Curated OER
"Retale" Value: Exploring Plot Similarities in Fiction and Nonfiction Stories
Young scholars explore seven basic story lines and apply these story lines to news articles in the New York Times. They write reports comparing the plot of a news article to novels, plays and movies with which they are familiar.
Curated OER
What It Means to Be an American Indian
Students analyze primary source documents and evaluate historical evidence to find consequences of the policies that were adopted from the 1830s to today regarding Native American Indians.
Curated OER
Using the newspaper to learn about state and local government
Students investigate the purposes of state and local government. They categorize newspaper articles into state and local issues. Pupils summarize nonfiction text. Students given an oral presentation on a news report to the class.
Curated OER
Start Book
Students review their notes, drawings, photos and writing from the field trip to share with the whole group. They make a fiction or nonfiction storybook as a group. They include writing from all students and can include artwork and...
Curated OER
Disaters!
Students read a fiction and nonfiction accounts about different types of disasters. The class uses iChat AV and iSight camera to interview students in a different part of the country about natural or manmade disasters in their area....
Curated OER
Cinderella Stories
Students read and compare Cinderella stories using a worksheet. They write and illustrate original tales with a twist.
Curated OER
Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Do the Animal Dance!
Young scholars create a dance based on animal movements. In this kinesthetic lesson plan, the students will read and imitate animals in a creative way and share their dances with the group. The lesson plan includes a take-home activity...
Curated OER
Baseball Statistics
Students read "Casey at the Bat" and then use individual player statistics (found through internet research)to determine if their players could be considered baseball "heroes". They must justify their choices for "hero" by creating...
Curated OER
Tennessee Williams: Exploring the American Dream
Students read and analyze selections of Tennessee Williams' work. They write journal responses, conduct Internet research, perform various scenes from one of Williams' dramas, and create a presentation.
Curated OER
Polygons, Parallelograms, Quadrilaterals- Oh My!!!
Students demonstrate their comprehension of shapes and their properties. They work in small groups. Students review the following terms: property, polygon, quadrilateral, and parallelogram. They read Shape Up! Fun With Triangles and...
Curated OER
Discovering Ourselves in Literature and Life
Students read literature and view other media to discover how print and non-print texts answer the thematic question: Who am I? students compare the ways ideas are presented, and create their own portfolios or personal Web pages...
Curated OER
A History of Journal Writing
Students articulate their prior knowledge concerning the purposes of journal writing. They explore what function journal writing has fulfilled for various cultures and peoples. Students read and analyze various journal entries by famous...
Curated OER
Poke and Look Learning Books
Learners read Poke and Look Learning Books and complete predicting activities, reading, questioning, and more. In this Poke and Look Learning Books, students do this for 13 different books.
Curated OER
Colorado Animals Newsletter and Directed Web Page
Students select a Colorado animal, develop a Directed Web page, and research their animal. Each member of the group combine their research and develop a Newsletter.
National First Ladies' Library
A Crippling Cough: Tuberculosis on a Rampage
Middle schoolers use problem solving skills to examine symptoms, causes, and treatment of tuberculosis in modern times and in early 1900s. Students read patient case, work in teams to diagnose illness, and conduct Internet research to...
Curated OER
I love penguins!
Students listen to stories and view video about penguins. In this penguins lesson, students research penguins in groups and present a report using their choice of technology or artwork presentation.
Curated OER
Using Text Features
Fourth graders read a nonfiction story that is presented to them with graphic features, and presented to them with only the text. In this text features lesson, 4th graders decide what the benefits of text organizers are and create...
Curated OER
The Change of a River
Students describe the changes that have affected the Missouri River over the past 200 years by identifying transformations in this area's atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. They research online in groups assigned to...
Curated OER
Animal Smarts Question Report
In this 10 question multiple choice worksheet, students choose the correct answer based on reading Animal Smarts. They read the non-fiction piece before determine the correct answers to the questions.
Curated OER
Decoding Strategies
Young readers apply decoding strategies to identify unknown words. In this reading lesson, they read the Preamble and practice using decoding strategies. Small groups rotate to five charts that have questions regarding the Constitution...
Curated OER
A Zoo Book for All
A visit to the local zoo launches an integrated life science/ language arts research project into the habitat, feeding habits, offspring, lifespan, and other interesting facts about animals. Each group selects two animals to photograph...
Curated OER
Language Arts Exploration
While an interesting lesson idea involving the exploration of a story about an Asian American boy named Imduk, a teacher would need to have assess to the Scott Foresman reading program to make this work. If not, a teacher could use...
Prestwick House
Author’s Purpose in Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech
President Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech, delivered on June 12, 1987 before the Berlin Wall, provides class members with an opportunity to examine three key aspects of informational text: author bias, the use of facts and...
Scholastic
Voyage on the Mayflower for Grades 6–8
Imagine living in the hold of a sailing ship for 63 days, enduring rough seas and autumn storms. As part of a study of the voyage of the Mayflower, class members examine an online resource that details life about the ship, watch a slide...