Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Focus: The Paideia Seminar
Compelling discussions are the result of open-ended, challenging questions. An introduction to Paideia discussions includes explicit directions about how to prepare readers and how to model the kinds of questions they should develop...
Curated OER
My Antonia: Guided Imagery
Willa Cather's novel My Antonia is full of vivid imagery. Encourage your pupils to visualize and translate images from the text into original writing with this guided imagery activity. Learners listen to an excerpt, take a moment to...
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Night: Unsent Letters Writing Strategy
As part of their study of Elie Wiesel's Night, individuals assume the voice of an Auschwitz survivor and craft a letter to a former SS officer who worked at the camp and claims he is not guilty of any crime.
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: "Chalk Talk Strategy”
Hold a silent discussion about concepts related to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. After reading chapter seven, learners participate in a whole-class written discussion based on guiding questions written on the board by the teacher.
Novelinks
The Dark Is Rising: Problematic Situation Strategy
What items would you need to save the world from an evil wizard? Prior to reading Susan Cooper's young adult contemporary fantasy The Dark is Rising, and to generate interest in the tale, class groups must reach consensus on a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Mark Twain and American Humor
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is famous, in part, because it established a uniquely American form of humor. For this famous story, Mark Twain combines the tall-tale, the dialect story, and satire. Here is a resource...
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Searching for Stars
Positive character traits in literature are explored in this character development and literacy lesson plan. Learners listen to Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci, followed by a discussion...
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A Day in the life of...
Students read about and study insects--their distinguishing characteristics, habitats, camouflage methods, defense mechanisms, etc. They draw pictures and write a story from the viewpoint of an insect and share their pictures and stories...
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Life Before Kindergarten
Students investigate the life that takes place before going to kindergarten. They brainstorm about some of the key events that are common for children entering school. Students create two drawings about life before kindergarten and...
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How Do I Get There? Planning a Safe Route to School
One much-needed skill for young learners is direction giving. Have your class plan and draw a safe route for them to travel from home to school. They will also draw places and items that are in between home and school in order to build a...
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I am Proud To Be a 2nd Grader
Second graders discuss the need for each one to meet educational expectations. They draw pictures and write a summary to explain important behavior for a 2nd grader. In groups, 2nd graders discuss the importance of following rules, and...
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Great Expectations!
Second graders participate in a game that focuses on appropriate and inappropriate behavior for second grade. They draw a game card and read it out loud, and students discuss and identify the behavior as appropriate or inappropriate....
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Maps in Kindergarten: Rosie’s Walk
Students are read, Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. In this sequencing lesson, students discover the importance of knowing how to create a map and read it. They listen to the story and complete various map making activities.
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Scene Diagnostics Worksheet
In this scene diagnostics learning exercise, students examine the elements of a chapter, discuss the point of view, plot, and goals of the scene. Students also evaluate a chapter in the book they are currently reading.
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City People, City Stories
Learners create fictional inhabitants to scale for a place called 'Box City'. They develop stories and personalities to go with the created people, share the stories with the class and write a newspaper for their city.
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A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
This Visual Arts lesson plan focuses on the process of drawing a perspective from an eye level high above the ground. Students will create a chalk drawing of a scene of their choice by using the process and techniques of horizon line, a...
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A New View
Students illustrate and write a story. In groups, students brainstorm lists of animals and objects. They create a storyboard from the point of view of a chosen animal or object. After students discuss life from different perspectives,...
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Dimensional Space: Various Perspectives
Students use their understanding of 3D on 2D to make a representation of a 4D form on paper.
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Two-Dimensional Drawings from Three Dimensional Objects
Sixth graders identify and replicate two dimensional illustrations of three dimensional objects. In this spatial visualization lesson, 6th graders practice viewing objects from various sides. Student participate in stations to view...
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Cubism - David Hockney
Identify Cubist works (namely the works of Picasso and the Cubist-inspired works of David Hockney), then express or create a work showing a time frame.
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Storytelling: Oral Traditions Learning Center
Students explore the oral traditions. In this storytelling instructional activity, students compare and contrast stories from the cultural traditions of Alaska and Hawaii.
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Jazz In America - Lesson Plan 6
Fifth graders explore cool jazz and how it reflected American culture in the 1940's and 1950's.
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Storytelling: Writers' Workshop Learning Center
Evaluating a variety of narrative texts can help build strong writers. Pupils identify plot elements and their relation to personal experience, then apply what they gleaned from the class discussion to create their own narratives.
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Reading the Coyote School News: Lives of Ranchers in Southern Arizona
Fourth graders examine the effects of Mexican-American ranching on life today.