Curated OER
Jim Murphy, The Great Fire - Grade 6
The Great Fire by Jim Murphy provides the text for a study of the Chicago fire of 1871. The plan is designed as a close reading activity so that all learners have the same background information require for writing. Richly detailed, the...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Second Grade Skills Unit 6: The War of 1812
An English language arts unit closely examines spelling, grammar, reading, and writing skills. Scholars practice spelling patterns and tricky words. A read-aloud details the War of 1812 and introduces adverbs, and a close reading looks...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 6: American Revolution
The American Revolution is the theme of a five-week unit that focuses on reading, grammar, morphology, and writing. Scholars read and respond to texts, practice spelling and word work, and write paragraphs. Assessments gauge comprehension.
Curated OER
Economics during the Civil War
Students synthesize the concepts of scarcity, supply, and demand, pertaining to the Civil War time period. In this economics lesson, students gain understanding of economic terms through read-alouds, Venn diagrams, (comparing lifestyles...
Curated OER
Using Literature to Teach Bullying
Students explore signs and types of bullying. In this "building character" lesson plan, students listen to several read alouds based on a bully theme. Four groups are formed to discuss "gossip", "exclusion", "physical bullying", and...
Curated OER
Biographical Time lines
Students create a time line. In this biography instructional activity, students define biography and autobiography and then read short examples of each. Students create a time line using a read aloud.
Curated OER
Coupon Clippers: Understanding Comparative Shopping
Third graders participate in a shopping spree after listening to Pigs Go to Market: Fun with Math and Shopping. After the story is read aloud, 3rd graders answer discussion questions and review key vocabulary. Students complete provided...
Curated OER
The Pirates of the Caribbean
Third graders participate in a demonstration lesson that shows a map of the Caribbean Islands. They examine a natural resource that each island is known for. Next, they listen to a read aloud of Gail Gibbons, "Pirates: Robbers of the...
Curated OER
Exploring Gullah Culture...Through Language and Numbers
First graders examine the culture of the ancient Gullah people. As a class, they practice saying and writing the days of the week and numbers in Gullah. They are read a Gullah folktale and put the events of the story into the correct...
Art Institute of Chicago
African Myths and Stories
Young historians discover African stories associated with a royal altar tusk from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria, read myths illustrated on the tusk, and write a story about the life of an oba using figures depicted on the tusk.
Curated OER
First Grade, First Grade, What Do You See? (Elementary, Reading/Writing)
First graders assist in making a list of the many things that Brown Bear saw in the story. They create an illustration of the person, place, or thing that they wrote about in their pattern sentence.
Curated OER
Four Folk Tales About HYO: The Confucian Tradition of Filial Piety
Students explore the nuances of Confucianism. In this Korean society lesson, students complete jigsaw reading assignments on the Hyo. Students compare their own reverence for parents to that described in the pieces about Korea.
Curated OER
Layers of the Earth
Third graders examine the layers of the earth during a teacher led discussion. They listen to a read aloud of "How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World," as they "visit" each layer. They work a worksheet while small groups design...
Curated OER
Family
Students listen to a teacher read aloud of a book about families before discussing what a family is to them. They discuss how families can be the same or different, who they are made of, and what their traditions might be. They draw a...
Curated OER
A Walk Around the School: Mapping Places Near and Far
After reading Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk, have your young cartographers create a map of Rosie’s walk. Then lead them on a walk around the school. When you return class members sequence the walk by making a list of how the class got from...
Curated OER
Refusing to Budge
Middle schoolers explore fair play. In this character education lesson, students examine being fair in decision-making as they participate in role plays and read The Zax.
Curated OER
Caring Makes a Difference
Students define caring. In this character education lesson, students examine the attributes of compassion as they read a folktale and discuss plans to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Curated OER
A Loyal Friend
Students examine the attributes of trust. For this character education lesson, students read the Irish folktale "Beth Gellert". Students discuss the folktale and how they can earn the trust of others.
Curated OER
A Decision of Integrity
Students study a man's life. In this values lesson, students read about Frederik De Klerk and answer discussion questions. Students discuss his values, especially integrity, and how they made a difference.
Curated OER
What Is a Promise?
Students brainstorm the definition of honesty. In this honesty lesson, students read Ostrich Egg Wife and discuss events in the story relating to honesty and breaking a promise. Students explore ways the main character showed he was not...
Curated OER
Do You Really Need It?
Fourth graders read and share chapters of The Boxcar Children. In this wants and needs instructional activity, 4th graders understand through their reading the differences between wants and needs. Students complete a worksheet about...
Curated OER
Taxes
Fourth graders read Stone Fax and explore earning money, saving, credit and taxes. In this taxes instructional activity, 4th graders complete a worksheet to develop understanding of paying off debts, keeping a checkbook, calculating...
Curated OER
Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source instructional activity students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might...
Curated OER
Poet James Whitcomb Riley: Famous in His Own Day
An engaging biography of "Hoosier" poet James Whitcomb Riley serves as a springboard for study of his unique dialect-based verse. Several activities illuminate differences between spoken vernacular and formal language. Learners record...