Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Off to Adventure!: Challenge Activities (Theme 1)
Off to Adventure! is the theme of an English language arts unit comprised of a variety of challenge activities. Scholars enhance skills and reinforce concepts by taking part in a grand book discussion, giving an oral...
Curated OER
The Power of Mental Images: Visualizing Literature
With a chapter book in hand, readers practice visualizing the events and characters of the story. The lesson gives suggestions of novels that are rich in detail to help facilitate the process. Drawings from what they read act as the...
Curated OER
The Best of Shakespeare...Henry V!
Check your readers' understanding of Shakespeare's famous historical play, Henry V. Basic, reading-comprehension questions cover the plot of the story.
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A Day in the life of...
Students read about and study insects--their distinguishing characteristics, habitats, camouflage methods, defense mechanisms, etc. They draw pictures and write a story from the viewpoint of an insect and share their pictures and stories...
Curated OER
Varied Beginnings: Research Process / Narrative Writing Techniques
What's the best way to start a story? Learners write a memoir using effective openings. They research the process and work through a list of hooks to use in their writing. They use at least two hooks to begin their personal memoir. A...
Read In English
White Fang
White Fang gets into the mind of a wild wolfdog as people domesticate him. The story tells of trials with violent animals and humans alike. White Fang captures readers' hearts as the pup separates from his family.
Curated OER
Forest Communities
Young scholars identify tree specimens. In this tree specimens lesson, students collect different parts of a tree from the areas around the school or their home. They then work in groups to create booklet that identifies tree...
Walters Art Museum
The Symbolism of Allegorical Art
Introduce learners to allegorical art with four bronze sculptures by Francesco Bertos. After modeling how to recognize bias and allegory in Bertos' Africa, class groups examine the other three sculptures in the series before creating...
Curated OER
Spider Body Parts
Students identify spider body parts. In this arachnid lesson, students review the story Amazing World of Spiders and discuss the various spider body parts. Students fill in the correct body parts on a copy of a blank spider diagram....
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Gingerbread Man
In this story sequencing learning exercise, learners practice their story-telling skills. Students color and cut out four parts of the story about the gingerbread man and put them in order.
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TV and Teaching
Students write a story centered around their favorite TV show. In this story writing lesson, students share their favorite TV shows and discuss their favorite characters. Students draw pictures that illustrate a story in which they are a...
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Cereal Box Book Report Project
Students create a book report using a cereal box. In this book report lesson plan, students cover the outer parts of a cereal box representing a book they red. They create an original cover on one side, and use the other sides to report...
Curated OER
One Story, Many Tales
Students compare and contrast various versions of the fairytale Cinderella. In this folktale activity, students read The Korean Cinderella and The Egyptian Cinderella and analyze the differences between the two stories. Students identify...
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The Art of Persuasion
Students write a persuasive letter. In this persuasion lesson, students listen to the story Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School and discuss the vocabulary and parts of a persuasive letter. They write their own letter to...
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A Fine, Fine Reader
Learners practice reading more fluently by giving them experience reading various character parts in a story and expressing the attitude of their character. They interact with the book, "A Fine, Fine School," by Sharon Creech as well as...
Curated OER
Introduction to Fractions Using Cuisenaire Rods
Fifth graders use Cuisenaire rods in order to discover how to represent fractions with real objects. In this lesson on fractions, 5th graders first examine and learn the colors, lengths, and numerical values of each rod; then, students...
Curated OER
Latin Roots spect, sta, vert: Context Story
Part of the MyVocabulary.com word roots study program, this short reading provides appropriate usage of words containing the Latin roots spect, sta, and vert at the intermediate level. No audio is available to accompany it as of press...
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Comparing Cultures
Young readers compare two stories/cultures, identifying how they are alike and different. They share their own version of a well-known story and adapt it to another culture. They explain their adaptations.
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The Meaning of Rock Art
Students examine the significance of rock art. They discuss and view examples of historical rock art, and create a design on a rock that tells a story using African and American symbols.
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Creating a Science Fiction Story
As the culminating activity in a unit study of science fiction, young writers demonstrate their understanding of the genre by producing their own graphic novel. After deciding on the main elements of their story, individuals use a comic...
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Confronting Two Challenges--One Physical, One Intellectual
Students examine the challenges of a new language and culture. For this cultural lesson, student read Running by Peter Hessler and discuss obstacles faced, including the language barrier. Students write an essay about a time they...
Novelinks
The Hobbit: Writing Assignment
As a culminating assignment for a unit study of heroes that uses The Hobbit as the core text, class members engage in a multi-genre writing project.
Curated OER
You Can't Go Wrong with a Right Triangle 1
Fourth and fifth graders study the Pythagorean Theorem and apply it to find the missing side of a right triangle.
Curated OER
The Wonderful World of Slugs
Examine a slug? Of course, what else would a 2nd grader do with it? Pupils use clues and go on a slug hunt, read a slug story, or make a cooperative group mural of a slug's habitat. While older learners catalog slugs, go on a slug hunt,...