MENSA Education & Research Foundation
It’s Greek to Me: Greek Mythology
It's no myth: this packet on Greek mythology is an excellent addition to your social studies curriculum. With writing activities, such as short answer responses and biopoems, and reading activities, which include creation stories and...
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Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Your entire class works together to create an illustrated insect field guide. The intent is that they venture outside of the classroom, find a critter, and then research it using reference materials, insect books, and the Internet for...
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Literature Circles
Pupils respond aesthetically to a piece of text. They give book talks about a picture book their small group read and rate it. Each student has a different job in the literature cirlce during the discussions. Finally, the students...
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Definition Lists
Students create a list of items with indented text block definitions in an HTML document. They produce a bibliography with a definition list.
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Famous African Americans ABC Book
Students create an ABC book with short biographies of famous African Americans in history. They utilize teacher-selected and/or student-researched library sources about African Americans in history.
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Reference Source Four Square
Fourth graders play a four-square game on the playground while reviewing four main references -- dictionary, atlas, thesaurus, and encyclopedia. Students must throw the playground ball in the correct "square" identifying the correct...
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Accordion Book for Comparing Cultures
Fourth graders are introduced to the different cultural groups that have settled in Ohio. In groups, they research and describe the products and cultural practices of each group. Using the information, they create an accordion book for...
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Introduce Vocabulary: A Picture Book of Abe Lincoln
Students examine SA Picture Book of Abe Lincoln. For this language arts lesson, students listen to the story and discuss the meaning of the story vocabulary.
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A Picture Book of Helen
Students learn the meaning of tier two vocabulary words. In this vocabulary lesson, students read A Picture Book of Helen Keller, listening for 3 pre-selected, tier two vocabulary words. Words are defined by the teacher and students...
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Our Class Record Book
Second graders, in groups, prepare a list of proposed record ideas for the class book.
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Getting to Know You
Fifth graders identify strategies to assist in choosing a book. For this book selection lesson, 5th graders discuss ways to determine if a book is the right reading level or on a topic of interest. Students preview several books and...
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Pair the Plants: An Introduction to Scientific Names
Students examine why plants have both common and scientific names, then complete the activity by matching each common plant name with its scientific name. They finish by working in cooperative groups to create an ABC of Plants class book.
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A Pill with a View
Students brainstorm a list of potential uses for micro-video technologies. After reading an article, they analyze the development of a new pill-sized camera. In groups, they create a children's book that shows them the various systems of...
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Vocabulary Strategy
In order to truly understand The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, you'll need to provide middle schoolers with background information about the Holocaust. After contributing as many words as they can associate with the Holocaust, such as...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Lego Molecules
Young scientists construct an understanding of molecular compounds in this hands-on science instructional activity. Using LEGO® to model the atoms of different elements, students build molecules based on the chemical formulas of common...
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Teaching Word Meaning Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies
Strengthen and enhance your class's vocabulary with a guided lesson on word relationships. Focusing on synonyms and antonyms, the lesson demonstrates ways to compare and define different words, including word analogies and thesaurus skills.
Energy for Keeps
The Energy Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about past and present energy use in a classroom-made historical newspaper. Useful as a cross-curricular assignment between science, history, and language arts, the project is sure to get young journalists...
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Genres, Genres Everywhere
Young readers assume the role of Genre Sleuths to investigate the characteristics of folktales, fantasies, and mysteries. For this session you will need to collect a variety of books on a topic you have been studying. Groups then examine...
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"Julie of the Wolves"
Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...
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Ocean Zones
Students create a mural showing ocean zones and the diversity of ocean life. They use reference books to create a list of plants and animals that would live in each zone.
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Introduce Vocabulary: Tell Me a Story, Mama
Young scholars are read Tell Me a Story, Mama, by Angela Johnson. In this vocabulary focused instructional activity, students discover the definitions of at least three Tier Two words. They discuss the meanings of the words, as a group,...
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Wildlife Fact File
Students research a specific animal. In this animal science lesson, students use a "Wildlife Fact Sheet" to take notes on their specific animal. Students use the Internet and reference books to gather information.
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Books for Teaching Dinosaurs
Students investigate dinosaurs through books. For this lesson about dinosaurs, students read a variety of books about dinosaurs. Students become familiar with dinosaurs through reading about them. Students learn that reading is...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
From Ben’s Pen to Our Lives
What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...