Curated OER
Assessing the Traits: What is Good Writing?
Students examine samples of writing and discuss the score it received. They brainstorm what qualities make a good writer and stories.
Curated OER
Read to Learn
Students explore the concept of community helpers. In this community helper lesson, students brainstorm the community helpers in their neighborhood after reading a book about jobs in the community. Students then host a...
Curated OER
"Size 6: The Western Women's Harem" by Fatema Mernissi
Intended for a mature, advanced placement audience, this set of questions accompanies an essay by Fatema Mernissi regarding clothing size and the possible implications for not fitting in with what is considered the norm. A very...
Curated OER
Homophones
Here is a terrific lesson on teaching homophones to your upper graders! In it, homophone word cards and homophone bingo cards, which are embedded in the lesson, are used in a game format which reinforces this important part of speech....
Common Sense Media
Private Today, Public Tomorrow
What responsibility do we have to protect the privacy and safety of others when posting information about them online? This is an essential lesson for every learner today experiencing their social and professional worlds in an online...
Curated OER
A Study Guide for The Phantom of the Opera
Immerse yourself in the beautiful, twisted world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. A detailed lesson plan provides important details about the writing, stagecraft, music, and literary elements of the famous musical,...
Curated OER
Cinderella Project
Students examine the importance of Cinderella's shoe in the Cinderella story. For this giving lesson, students use Cinderella as the basis to set-up a "shoe drive" for children in need. Students contribute to a class story to encourage...
Stew Leonard's
Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim
Make a splash with an interactive storybook that emphasizes water safety. Directed at preschoolers and primaries, the ducky tale and games reinforce the rules of wearing a life vest whenever near water, making sure to have a supervising...
Innovative Mobile Apps
Fry Words
Looking for a straightforward app for practicing high-frequency words? You've found one here! This app includes all 1000 Fry words and several ways for kids to practice with each and every one.
English Worksheets Land
Compare and Contrast
Even though two passages discuss the same topic, they contain different facts and details. Scholars analyze two reading passages about the Gettysburg Address and list the ways they are the same and different.
Curated OER
Flight of the Painted Ladies
Students explore the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. They set up cameras near a butterfly culture. They create an iPhoto photo book to document and journal their observations of the metamorphosis. Students produce a narrated...
Curated OER
Our Pattern Book
Students demonstrate their understanding of patterns and create patterns to share with others. Each student selects a different set of materials to create a pattern. Digital photographs are taken of each student and his or her pattern.
Curated OER
What's Missing? Making Room for Multiple Perspectives
Students identify missing characters from a text, particularly a school text. They increase critical thinking by supplying missing perspectives in a text an build empathy through surveying different points of view. They reflect on the...
Curated OER
Great Expectations: Group Writing
Examine the differences between totalitarianism and democracy in this writing lesson. Using the same format and theme from Great Expectations, young writers work in pairs to compose their own short stories. They follow guidelines for the...
Curated OER
Map It Out
Explore how illustrations add to a story. Young learners will look at picture books to see how the pictures tell the story. They create illustrations to go with a chosen story, and then flip the activity so they have to write a story to...
Curated OER
After Reading: "Plot the Plot" Activity in the Library Media Class
"Plot the plot" of "The Adventures of the Speckled Band" with your young readers. Take a few days to read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story as a class or in pairs, having learners write down what they consider to be the most important...
Curated OER
Hand Washing
Mostly discussion, this lesson explores the importance and methods of hand washing. A few true stories of community illnesses spread by the neglect of washing hands serve as an anticipatory set. The activity is most memorable if you are...
Curated OER
Author, Author
First graders engage in this interesting instructional activity on letter writing and writing skills. In it, youngsters listen to the Jan Brett story, The Mitten, as a warm-up. They think of other animals of the world they could ask...
Curated OER
Alexander And The Wind-Up Mouse
Use drama techniques to recreate the story, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni. They engage in problem-solving as they identify the roles they will fufill in their groups for the performance. This is a motivating way to...
Curated OER
Big Pumpkin
Learners read a story and retell it through role playing. They will read Big Pumpkin, identify the main ideas and important characters, retell the story through dramatic play, and identify their favorite character.
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Curated OER
Going Graph-y
Second graders listen to and dicuss the story Where the Wild Things Are. They play a pantomime game and act out various feelings so their classmates can guess. They listen for the frequency of certain words, and record their findings on...
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Main Idea
Readers are presented with a list of three questions and asked to actively listen to a story or article to answer them. They verbally answer the questions to learn the strategy. Next, read a story to them or have them silently read a...
Curated OER
Narrative pantomime
Assign parts to read aloud Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag and have your young mimes act out their roles. This story focus on how beauty within is more important than outward appearance. Conclude by having your class provide an illustrated...