Curated OER
Images of Children in Dorthea Lange's Photographs
Students research the photographs of Dorthea Lange. In this visual art lesson, students look at photographs of children taken by Lange and answer several questions. They write or tell stories to explain what they think is occurring in...
Curated OER
The Many Uses of Trees
Young scholars list all the ways humans use trees and tree by products. In this lesson young scholars watch a video, discuss the impact trees have on humans, and research common products made from trees. The young scholars use their...
Curated OER
Water Filtration
In this water pollution and filtration lesson plan, 5th graders read the story 'Saving Salila's Turtle' and discuss the impact pollution has had on the Ganges river. Students work in groups to brainstorm different types of water...
Curated OER
A Basket of Bangles: How a Business Begins
Students consider concepts of banking introduced in the story, "Basket of Bangles." In this banking instructional activity, students identify key terms through recall questions interspersed in the story. Using five handouts and a game,...
Curated OER
Headless Horseman, Heady Author
Twelfth graders explore figurative language as it appears in Washington Irving's original text, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, answer questions based on story, and write sequels to it by using the different types of figurative language...
Smithsonian Institution
For Land's Sake: George Washington as Land Surveyor
Students discuss the importance of land ownership and the purpose of land surveying in the eighteenth century. They interpret a transcript of an eighteenth-century land survey. They survey and area of land. They create a written or...
Curated OER
Expanding Journal Writing Entries For Beginning Writers
First graders through a variety of strategies assess how to write in journals openly and effectively. Those strategies include integration of technology, story telling, group and team work, performance-based assessment/rubrics, visual...
Curated OER
"Postcard From Bear"
Students complete various activities related to the book "Postcard From Bear." They participate in a shared reading activity, identify the locations in the book on a map, and write a postcard to the bear in the story.
Curated OER
Impact of Westward Expansion on Indigenous Populations
Students study the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. They create a diorama of a Native American scene, write imaginary letters as a pioneer child reflecting on his/her experiences, and create story sticks that...
Learning Station
Writing Playscripts
In this writing worksheet, students read a short description of a play script. Then, students read a fable and write a play script of the fable.
Curated OER
Wanted- Dead or Alive
Young scholars identify the characteristics of trickster tales. In this literary genres lesson, students read trickster tales from Africa and create a clay model of a trickster character. Young scholars design a "wanted" poster with a...
Curated OER
Extension Activities Mr. Popper's Penguins
Students read Mr. Popper's Penguins. In this Mr. Popper's Penguins lesson plan, students record descriptive clues from the book. Students research Adelie penguins and compare and contrast to their local community. Students prepare a...
Curated OER
Uncommon Heroes of Today
Students create a photo-biography of someone they consider a real life hero. In this character sketch lesson, students define a hero and identify heroic characteristics in short stories. Students use descriptive words to write about...
Curated OER
Creating Characters
Students examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Students then use the methods of...
Curated OER
Grammarcise
Students conceptualized, planned story sequences, shot slides, and recorded narration for a slide/tape presentation on the eight parts of speech. They demonstrate the grammatical element and then include it in a sentence in each slide...
Curated OER
Perceiving a Culture Through Its Literature
Students read After Seventeen Years by Kim Yong Ik and discuss the cultural, political and geographical aspects of Korea that specifically affect the events in the story.
Curated OER
The Chocolate War
Students scrutinize the story, "The chocolate War" by Robert Cormier for examples of nonconformity in the face of power. The nature of the relationship between students in the story is compared to the associations of the reader.
Curated OER
Let's Go to the Farm!
Discover the animals which live on a farm through listening to a story about farm animals and conduct a simple research. Youngsters will create a class Web site about farm animals and provide information about each animal.
Curated OER
Change the Face of History
Students create and write a "Choose Your Own Adventure" story as they investigate the Revolutionary War. They choose a historical figure who played a key role in the war who meets other influential figures and has the opportunity to...
Curated OER
Follow Those Tracks
Young scholars observe a picture containing patterns of animal tracks, infer what might have happened based upon the pattern of tracks, and write a story describing what might have happened.
Curated OER
Why Does It Matter? Teaching Tolerance in an Unforgiving Society
Students listen to the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and draw what they think the song is about. They discover the song is about a man who was attacked. They again express their feelings about the song through drawing. Finally...
Curated OER
The Grapevine-Teaching Storytelling to English Language Learners
Students participate in a game designed to aid in storytelling. They spread a rumor to each member of their team using information found in the accompanying worksheets. Students earn points when they report their rumor correctly. ...
Curated OER
Discovering Rhythm and Rhyme
Students explore ways to provide enjoyable phonemic awareness and conversation experiences for their children while reading and discussing children's book, A Tree For Me. Students extend their expertise in reading by fluently reading...
Curated OER
The Hobbit
Students list W.H Auden's six characteristics of a quest story. They say what is meant by a "metaphorical quest." Pupils discuss some differences between symbolism and allegory. Students indicate how Bilbo Baggins's adventures changed...