Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry as Social Commentary

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students read poems with social commentaries. In this poetry analysis lesson, students read poems selected by their instructors and complete the provided social commentary chart to determine how the poems speak out against social issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Solutions in Julius Caesar

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners investigate Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson, students read through Act IV of the play and then collaborate to determine Brutus's role in the military. Learners write their evaluations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Step-by-Step to the Final Destination

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students write their own radio plays. In this writing process lesson, students script their own scary radio plays based on the radio plays they read in class in previous lessons. Students also perform the plays for their classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identify and Evaluate Problem-Solving Processes and Solutions

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify a problem, the process by which it is solved, and the solution in a piece of literature.  In this problem solving lesson, students read a nonfiction passage and use a think-pair-share strategy to identify the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Is Your Story Set?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore the concept of setting in literature by identifying their own current setting, and imagining what their ideal setting would be. They read a piece of literature, identify the setting and record the information on a chart.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cat Came Back

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Learners are read the story "The Cat Came Back". Using Spanish, they communicate the context of the story with each other. They practice using new vocabulary, identifying main characters and putting the events into order. They use the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mouse

For Teachers 1st
First graders are exposed to a variety of texts that deal with mice. The use of the library is recommended to saturate the classroom with available books. Young students work in groups with the help of the teacher to define traits and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Gatsby

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In groups, they research the events and spirit of the 1920s and relate events in the novel to actual historical events. They compare the characteristics of various genres and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's My Number?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use AppleWorks to stamp a given number to the thousandths place. They read, write and order integers, whole numbers and rational numbers. They represent place value using concrete or illustrated models.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Family Pictures

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders, after reading the story, "Family Pictures," discuss the format of the story and then recall a favorite family experience of their own. They then write a paragraph as modeled by the author describing that experience with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Higher Power of Lucky

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students complete activities using the book The Higher Power of Lucky. In this literature activity, students read the story and identify the parts of the story. They create a wind chime like that found in the book. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boy Cricket Girl Cricket

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate crickets. In this series of cricket activities, students observe and chart crickets.  Students discuss the differences between male and female crickets, record findings in a journal, handle crickets, and read a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Describing Family Members

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine the use of possessives when describing family members. In this ESL family description lesson, 4th graders examine the role of family in their native language before looking at pictures of families assigning names...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Irony in Nonfiction

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars examine the use of irony in non-fiction works. In this literature lesson, students read non-fiction war texts and explore the use of irony in the piece as they respond to discussion questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digestion - Part 3

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the human body by reviewing the digestive system. In this human anatomy lesson, students identify the elements of human digestion by completing two body system worksheets. Students read the story What Happens to a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Revising Ordinary Sentences into Strong Leads Using "Crispin: The Cross of Lead"

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create stories using powerful introductory sentences by creating something other than "Once upon a time...". In this sentences lesson plan, students read The Cross of Lead to base their introductory sentences on.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Hide and Seek

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students read about animal camouflage. In this animal adaptation lesson, students read short texts about ways in which animals hide or transform to escape their prey. Students explore animal classifications and determine ways to hide in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drought, nomads and the price of peanuts

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students read two short text items, which describe different approaches to agriculture. They describe the likely advantages and disadvantages of each approach for farmers, commercial peanut buyers, the government, nomadic herdsman and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phase In, Phase Out, the Magnificent Moon

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss why the moon appears to change shape. They use flashlights and balls to simulate the sun's light shining on the moon during its different phases. They read books, paint pictures and write sentences about the moon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Merchant of Venice

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students read parts of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. Using primary sources, they gain a glimpse into the early modern period's negative perceptions and stereotypes of human beings of African descent.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clifford's Sports Day

For Teachers 1st
First graders participate in a game of three legged race that involved the practice of matching pictures or text. They use the subject of sports to create the context. Students play the game to strengthen classification and reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning About Hurricanes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners write a research paper on hurricanes. In this weather lesson plan, students use a science text book to write down facts about hurricanes on note cards and then outline their essay. Learners use the outline to create an organized...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Examining Letters to the Editor

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students write letters to the editor. In this written communication lesson, students read sample letters to the editor and use the active voice to compose letters to the editor about issues in which they are interested.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters of Inquiry

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students compose letters of inquiry. In this written communication lesson plan, students read sample letters of inquiry about sites in Washington, D.C. Students then write their own letters of inquiry to the Washington, D.C. Chamber of...