Curated OER
MAKE A STATEMENT!
Students design and make their own bumper sticker with an environmental statement.
Curated OER
Exploring the History of Canyon De Chelly: The Navajos
Students are introduced to the novel Sing Down The Moon written by Scott O'Dell. Throughout the book, after each chapter is read, class discussions and journal writing is incorporated into the unit.
Curated OER
Make a Statement!
Young scholars discuss a class collection of bumper stickers dealing with an environmental issue. They discuss whether or not the bumper sticker have a positive effect or could change a person's viewpoiint.
Curated OER
Sum Stuff
Students are introduced to informational text. Students explore nonfiction as a genre. They identify the components and text structure of text nonfiction. Students read a nonfiction passage and write a summary of the passage.
Curated OER
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
Students compare and contrast "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" and "Civil Disobedience" by writing a paper using MLA format.
Curated OER
Night by Elie Weisel
Students read "No News from Auschwitz" and answer the study questions as an introduction to the novel. They record reactions to the essay and compare with reactions after reading "Night".
Curated OER
Graphing Favorite Holidays
Students create spreadsheets and bar graphs based on results of survey of favorite holidays.
Curated OER
One Step Closer to a Treaty
Young scholars speak objectively about the nuclear disarmament issue and interpret sections of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They become more informed by these discussions and readings on the nuclear
Curated OER
Solar Power
Fifth graders create their own solar panel. They use this experiment to see how the sun can be used as a form of energy.
Curated OER
Limited Resources - Understanding Our Cultural Resources
High schoolers examine and compare preserving natural resources and preserving cultural resources. They conduct Internet research on two topics, and write a position paper on whether cultural resources or natural resources are more...
Curated OER
What's the Point
Students practice the strategy of summarization to be able to understand and comprehend the text. They study how to get rid of unnecessary or repeated information and find the most important items or events and then write a statement...
Curated OER
Woodland Animals and Their Habitat
Students explore the natural environment through a video and nature sounds tape. They keep journal's of the unit's activities and vocabulary terms. They play a web of interdependence game and compose a list of forest animals and write...
Curated OER
Web Wilderness
Fourth graders write an expository paper using notes taken during a field trip or a guest speaker.
Curated OER
SCI-FI TALES
Fifth graders brainstorm known features of science fiction books and titles read. They pair up and discuss the possible physical characteristics fo a creature that could appear fron an excerpt of SCI-FI TALES.
Curated OER
John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Review Writing and Answer Questions
Middle schoolers review the writings of John Lawson. Using his writings, they read comments about them to determine how his writings might have affected emigration to America. They answer discussion questions and share their answers...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Closing Up Our Writing by Summing Up the Main Ideas
In this lesson, 5th graders will write a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes the main ideas of a research essay.
Read Works
Read Works: Grade 2: Three Lesson Unit: Main Idea
[Free Registration/Login Required] A series of three lesson plans designed to teach students to identify main ideas through headings and chapter titles, and then to write appropriate titles of their own. Lessons are based on the books...
Beacon Learning Center
Beacon Learning Center: Get the Idea
In this reading comprehension exercise, young readers will learn to identify main ideas in paragraphs. Includes multiple choice options with hints.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Writing a Topic & Concluding Paragraph for the Essay
This lesson is a final step towards supporting young scholars to practice writing an informative/explanatory paragraph conveying complex ideas and presenting information clearly and accurately. Second-grade students can usually write a...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Keys to the Main Idea [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a text a complete a graphic organizer to identify the main ideas and supporting details. Materials are included.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Expository Text Structure: Main Idea Mania
A lesson plan in which students read a text and record the main ideas and supporting details on one of the graphic organizers provided. Materials are included. [PDF]
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Points of Informational Text Main Idea and Details
This lesson uses the book Explorers of North America - A True Book by Brendan January to teach students how to identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text and specific paragraphs within the text. Students are guided...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A Garden in Lawndale [Pdf]
"A Garden in Lawndale" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about an eighth grade class who planted a garden in a vacant lot by their school and maintained it to improve their neighborhood. It is followed by constructed-response...
Other
Responsible Thinking: Analyzing Arguments and Evidence
Contains many points to consider when analyzing someone's arguments and evidence, such as the hidden assumptions, cultural assumptions, and testability. Each is explained in a short paragraph with a link to additional discussions on...