Curated OER
The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plains
Students review the concept of vowel digraphs. They identify the digraph /ai/ in spoken language. After a brief discussion, students apply the rule for reading and spelling words containing the /ai/ digraph by creating a word chart.
Curated OER
My Antonia: Anticipation Guide
Making predictions is an important skill that experienced readers tap into when tackling a difficult text. Prepare your pupils to read My Antonia by Willa Cather with an initial prediction activity and this anticipation guide, which...
Curated OER
Making Mind Movies
Students interact with the strategy of visualization to better understand what is happening in a story. They assess the poem, "Talented Family," and the book, "Sarah Plain and Tall," to visualize and imagine in their minds pictures of...
Curated OER
Red Herrings
Students follow clues and find a hidden object that is really in plain sight. In this red herrings lesson, students recognize that some reading clues are misleading. Students read Chasing Vermeer and search for misleading clues in the...
Curated OER
Creating a Character Chart for the Secret Garden
The Secret Garden, is a wonderful book to read with your class. After reading, why not employ the lesson plan presented here as a follow up activity? In it, pupils create character charts that portray the tremendous changes that take...
Curated OER
Word Up!
Study the importance of word choice in informational text. Middle and high schoolers locate unfamiliar words and phrases in newspaper articles of their choosing, and use online word sites to explore the definitions and histories of each....
Curated OER
Adding Strong Voice to Your Writing
Identify examples of strong voice in popular picture books. Young authors add voice to their writing and revise their own writing. In addition, they share their writing with their peers.
Curated OER
Traditions and Languages of Three Native Cultures: Tlingit, Lakota, and Cherokee
Students explore the connections between tradition and language. They examine the environment, history and culture of the Tlingit, Lakota and Cherokee tribes and identify the importance of maintaining languages for oral traditions.
Curated OER
Northwest Coast Indians: Winter Celebrations Potlatch
Upper elementary learners engage in a study about the Potlatch as a Northwest Coast Indians social custom. Groups of pupils plan their own Potlatch ceremony; incorporating activities and creating gifts much like the ones that the Indians...
Curated OER
Introduction to Primary Sources
Students explore the usage of primary sources, what they are and how they originate. Artifacts are compared and contrasted as part of this historical inquiry as questions are formulated and conclusions drawn.
National Endowment for the Humanities
John Steinbeck’s "The Grapes of Wrath": The Inner Chapters
Here’s a must-have resource for anyone using The Grapes of Wrath. Everything from guiding questions to background information, from photographs to documentary films, from activities to assessments is included in a richly detailed packet...
Curated OER
Buffalo Hide Paintings
To the Native American people living on the plains, the buffalo represented culture, art, sustenance, and survival. Explore the history of the buffalo with a social studies lesson, in which learners create a buffalo hide painting in the...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1
Does your ELA class need some practice with the specific skills outlined in the Common Core standards? Then this is the perfect resource for you! One in a series of connected lessons that cover the standards for reading literature,...
Curated OER
Like Comparing Bison and Fish
Fourth graders examine the cultures of early American Indians in North America and how geographic characteristics impacted the development of American Indian cultures. Students discuss Lewis and Clark, their journey, the Plains Indians,...
Curated OER
Fiction and Nonfiction
Fourth graders differentiate between fiction and nonfiction using the books "Sarah Plain and Tall" and "A Day in the Prairie." They develop a list of information that they learn from the text, and create an information web. Students...
Curated OER
Why Not Fabric?
Students investigate art from Native American culture by creating fabric. In this native art analysis lesson plan, students identify the art of Plains Indians and discuss how it is represented in their fabrics, beads and decorations....
Curated OER
VS.3g
Third graders explore describing the interactions between the English settlers and the Powhatan people. They include the contributions of the Powhatan's to the survival of the settlers and review how the Powhatan people and the English...
Curated OER
Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
Pupils read "Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. They complete a story map and write about the topic of prejudice. They role-play star-bellied and plain-bellied sneetches and write a persuasive essay about their experiences.
Curated OER
What Did I Just Read?
Students summarize a chapter from the book, "Sarah Plain and Tall. After reviewing the the formation of a topic sentence, they independently read a chapter from the book. Students write a summary paragraph using the checklist outlined by...
Curated OER
States On A Map
Third graders locate the states of Main and Kansas on a map. In this state location lesson plan, 3rd graders read the book Sarah, Plain and Tall and discuss what states she traveled through.
Curated OER
Like Comparing Bison and Fish
Fourth graders study the development of North American Indian cultures by looking at how geography impacted their development. They write a five paragraph essay comparing the Plains Indians and the Clatsop Indians.
Curated OER
I'll Take One!
Fourth graders collectively create a product, slogan, and advertisements for different types of media. They define different types of appeals such as bandwagon, emotional, glittering generalities, snob appeal, plain-folks appeal,...
Curated OER
Listen to Poems and Rhyme
Students create rhymes. In this rhyming lesson students supply rhymes for Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. The students group words according to rhyming patterns.
Curated OER
In The Leaves Lesson Plan
Students are exposed to Chinese characters. In this multicultural early childhood lesson plan, students identify objects by using folding cards which have Chinese characters on one side and the English equivalent on the other.