Scholastic
Hill of Fire Teaching Plan
Some books are perfect for drawing connections between multiple subjects. The book Hill of Fire becomes the hub for three very different, yet related activity ideas. First the class hones their oral language skills by creating an...
Curated OER
Small Group: BL
Practice target sounds, especially the /a/ sound. The teacher first speaks and learners repeat words, discriminating between words with varying sounds after focusing on /a/. Letter cards are held up to show the symbolic representation of...
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The Job Interview: Teacher's Notes
One of the most difficult parts of getting a job, is the interview. Learners are each given a card with personal experience and information on it. They respond to an advertisement for a chef position at a Korean restaurant. Each person...
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Random Acts of Kindness For Kids
Develop a world-wide, email chain on which class members can showcase their acts of kindness. After defining the meaning of random acts of kindness through discussion and through a reading of Random Acts of Kindness,...
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The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Students practice their reading comprehension while investigating vegetables. In this children's literature lesson, students are read The Tale of Peter Rabbit in class and analyze the concept and themes. Students complete...
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Taking the Witness Stand
Young scholars identify a pivotal event in world history that they would have liked to have witnessed. They then research this event and write a first-person account of it as if they had been present. Their first-prerson account is...
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Once Upon a Time: Writing Stories about Reading
Students read a New York Times article to examine strong first person voice in essays about reading. They write their own first person essays about some aspect of reading, participate in peer review, and re-writing.
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Mind your Manners Guys on your First Date
Young scholars read an article that outlines the things one should not do when eating out on a first date. In this lesson, students complete several activities to reinforce comprehension of the article, including a vocabulary...
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Literature Response Lesson Plans
Literature responses are a meaningful way to strengthen student comprehension.
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Details, Details, Details
Writing can become one-dimensional if authors don't involve all their senses. First, scholars observe a strange object which, ideally, they can touch and even smell. Without using certain words (you can create a list or have the class...
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To Half or Half Not
Jump into equivalent fractions using these fun scenarios for mathematicians to solve. First, they use geoboards to find different ways to divide a rectangle in half. Then, an alien from the planet Fractional is after one half of their...
Curated OER
El calendario notes guide
A comprehensive note-taking guide for days of the week, months, seasons, dates, and holidays. Either design your lessons around this guide (so that learners fill it out as you teach), or consider distributing this as a review guide...
Film Foundation
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: What Is a Movie?
Watching is not the same as seeing. Transform viewers from passive watchers to active students of film with this 34-page packet, filled with lessons and activities that use Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to examine the technology, the...
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Northwest Coast Indians: Spring and Summer Salmon
Here is a fabulous lesson about the cultures of the Northwest Indians. Through an exploration of a story about the Salmon People, learners study the practice of harvesting salmon and the cultural importance of salmon to the Northwest...
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Corporate Governance
Examine the role of the Securities Exchange Commission. Upper graders watch a short Bill Moyers video, analyze a political cartoon, complete a graphic organizer on the SEC, and develop SEC reform strategies to rebuild investor confidence.
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Anansi and the Tug O' War
Read a short book with your first graders! Anansi and the Tug O' War is the focus of this lesson. After reading the African story together, they complete language arts activities to practice reading comprehension. A stellar...
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Photographic Memories
Explore how photographs can represent a whole story to a viewer. Middle schoolers work on narrative writing techniques in this lesson, focusing on photographs from the New York Times to write first-person descriptive narratives....
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Expressing Your Views to the Letter
Analyze the motivation, purpose, and value of letters to the editor by examining letters written in response to the violence at Columbine High School. For homework, middle and high schoolers write their own letters to the editor about an...
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Ten by Ten
Learners participate in hands-on activities using a hundreds chart and counting toes and fingers. They discover the patterns that are created when counting by ten. After a lecture/demo, students practice by using a worksheet embedded in...
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What A Pair! A Cross Grade Writing Activity
What a pair! Older pupils interview younger ones and use what they learn to write a short, illustrated storybook that features the youngster as the main character. The youngster responds with a thank-you note in which they identify their...
Science 4 Inquiry
Expanding the Universe
When Einstein first heard the theory of the expanding universe, he dismissed it as bad physics. Now scholars learn about the theory and how scientists prove it has merit. Through a hands-on simulation and videos, class members measure...
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Tackling Race Issues on the Field
Young scholars explore what it means to be 'in the minority.' students experience what it feels to be treated differently by peers in which they are 'labeled' with statements that determine how others in their groups relate to them.
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Twisted Tales
Experience how a story can drastically change when the point of view is altered. Young scholars first read a review of Disney's film Tarzan, focusing on how the point of view in the classic story is important. They then select...
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Safety First
Students explore safety issues and challenges related to various modes of transportation through readings and discussion. They create blueprints for technological methods to make those modes of transportation safer.