Curated OER
African Folktales
Learners study the elements of folktales. They write, perform and produce their own African folktales using camcorders and movie software.
Curated OER
The Original's Sins
Are history textbooks plagiarized? The New York Times article, “Schoolbooks Are Given F’s in Originality,” looks at this question and forms the basis for a lesson on textbooks and plagiarism. The very detailed plan includes resource...
Curated OER
Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Introductory Paragraphs for Research Papers
After reading on the topic of their paper, high schoolers work in pairs to assess how to write powerful, precise thesis statements. The introduction contains three statements: a universal statement, a bridge statement, and a thesis...
Curated OER
Convey Ideas in Writing
Use the platforms of the 2004 presidential candidates to bring persuasive writing to your class. Young voters identify the three issues most important to them in the election and research the issues and candidates' positions. They write...
Curated OER
Evaluating the Strength of Scientific Evidence: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
A happy discovery occurred in Arkansas in 2004: a woodpecker, believed to be extinct since the 1940s, reappeared! Or did it? Middle to high school ecologists examine scientific evidence and use critical-thinking skills to determine...
Curated OER
African Folktales
Students examine the art of storytelling. In groups, they write their own African folktales, design costumes, props and scenery, and videotape folktale presented in dramatic form.
Curated OER
Exploring US Foreign Policy after WWII--The Cold War
Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...
Curated OER
Behind Closed Doors
Students explore different types of doors from an artistic point of view. In this creative thinking lesson, students look at different types of architectural doors and doorways and analyze them. They create a project of a door as a...
Curated OER
Outstanding Women
Research the lives of famous women in this social studies instructional activity. Middle schoolers use various sources to research a famous woman and create a presentation about the accomplishments of the woman. They can find the central...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonics: Letter Recognition, Lettercritter
This is a fun idea to get your scholars practicing their ABCs! They assemble an alphabet caterpillar, printing lowercase versions below each uppercase letter. They practice writing the lowercase letters using dry-erase markers and say...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Make a Match
A memory activity engages young learners in letter-sound correspondence. Pairs take turns examining two sets of cards lying face down. They flip one image card and one letter card, then name the initial sound. If the sounds match, pupils...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Letter-Sound Mix-Up
Scholars time each other as they work through a sheet of all 26 letters. They test each other to see how many letters sounds they can identify in one minute.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Isolating, Bag-of-Sounds
In pairs, pre-readers take turns holding up objects from a bag. As one child holds up an object, the other names it and says its initial letter sound. They work together to sort the objects into piles based on how they isolated and...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Isolating, See It-Sound It
Working pairs, early readers put their hands into a mystery box, pull out an item, then name and identify its initial phoneme.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Isolating, The Last Sound Is...
Partners work with real objects as they practice final phonemes. Here's how it works: Partner A silently chooses an object and sounds it out, determining the final phoneme and saying the sound aloud. Partner B examines the group of...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Rereading Decodable Text
Using a familiar decodable text, pairs take turns reading sentences. The partner who isn't reading follows along silently, helping if needed. They alternate sentences until the entire book is finished and then reverse to read the other...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Readers' Theater
Readers' theater is a fun way to get kids reading with expression and improve their fluency! There is a full script here for The Three Bears with five characters to assign.
Positively Autism
What to Expect on the 4th of July
Social stories are technically written devices used to assist children with autism in handling social situations. Print or use this social story on an electronic device to prepare your student with autism for the 4th of July. Bright...
Curated OER
Unsent Letter: Characterization in Briar Rose
After completing Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, class members assume the voice of Gemma and craft a personal letter to her granddaughter telling Becca how she feels about Becca’s actions and the discoveries at Chelmno. Complete directions for...
Perkins School for the Blind
Baseball
Baseball is an American pastime, super fun to play, and can be made accessible to learners with visual impairments. Instead of taking to the ball field, your class can learn the rules of the game by playing a small three-dimensional...
Curriculum Corner
“I Can” Common Core! 3rd Grade Writing
Present third grade writers with clear learning objectives using this Common Core checklist. By phrasing each standard as I can statements, this document serves as an excellent resource for helping children further develop their writing...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Morphemic Elements, Root-O!
Young readers get to the root of unfamiliar vocabulary with a collaborative learning activity. Given a deck of root word cards and copies of a graphic organizer, pairs of students take turns flipping over cards and brainstorming...
Curated OER
The Sound of…Poetry!
Scritch, scratch, scritch. It's the sound of pupils writing poetry! Focus on sensory language and onomatopoeia with a writing lesson plan. After listening to some sounds, learners examine a couple of poems that include sound words and...
Curated OER
Man's Search For Meaning: Writing Assessment (Final Multi-Genre Project)
Conclude a study of Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning with a research project that asks readers to investigate what various religions and philosophies believe is the meaning of life. The resource packet includes a list of...