Curated OER
Confronting Two Challenges--One Physical, One Intellectual
Students examine the challenges of a new language and culture. In this cultural lesson, student read Running by Peter Hessler and discuss obstacles faced, including the language barrier. Students write an essay about a time they...
National Council of Teachers of English
Timelines and Texts: Motivating Students to Read Nonfiction
With the emphasis on incorporating more nonfiction in language arts classes the question arises about how to design activities that motivate kids to engage with informational text. How about an assignment that asks class members to...
Curated OER
How to Create and Manage Student Portfolios
Tips and ideas on how to establish and manage successful student portfolios.
Shakespeare in American Life
"We Few, We Happy Few": Motivational Speech in Henry V
Class members may "think themselves accurs'd" when they first hear of an assignment that asks them to create a motivational speech. After studying the Saint Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's Henry V; however, they will count...
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Identity Lesson 5: Motivation - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs provides the lens class members use to analyze and evaluate the motivations of the characters in Sylvia Plath's "Initiation" and scenes from Mean Girls. Readers then select a character from A Separate...
Curated OER
How to Become Self Motivated
Students demonstrate their self discipline and motivation by brainstorming their own personal self discipline goals. In this self discipline lesson, students analyze examples of self discipline and self control by completing a worksheet...
Curated OER
Coast-to-Coast Book Design -Part 2: What is Design?
Students explore the concept of design, and identify items in their lives that have been designed. They explore the concept of book design and create and arrange their own page layout.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2
There is nothing more frustrating than discussing theme in literature, and now the Common Core requires that your learners determine two or more, and discuss the development of it throughout the text. This is crazy, but manageable with...
Curated OER
Graphic Novel Writing Workshop
Khaled Hosseini’s video “Using Real People and Events” motivates learners to reflect on their own experiences and to use those experiences as the basis of a graphic novel that expresses a universal truth. The richly detailed plan...
Curated OER
Shaquille O'Neal: Using A Basketball Star To Motivate Readers
Students read two different versions of a story--the classic version of Jack and the Beanstalk and the version written by Shaquille O'Neal, Shaq and the Beanstalk. Students gather ideas and compare and contrast the different versions of...
Curated OER
Comparing Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl
Pupils examine similarities and differences between cultures. They'll see that literature, reading, and story telling is something all cultures have in common. They should construct Venn diagrams to help them compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Haiku Poems
Eighth graders study haiku poems. In this poetry lesson, 8th graders write two haikus containing the standard 5-7-5 syllables content about things they enjoy within nature.
Curated OER
Using Poster Presentations with ESL Students
Students organize ways to present effective poster presentations. Students skill their posters by the majors they have chosen. Students engage in researching how to use their collaboration time in groups effectively.
Curated OER
Multi-cultural, The Butterfly
Sixth graders discuss The Butterfly. In this literacy instructional activity, 6th graders write two postcards about the issues of the Holocaust from the two different perspectives of the two girls from the text.
Brockman Elementary School
Living History Timeline
As part of a living history research project, learners research a chosen historical figure that they will study and physically represent in a gallery walk. This resource includes a project description, letter to parents, rubric, and...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Time
An activity packet explores the concept of time. First, scholars read two stories—The Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle and Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks! by Jules Older, illustrated by Megan Halsey....
Urban Education Exchange
Lessons and Units: The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963 5TH GRADE UNIT
Get ready to read The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 with a lesson about historical fiction. Spanning several centuries, the resource prompts learners to guess the historical era of a story based on a word or phrase in the text. In...
Curated OER
Where the Red Fern Grows: A 4th Grade Literary Focus Unit
Fourth graders explore the human and animal connection along with the idea that death is a part of the life cycle. They read "Where the Red Fern Grows." Students examine the feelings and emotions surrounding death and they discover the...
Curated OER
Maggie's Adventures Grades 3-5
Pupils, while in the computer lab, utilize technology to practice math, science, Spanish and grammar skills. They build on math skills and attempt to improve their grammar skills as well as make connections between English and Spanish...
Curated OER
Individualized Lesson for Student C
Students explain how to solve an algebraic word problem using correct grammar and punctuation. In this math and writing lesson, students are given a word problem and must write down directions to solve it.
Curated OER
From Graphic Organizer to Composition - Grade Six
How does one use a graphic organizer to plan writing? Introduce your writers to different types of graphic organizers by dividing the class into groups and assigning each group a particular organizer. Then, as they research chocolate...
Curated OER
Power, Persuasion & Propaganda: Exploring Multiple Motives
Students recognize different motives even in non-commercial media. They analyze the role of media in a democratic society and wrestle with ethical issues concerning media and the public good. They create a media message with one or more...
Curated OER
Student Survey
Students create questions they would like to ask another class of Students, send the questions by email, examine results, and create slideshow illustrating results.
Curated OER
Descriptive Writing Using the Book Rumpelstiltskin
Use the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin to teach your third grade class about descriptive writing. Following a teacher read-aloud of the story, the class brainstorms a list of adjectives describing the main character. Students use this list...