Curated OER
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
In this story structure lesson, students read the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and identify the characters, setting and main themes of the book. They answer a list of study questions about the book.
Curated OER
What Do Writers Do?
Pupils learn about honing their writing through editing. They write the beginning of a story, paying attention to vocabulary and detail. Then they split into groups of two to peer edit. After discussing ways they can improve their...
Curated OER
Mini Me Society Economy Those Doggone Resumes
Third graders practice writing resumes. In this resume instructional activity, 3rd graders discover the attributes of resumes, complete an activity that exhibits their likes, and write their own resume as they follow the model provided...
Curated OER
Have a Backone
Students create a visual organizer that describes different groups of vertebrates in this pre-writing activity. They view and discuss a video on descriptive writing and then form small groups to research vertebrate classes using the...
Curated OER
It's All in the Measurements
Study customary measurements with your sixth graders. They will investigate linear and capacity measurements to then measure and convert linear and capacity units. Finally they will work in small groups to conduct experiments. Resources...
Curated OER
Take a Stand
Students defend their stances regarding topics. In this writing process activity, students read The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal and participate in writing activities that require them to determine how the feel about...
Curated OER
Three Reasons Why I Want To Be...
Pupils investigate the process of writing an expository paper. The purpose of the paper is established in the introduction and the supporting details are sequenced in a logical order. The paper possesses punctuation and grammatical style...
Curated OER
Tracing Practice
In this early childhood tracing practice worksheet, students trace the horizontal line, vertical lines, diagonal lines, and circles. They also color the butterflies.
Curated OER
Pop Concert in Iran
Read, analyze, and critique a newspaper article about a concert with a Western singer and an Iranian band. Scholars will assess key vocabulary terms within the article, learn how to understand a short news report, and hone in on how the...
Curated OER
Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
Curated OER
Listening To a Guest Speaker
Pupils review the main points of note-taking to summarize the content of a formal or informal spoken presentation. They hear a guest speaker talk about a pre-arranged topic and take notes during the presentation. Next, they write a...
Curated OER
Come To Your Senses
Write narratives that include ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience, and be sure to use concrete sensory details! Groups utilize a few of the famous I Spy books in order to create narratives that utilize sensory...
Curated OER
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing
More of a worksheet than a complete lesson plan, this resource includes several pre-reading and post-reading discussion prompts for The Bernstein Bears and Too Much Teasing. The prompts on this worksheet are designed to help...
Scholastic
Pre-Reading Vocabulary Activities Using "The Gift of the Magi"
The rich language of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is only appreciable if you understand the words. A short lesson reviews 13 words from the story and prompts class members to apply each word and its definition to other situations.
Novelinks
Walk Two Moons: Story Impressions
Story chains connect literary concepts, reinforce context clues, and even help learners predict what's coming next! Using words from the next chapter of Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, middle schoolers craft story chains to...
Civil War Trust
Civil War Soldier: Experiencing the Battle of Franklin
Fighting a war over home soil makes a living nightmare even more real. Class members describe the experience of a Civil War soldier during the Battle of Franklin, poised right at a major turning point of the war, after researching the...
Curated OER
Double-Entry Journal Writing
Introduce your learners to the concept of a double-entry journal. Talk about how to connect with the text and model an example for them. Using whatever literature you are working with, have scholars choose a quote and make their own...
University of North Carolina
Summary: Using it Wisely
Sometimes summarizing keeps a writer from going deeper into their analysis—don't fall into that trap. Learn the difference between summarizing and analyzing using an insightful resource. Focusing on introductions, the lesson shares...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonics, Letter-Sound Correspondence: Letter Bag
An activity focuses on final sounds sorting. Scholars pull objects out of a bag, identify what letter sound the object ends with, then draw the picture under the appropriate column.
Curated OER
Pasta Names
Helps learners recognize alphabet letters by having them glue dry pasta over their names. Scholars use a card with their names printed neatly, then decorate it with noodles while saying each letter they make.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Double, double scholars' appreciation of the Scottish Play with a guide that adds a rich brew of pre-reading background information, chapter discussion questions, activities, and writing prompts to provide readers with a "firm and good"...
National Science Teachers Association
Hop into Action
Young scientists find out what makes amphibians such unique and interesting animals in this simple life science lesson. After looking at pictures and discussing the characteristics of amphibians, learners complete a series...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Al Capone Does My Shirts
It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...
EngageNY
Grade 10 ELA Module 4: Unit 2, Lesson 19
A tragic play includes imperfect heroes, pity and fear, and a fatal flaw. Scholars analyze Shakespeare's Macbeth as an example of the tragedy genre. Pupils demonstrate understanding by completing a Quick Write discussing how Shakespeare...