of the research vocabulary words they defined in the previous activity. They then use sticky notes to write a synonym for each word. Finally, individuals choose a...
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Desert Life
First graders read a book with the teacher while encountering unfamiliar words and learning how to use context clues and visual clues to understand the material. In this reading comprehension lesson, 1st graders make predictions and...
Curated OER
ISTEP + Grade 6 Item Sampler
In this cross-curricular sampler of worksheets, students determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-level-appropriate words, describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and...
Curated OER
Propaganda
How does word choice affect the reading of a text? Compare two headlines that were written about the same event. Is one biased? Discuss how word choice often reveals the author's feelings about a topic. Then look at different techniques...
Google
Intermediate 3: Narrowing a Search to Get the Best Results
Examine advanced filters and operators in depth. Class members try out even more filtering tools than they did in the beginning lesson and practice with operators, special symbols or words that affect search results, recognized by...
Curated OER
America the Beautiful
Sixth graders examine the meaning and background of the song, "America the Beautiful." In this "America the Beautiful" lesson, 6th graders read the words and history of the song and answer comprehension questions about it.
Novelinks
So Far from the Bamboo Grove: Visual Vocabulary and List-Group-Label
To make vocabulary words drawn from So Far from the Bamboo Grove memorable, class members select a word from the provided list and incorporate this word in a joke, story, or performance.
Museum of Tolerance
Essential Vocabulary and Concepts
Genocide. Scapegoat. Propaganda. Words are powerful. Words carry the weight of history. To prepare for a visit to The Museum of Tolerance, class members consider the weight of meaning in words related to intolerance.
Curated OER
Acrostic Poems: What's In a Name?
Young scholars find words that begin with the letters in their own names, using a variety of sources including word banks and online dictionaries. They create an acrostic poem. Pupils revise poems as needed, for meaning and...
Curated OER
Using a Dictionary
When do we use dictionaries? Provide this dictionary scavenger hunt for your youngsters. Third and fourth graders search for words, recording the number of syllables or definition for a variety of words. Get your class using dictionaries...
Curated OER
Building Vocabulary
Decode and acquire new vocabulary! Readers use new vocabulary in their writing and use synonyms to determine meanings. Visual learners label pictures and group words together to increase understanding.
Curated OER
Introduction to "The Secret School"
Fourth graders read The Secret School and define vocabulary in the text. In this Secret School activity, 4th graders recognize difficult text and are able to comprehend its meaning and answer questions.
Curated OER
Close Reading
Eleventh graders read and study Hamlet. Then they are introduced to close reading as a means of understanding what is being read--not only understanding the printed word, but also the nuances and connotations of language as it is used by...