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Word Reference Materials
A class discussion on reference materials opens up a lesson plan on how to use these important resources. They discover that dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses are called word reference resources, and they practice using them. The...
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The Great China Chase: Adjectives
Stories are created, by young scholars, using a variety of adjectives. 3-5th graders will learn about adjectives and use their new knowledge to create ad-lib stories to share with the class demonstrating their mastery of adjectives,...
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Adjective Riddles
Students create a riddle using adjectives to describe an unknown edible substance to their classmates.
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Adjective Riddles
Students create adjective riddles for various candies. They describe the sound, taste, appearance, and smell of the candy, using at least 10 different adjectives. Classmates try to guess the candy name.
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Common Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
Sixth graders identify word parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words by cutting and pasting. After a lecture/demo, 6th graders utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to gain practice working with these parts of speech.
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Making Decisions by Group: The Jury System
Students discover how to work cooperatively within a group and communicate their ideas clearly in order to reach an agreement. They summarize their experience in writing and hand down a verdict of guilt or innocence based on the...
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Short Story
Seventh graders identify the various elements of a short story. After reading Rudyard Kipling's short story, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," students identify the author's purpose in writing the story as well as the elements that make it a short...
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Create Your Own Sporting Event
Students use their imagination and language skills to create and describe their own sporting event. In this sporting event instructional activity, students brainstorm sports related vocabulary and identify their parts of speech. Students...
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The Correct Use of the Articles "A" and "An"
Learners discover the grammatical rules regarding articles. In this grammar lesson plan, students study the rule regarding the use of "a" and "an" in writing. Learners are encouraged to discover the rule on their own and apply the rule...
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The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
"The Gettysburg Address" is the basis of a series of activities that not only model for learners how to conduct a close reading of a text, but also how a close reading can help them comprehend a difficult text. The detailed, step-by-step...
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My Secret War: Lesson 5
Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...
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The Cow That Went Oink
Learners complete a variety of activities related to the book The Cow That Went Oink. They role-play the various animals from the story, write a letter to a farm animal in the book, identify syllables of story words, and create an...
US Institute of Peace
Becoming a Peacebuilder
"Be the change you wish to see in the world!" The 15th and final lesson in a peacebuilding series uses this quote from Gandhi to prepare pupils for their own action projects. Individuals research a global issue, then brainstorm a method...
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Understanding and Using Root Words to Expand Vocabulary
Middle schoolers engage in a lesson which reminds them that root words indicate the base meaning of a word, and that those roots are found in many different words that have similar meanings. Pairs of pupils use construction paper and...
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The Scoop on Summer
Third graders write a noun that names a place they spent their summer vacation, a verb telling one activity they did, and use those words to write a complete sentence. Finally, they use an ice cream cone graphic organizer as a guide to...
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Launching Your Ship with Citizenship Lesson 4: Hoisting the Flag
Students discuss the U.S. electoral process and brainstorm solutions to increase voter turnout in their community. For this democratic citizenship lesson, students identify keywords in speech and video related to freedom of speech and...
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Attracting an Audience With Purpose
High schoolers discuss the attributes of a good speech and a bad speech, and listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, I Have A Dream. They rewrite a speech, directing it to a different audience than it was intended for.
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Adjective Lesson Plan
Students view a PowerPoint to introduce them to adjectives and complete a quiz. In groups, they travel between stations in which they work individually to correctly identify the adjectives in a sentence. They also create a list of...
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Flora and Fauna as Figures of Speech
Students view artwork in manuscript pages depicting insects, animals, plants, flowers, and ornate writing, such as those found in the Mira calligraphiae monumenta in the Getty Museum.
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Savoir and Connaitre
Learners explore the conjugation of the two verbs savoir and connaitre and the differences between them. They discuss the verbs and how to use them correctly. Students complete a worksheet on which they write the two verbs connaitre and...
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Listening For Adjectives
Third graders review the concept of an adjective and how it is a word used to make a description. For this lesson they appreciate music for the purpose of finding an adjective to describe it. The skill of visualization is also used for...
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Cambodia's Quest for Justice
Learners observe pictures, articles, maps, charts and other gathered information concerning the Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia by participating in a gallery walk. Afterward, they discuss war crimes and the significance of...
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To Be or Not to Be
Learners gather information about setting goals through a variety of activities. In this setting goals lesson, students view a PowerPoint that explains the outcomes of the project, take notes, interview a local business person, write a...
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Mesearch: A Reason for Research
Students complete a research activity about themselves. They access an article on brainstorming and identifying personality traits. Students brainstorm about their personality traits and view a related PowerPoint. Students create their...