Curated OER
Mo Willems Author Study
Who is Mo Willems? Explore the author with your class. Learners read books written by Willems, compare and contrast the characters therein, and make predictions about what will happen. Finish off this author study by having small groups...
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Retelling Information
This scripted instructional activity suggests using the journalist’s five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) to teach readers how to summarize a story and to how to distinguish between significant and supporting details. A template and...
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Reading Restaurant
Third graders complete book reports. They are given the following jobs; chef, who organizes them into genres; maître d', who calls students to share the menu; and waiters/waitresses, who take orders for books from customers, pass out...
New York City Department of Education
What Did I Do to Be so Black and Blue: How Did Jazz Influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
How did jazz influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man? Class members read some of Ellison's non-fiction writings about blues and jazz, listen to records, watch videos, and engage in student-centered discussions. They then produce podcasts...
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Reading the newspaper
Students read articles related to local, state, national, and world events using word maps.
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A Novel Ending/ Closure Activity
Students summarize a story, identify the plot structure, and create a symbol that represents the essence of the story.
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Modernism in Poetry, Painting, and Music
Are you teaching Modernism to your class? Connect different areas of artistic expression in the Modernist Era. Learners read T.S. Eliot, view art by Pablo Picasso, and listen to a Modernist musical composition. This final assignment is...
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Reading Artifacts
Students explore and analyze categorizing objects, material culture artifacts, from a variety of perspectives, to consider the story behind each one. They research skills by assessing how to look at artifacts as cultural outsiders would....
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Critical Pedagogy
High schoolers read Ruthanne Lum McCunn's Thousand Pieces of Gold and as a class, discuss the Chinese practice of foot binding. They work in groups to read further about how women of different cultures attempt to conform. They write...
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Book: Crossing the Seas
As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare...
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Arthur's Tooth
Students practice their reading comprehension by reading a story in their class. For this story map lesson, students read the Marc Brown book Arthur's Tooth and discuss the story, characters and setting. Students create a story map based...
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Reading Predictions
Second graders read and predict content and purpose for table of contents, index, headings, captions, illustrations, and major words from their science or social studies textbooks. They use books' elements to summarize what they can find...
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Teaching Rhythm and Pitch Reading
Students practice correct rhythms and pitches during this short lesson for the middle school instrumental class. Objectives vary depending on music used for the lesson. Students assessed through group playing in class.
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Story Summaries; The Three Little Pigs
Students explore language arts by completing a graphic organizer in class. For this story structure lesson, students read the classic tale "The Three Little Pigs" and discuss the main characters, conflict and setting. Students complete a...
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5 W Questions
Second graders practice asking the 5 W questions by reading a Boxcar Children book. In this journalism lesson, 2nd graders read a single story from the Boxcar Children series and answer the 5 W's about each specific chapter....
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American Families
Students research psychology by participating in a role-play activity. In this human relationship lesson, students define the term "family" and read assigned text which discusses how family relationships work. Students answer study...
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Activity Plan 3-4: Scrumptious Shapes
Students discover together that shapes are everywhere - even in the food we eat. In this early childhood math and art lesson, students read about shapes, identify foods that match geometric shapes, and create a class book.
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Louisiana's Legendary Musicians
Students identify and interpret what legendary traditional musicians of Louisiana that allows them to hear new genres of traditional music. They also identify what it means to be a legendary artist and read, write, and create a project...
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Life is Starting to Change
Students investigate the tough economic times by discussing supply and demand. In this economics activity, students read a news article and identify specific examples of the oil crisis that has touched their lives. Students...
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Analyzing Story Structure
Young scholars explore language arts by completing a graphic organizer in class. In this story structure lesson, students read the poem "Sick" by Shel Silverstein and discuss the different elements in the piece which make it an...
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
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Comparing Characters Across Two Short Stories
Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.
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Hero Or Zero?
Learners investigate science and technology by reading a children's book. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read the story Archibald Frisby and discuss the ways we use science and technology in everyday life....
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Bill of Rights Booklet
Pupils design a booklet that explores the Bill of Rights. They summarize each of the rights, write a personal response to each entry and create an illustration to interpret each of the rights. Students then make a cover and title page...