West Contra Costa Unified School District
Point-Slope Application Problems
Create a linear equation for a problem when the intercept information is not given. The two-day lesson introduces the class to the point-slope form, which can be used for problems when the initial conditions are not provided. Pupils...
Curated OER
Stringbean Coes Vacation
Third graders first begin the activity by reading Vera B. Williams Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea. This book is a collection of postcards that Stringbean Coe and his brother Fred write to their family while they were on a summer...
Curated OER
Build an Outdoor Compost Heap
Learners study how to create a compost heap. For this composting lesson, students create a compost heap. Learners write an essay describing the process.
Curated OER
So Much Water, So Little to Drink
Students explore salt and fresh water. In this water instructional activity, students investigate the amount of Earth covered by water. Students compare the amounts of salt water to fresh water. Students create a visual representation to...
Curated OER
Hazardous Products Substitutes
Third graders write a hazardous products substitutes recipe book. In this Science lesson plan, 3rd graders identify words and symbols that indicate hazardous substances. Students investigate safe substitutes and write a recipe book to...
California Academy of Science
Poetic Reflections
Poetry is a wonderful way to explore language, express topical understanding, and incite creative thinking. After a trip to the local natural history museum (or zoo), learners write an acrostic or a cinquain poem describing one of their...
Film English
Music
Some emotions are indescribable, but sometimes you have to try! After brainstorming adjectives that describe emotions, pupils watch a quick film, at first with no sound. Partners share their adjectives and come up with descriptions for...
Curated OER
Map Coordinates: Monkey Map
Here's an engaging, meaningful, and clever lesson on map skills for elementary schoolers. Pupils combine story writing with mapping skills to create an original piece of work. They utilize a worksheet embedded in the plan to guide them...
Curated OER
We're Counting At The Zoo!
Budding mathematicians use sets of concrete materials to represent, count, and match quantities to 10 or more given in verbal or written form while participating in hands-on activities. This instructional activity uses the book 1,...
Curated OER
Movie Riddles: An ESL Activity to Get Student Talking About Movies
Enjoy the thrill of the movies with this ESL activity! Not only can learners talk about their favorite films, but in creating riddles about their chosen movies, they can practice the skills of context clues and deductive reasoning. This...
Premier Literacy
Point of View
Incorporate technology into a literature lesson with an innovative language arts lesson. Middle schoolers read an electronic version of original stories or fairy tales, and after determining the point of view, rewrite the tale from...
EngageNY
Equivalent Ratios
Equivalent ratios show up on tape. Young mathematicians use tape diagrams to create equivalent ratios in the initial lesson on the topic. They learn the definition of equivalent ratios and use it to build others in the third segment of a...
Curated OER
Monster Frog Function Machine
Elementary schoolers use a function machine in order to help them look at the relationship between input and output, and to look at the rule for the change. The machine is actually a cardboard box, and it serves quite well for the...
Curated OER
Clay Heads
Sculpting can be a rewarding way to accent a lesson plan in any subject. This project requires learners to design and sculpt a head out of clay. The entire process is outlined in this resource; including photos and suggested materials....
Curated OER
Biography
Transform a written biography into a video biography! Introduce your learners to the biography format by reading them a few examples (some suggestions are included). Then discuss the factors that make a good biography. What information...
Curated OER
Amos and Boris: Text Study
Twenty insightful questions follow a read aloud of the story, Amos and Boris by William Steig. Scholars then show what they know through completion of a cause and effect chart, reading fluency assessment, and a written...
Curated OER
Be Water Wise!
Rally your administration and facilities manager to let your class examine the water flow rates in different areas of the school. After the audit, the class researches opportunites for conserving water and writes a report or develops a...
Curated OER
Transportation Fuels: The Future is Today
Assign each group of 3-4 upper elementary engineers to a different type of transportation fuel. A background information page is provided to get them started with researching their assigned fuel. Each group then produces an exhibit...
Curated OER
Deutschland und die Europäische Union (Germany and the European Union)
Introduce your language learners in German class to the European Union, including the historic developments, the current structure, and some of the political and social principles behind it with this instructional activity. In small...
EngageNY
Integer Sequences—Should You Believe in Patterns?
Help your class discover possible patterns in a sequence of numbers and then write an equation with a lesson that covers sequence notation and function notation. Graphs are used to represent the number patterns.
Curated OER
In Old Pompeii
Students investigate the history of Pompeii and its destruction. They take a virtual field trip to the ruins of Pompeii, create a travel brochure to attract tourists to the site, and write an account of their trip.
Curated OER
Paws on Jobland
Students explore various careers in science. In this science and society lesson, the teacher leads a discussion on science careers and duties and responsibilities related to the careers, then students work together to create a mural of...
Curated OER
Acronyms--Characters in The Hobbit
Have your class create acrostic poems for characters in The Hobbit. First, define acronyms and work together to complete sample acronyms for their own first names. Students then research specific characters in the novel and create...
Curated OER
Identifying Themes in Children's Literature
Identifying themes in literature is the focus of the language arts lesson plan presented here. Learners read short pieces of fiction and practice the skill of identifying the themes present in each one. The bulk of the lesson consists of...