Curated OER
Making Decisions by Group: The Jury System
Young scholars discover how to work cooperatively within a group and communicate their ideas clearly in order to reach an agreement. They summarize their experience in writing and hand down a verdict of guilt or innocence based on the...
Curated OER
The No Thanksgiving Read Aloud
First graders investigate a story with the theme of The Thanksgiving holiday. The teacher reads the story to the class. The story is meant to help students to think of things they are thankful for. Students share the ideas in either...
Curated OER
Cardboard Radial Weaving
Students explore cultural history by participating in an arts and crafts activity. In this weaving lesson, students identify the many cultures that used weaving methods and local plant life to create baskets and other useful tools....
Curated OER
Flight Formation: The V's Have It!
Read, revisit, and reflect. Older elementary students summarize main idea 6using key details. They consider the V formation that birds fly in, summarize an informational text, and write critical thinking questions.
Curated OER
Mariachi:Intermediate Lesson
Learners research the history of mariachi music. In this music lesson, students identify mariachi music and investigate it from its origins to the present. They compare it to country music.
Curated OER
Language Arts: A "Perfect" Lesson
Students read "Be A Perfect Person in Just three days," and participate in a host of activities. Connected to technology, they use online sources to create word searches and puzzles from vocabulary words. In addition, students create...
Curated OER
Nonfiction Genre Mini-Unit: Persuasive Writing
Should primary graders have their own computers? Should animals be kept in captivity? Young writers learn how to develop and support a claim in this short unit on persuasive writing.
Virginia Department of Education
Analyzing and Planning Persuasive Writing
Young writers work backward to analyze persuasive techniques. As a class, work through the provided persuasive letter: a plea to an imaginary city council to lift a city-wide ban on fast food restaurants and discount stores. Start by...
University of Texas
Lives of Stars
Stars exist from a few million years to over 10 billion years, depending on their mass. Scholars perform a play acting as stars to learn about their different life cycles. They develop an understanding of many of the fundamental concepts...
Curated OER
Girl Scout Cookie Lesson Plan
Students make a chart of the main categories and supporting details from the article," When chips are down, Girl Scouts order more." They compare their chart with that of a classmate. Students organize their ideas in a logical manner and...
San José State University
Essay Exams: Common Question Types
Novice writers often struggle to determine what style of essay to write when given a prompt. This instructional activity helps to identify an appropriate form based on the language of the question. For example, key words like prove or...
Curated OER
JUST SANDWICHES
Second graders brainstorm, share ideas, categorize and choose a favorite sandwich. They then make their favorite sanwich as a prewriting activity.
Gourmet Curriculum Press
Author's Purpose
Who knew determining author's purpose could be turned into a game? Four teams compete to correctly identify the author's purpose for writing a series of passages.
Curated OER
Friendly Patter Poetry
Students create a free from poem on the topic of friendship. They read examples of free form poetry to gather ideas. Through the use of a graphic organizer, students generate a list of friendship characteristics which is used to create...
Curated OER
Moby Dick Puppetry
Such an ambitious lesson plan! Third graders with special needs listen to an audio recording of the novel, Moby Dick. They stop often to discuss each of the main characters and analyze their actions in the story. They then make puppets...
What So Proudly We Hail
A Lesson on Benjamin Franklin’s “Project for Moral Perfection”
Benjamin Franklin identified 13 virtues that he felt would strengthen his character if he could focus on each one. A thorough instructional activity explores high schoolers' personal values in the context of their lives, and compels them...
Curated OER
What a Character!
Guide your readers to explore character traits. As a class, discuss and record the traits of a commonly-known fairy tale character. Then do the same with the main character in the class novel. Finally, have learners use magazines...
Curated OER
Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One...
Explore language arts by reading two similar stories in order to compare and contrast them in class. Young readers read two Aunt Isabel books, by Kate Duke, and discuss the main characters, plot, and setting. They complete a graphic...
Curated OER
Scrap Booking
Students complete scrap booking activities. In this scrap booking lesson plan, students discuss scrapbooking and make a list of times to include in a scrapbook. Students research scrapbook ideas online and bring in materials to...
Curated OER
Layers of the Earth
Learners identify the layers of the Earth and complete activities for the topic. In this Earth layers instructional activity, students chart their ideas about the Earth's layers and view a PowerPoint for the topic. Learners view an apple...
Curated OER
Immigration - A Promise of Better Life
What a great way to discuss European immigration in the 1700's to 1800's in America. Learners identify regions where immigration occurred, list the reasons people moved to the United States, and interview an immigrant about their...
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics: Tire and Wheel Assemblies
Is bigger really better? By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to apply formulas for computing the diameter of tires and wheel assemblies. Begin by showing a slide presentation that will review definitions for radius and...
Curated OER
Life Size Characters
Sixth graders analyze character traits and create a life size character outline. In this character analysis lesson, 6th graders analyze character traits of a character using character webs and poems. Students then create a life size...
Curated OER
Making Photo Essays Easy
Young scholars generate ideas about what makes a good story and a good photograph then place them together to create a photo essay. In this photo essay lesson, students assemble random photos into a story, select the best photos, and...