Curated OER
Hoot: KWHL
How can we help endangered animals? Learn about which animals are endangered and what people can do to protect them with a lesson based on Carl Hiaasen's Hoot. After completing a KWHL chart to note what they already know and what...
Tech Coach Corner
The Hook
A fishing hook inspires this presentation about different methods for starting a composition. Have class members take notes or edit current drafts while viewing the slide show. The animation is entertaining, but gets repetitive by the...
Curated OER
Asteroids, Meteors, and Comets
Although a bit confusing, this is an interesting exercise which will lead to greater understanding of the differences between asteroids, meteors, and comets. Learners must find the correct path that takes them through a series of...
Curated OER
Photography Merit Badge Workbook
Engage your class in photography with this series of activities! Beginning photographers research and explain elements of photography, camera equipment, and careers in photography. After the research portion, learners complete one of two...
Curated OER
Writing in Different Viewpoints
Students read and analyze the point of view of a selected classic short story. They take notes while reading the story, select a character, and rewrite the story from a different viewpoint.
Curated OER
Researching Another country's Holiday: Organizing and Recording Information
Prior to this activity, 5th graders will have collected notes from several sources. Students extend their note taking to include at least one example each of summarizing and paraphrasing. They record bibliographic information for each...
Curated OER
Child Labor Slide Show
Students review ideas shared about the American worker while reading poems of Carl Sandburg. They now view a slide show of what they looked like. While students view the slide show, the teacher goes over information. A link is provided...
Curated OER
Gathering Data to Problem Solve
Students, while using reading and writing strategies (subheads, prediction, skim, details, drawing inferences, etc,), solve math problems that involve gathering and representing data (addition, subtraction, multiplication). They practice...
PBS
The Big Picture-Economic Security in the Country and your Community
High schoolers explore economic security at the local and national level during the time period preceding the 2008 presidential election. They fill out surveys on their thoughts and concerns regarding the US economy, and watch...
Curated OER
Economics during the Civil War
Young scholars synthesize the concepts of scarcity, supply, and demand, pertaining to the Civil War time period. In this economics lesson, students gain understanding of economic terms through read-alouds, Venn diagrams, (comparing...
Curated OER
Cracking Cassius
Students examine the argument between Cassius and Brutus to define the importance of friendship and study a Shakespearean play. In this Julius Caesar analysis lesson, students list qualities of a best friend and read scenes from the...
Curated OER
For Richer or for Poorer
Students read about one cross-class marriage and create scenes to dramatize interactions among the family members and consider how class shapes relationships. They imagine the issues faced by cross-class couples by writing a short story.
Curated OER
Biographies
Students read a biography and discuss what defines a biography. Students choose a biography of their own interest to read and write a report about one of the people in the biography. Reports are shared with classmates.
Curated OER
Endothermic and Exothermic Lab
In this endothermic and exothermic reactions activity, students experiment with water and a salt of choice to determine if heat is absorbed or released in the reaction. Students take the temperature of their solution over a 2 minute time...
Curated OER
Twisting Versions of Little Red Riding Hood
Students read orally two versions of Little Red Riding Hood (Classic and Cajun) They compare and contrast the two Little Red Riding Hood versions. Students create a concept map to demonstrate the comparisons/contrasts. They could also...
Curated OER
First Set of Essay Questions on The Hobbit
Students read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and choose two essays to write about the first six chapters. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read the first six chapters of the novel and use a worksheet to take...
Curated OER
Wild Things Are Here
Students engage in a literature study for the book Where The Wild Things Are. The skill of prediction is practiced as they preview the story as a whole class. The teacher models reading fluency, pronunciation, and phonetic skills while...
Curated OER
Keyboard centers with Music You Can Read
Pupils play the letters provided in the format "Keyboard/Xylophone/Tone Bells" with the intention of using the "Music Only" format as skills progress. They study fingerings and chords when appropriate to skills.
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.
Reading Resource
Falling Leaves Long Vowel Game
Autumn's come early in your classroom! Match leaves with short words to the trees with the correct vowel sounds. A few blank leaves allow you to add your own words to the activity.
Indiana University
World Literature: "One Evening in the Rainy Season" Shi Zhecun
Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...
Curated OER
Comparing Values: Comparisons Between Musical Notation and Money
Learners identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in school, specifically math, are interrelated with those of music.
National Math + Science Initative
Introduction to Decimals
Three activities make up an introductory instructional activity designed to create a strong foundation in comparing fractions to decimals and exploring and building decimal models. Pupils brainstorm and complete a Venn diagram to show...
Curated OER
Early Explorers
Fifth graders give a presentation about one of the explorers. In this explorers lesson, 5th graders research an explorer and give a presentation to the class. While students are presenting the others are taking notes on a graphic organizer.