Curated OER
Up & Away
Students research where balloons go when they fly away, the consequences of their escape, and suggest alternative possibilities for preventing balloon escapes in real life. They identify humorous stories and discuss the qualities that...
Missouri Department of Elementary
The Successful Student: Let’s Review for Better Achievement
Study skills, time management skills, and test taking-skills are important attributes for both the classroom and the real world. Focus on these learning skills in a lesson that reviews how to be a good student and make better grades.
Curated OER
I Will Survive!
Students define and explore the term "survivor" through the study of real-life stories of survival. They interview a person whom he/she considers to be a survivor, and share their interviews with the class.
Curated OER
Fractions XIII - Multiplication of Whole Numbers
In this math PowerPoint, the process of multiplying whole numbers and fractions is broken down into clear, sequential steps. Examples of each step are given numerically and in simple, easy-to-understand text. Story problems and examples...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
I Need a Superhero
Once the class learns about the hero's journey, they'll find it in every story and movie they see! Take characters from their humble beginnings to their atonement and apotheosis with a set of lessons about the hero's journey focusing...
Curated OER
Foreshadowing and Making Predictions
"What happens next?" Using real-life scenarios, movies, images, and other prompts, pupils practice making predictions based on inferences from clues. A SMART board activity takes them from making predictions to writing a prediction...
August House
The Drum
Take a journey to India with a read aloud of The Drum: A Folktale from India by Rob Cleveland. Make connections to the story's theme by building and practicing drums, role playing story characters, and practicing skills in phonics, math,...
Reed Novel Studies
The One and Only Ivan: Novel Study
A new friend, a new perspective, and a new light are all found in Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan. Ivan, a gorilla, was content with his life until a baby elephant befriended him. Readers find synonyms, answer comprehension...
Curated OER
Hero Stories Teach
Students create a slogan. In this heroes lesson, students identify traits from hero stories that match traits of real life heroes. They discuss what lessons they can learn from heroes about courage and come up with a one line slogan that...
Curated OER
Youth Dealing With Homophobia:Stories From Real Life
Students read testimonials of real gay and lesbian teenagers dealing with homophobia. They discuss how to create an environment that respects all persons regardless of sexual orientation. They discuss a variety of emotions that these...
Curated OER
Real-Life History
Students collect artifacts which are part of their family/community history. They gather at home and share in the classroom at a specified time when extra care and supervision might be provided.
Curated OER
Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find": Who's the Real Misfit?
Students discuss the characteristics of the literary genre known as "Southern Gothic". They write an analysis of the short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor.
Curated OER
Bigger than Life
Students explore courage. In this moral and character development instructional activity, students read biographical information about Jackie Robinson and identify examples of courage exemplified in his life story.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan for The Little Red Hen
Cultivate young performers while teaching them about helping one another with this interactive storytelling lesson. Elementary schoolers read or listen to the story The Little Red Hen by Mike Lockett and then act out the story while...
Curated OER
The Game is Afoot - A Study of Sherlock Holmes
Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre. Based on what they...
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Chraisma by Jeanne Ryan
Often, science fiction makes a lot of connections to real life. An educator's guide for the novel Charisma by Jeanne Ryan, has readers discuss many of the real-life issues that come in the text. A brief summary helps garner interest in...
EngageNY
Graphs of Exponential Functions
What does an exponential pattern look like in real life? After viewing a video of the population growth of bacteria, learners use the real-life scenario to collect data and graph the result. Their conclusion should be a new type of graph...
K-5 Math Teaching Resources
Subtracting Mixed Numbers (Unlike Denominators)
Young mathematicians demonstrate their ability to subtract mixed numbers by completing this collection of fraction word problems. From figuring out the weight of objects in a package, to finding the difference in height between two...
Charleston School District
Increasing, Decreasing, Max, and Min
Roller coaster cars traveling along a graph create quite a story! The lesson analyzes both linear and non-linear graphs. Learners determine the intervals that a graph is increasing and/or decreasing and to locate maximum and/or minimum...
Curated OER
Making Real-Life Connections and Introducing Expository Text
Third graders write directions. For this real-life connections lesson, 3rd graders write the steps for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After writing, students share their papers and actually make the sandwiches following the...
Curated OER
Materials, Let's Do the Life Cycle
Students examine environmental and social impacts of products that consumers buy. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students play a game that requires them to consider real costs of products. Students consider the environmental...
Curated OER
American Frontiers
Students study the settlement of the American frontier through literature. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss works by James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Hamlin Garland. Students compare...
Curated OER
My Time Book
First graders write a time book. In this writing and telling time lesson plan, 1st graders learn about the concept of time using a Judy clock. Students read a book about a ladybug and look closely at the time on the clock. Students then...
Curated OER
There Are Two Sides to Every Story
Students examine point of view in real life and in fairy tales. In this point of view lesson, students discuss how people see things such as television shows from different points of view. They listen to two versions of The Story of the...