Curated OER
Let's Find the Main Ideas!
Third graders examine how finding the main ideas and summarizing increases their reading comprehension. They read "The Sea in Danger" while applying the six rules of summarization in a modeled lesson plan. Next, working in small groups,...
Curated OER
Little Cloud
Students create "little clouds" after reading the story "The Little Cloud" by Eric Carle in this cross-curricular Art and Language Arts lesson for the early-elementary classroom. The author suggests using this with a "Raindrop Picture"...
Curated OER
Summer of My German Soldier
Students participate in a layered curriculum unit for a novel study. The teaching method allows for a student centered classroom that includes different methods of instruction and assessment.
Curated OER
You've Got to be Taught to Hate and Fear
Students explore themes of prejudice and acceptance. In this character education lesson, students listen and respond to several fiction books, poems, and lyrics with a similar theme. Students locate articles with the main idea of...
Curated OER
The Lion and the Mouse
Students examine a story. For this good citizenship lesson, students read the story "The Lion and the Mouse" and discuss being kind and what it means to be a good citizen. Students hold a discussion about how other animal pairs could...
Curated OER
Mixing Metaphors with Politics
Young scholars discuss different literary devices and use them to write summaries of New York Times articles dealing with international news. They reflect on the effectiveness and appropriateness of sports metaphors in the political arena.
Curated OER
Summarization Safari
Students summarize a piece of fiction text. After reviewing the correct way to question while reading, students independently read a short story. They complete a summary organizer using the five Ws outlined by the instructor during...
Curated OER
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Students read Sarah, Plain and Tall, and they write a journal entry for each chapter. They can write about anything that come to mind as you read the story. Students are able to draw in the journal. They write down key words or...
Curated OER
Myth Connections
Ninth graders present tales and myths in the oral tradition. They discuss the African method of telling a story where each member of the group tells a part of the story. They make up a composite hero and write a story that describes...
Curated OER
Using Science Fiction To Understand Biological Concepts
Students read and discuss," The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton and complete a short writing exercise as a warm-up for a longer piece of science fiction writing. They choose a topic and create a science fiction short story such...
Curated OER
Photography in the Holocaust
High schoolers analyze photographs for the use of propaganda. They explore the idea of having photos used as historical documents. Students realize the importance of having photos to tell stories.
Curated OER
Summarizing
Third graders examine how to summarize the most important details in a reading passage in order to increase their comprehension. They design a story web using the summarization skills. Before class, they complete a reading assignment...
Curated OER
Baby
Students listen to chapters 1 and 2 in the book, Baby, then pick one character from the story looking for words or phrases that describe the character. They develop a character sketch making notes about their ideas and share with others...
Curated OER
Pigging Out on Reading Comprehension
Students summarize a piece of fiction text. After reviewing the correct way to read in order to summarize, students independently read the story "Pig in a Bag." They write a summary paragraph using the process outlined by the instructor...
Curated OER
The Patchwork Quilt and Something From Nothing
Students listen to the teacher read the first 26 pages of the story, Something From Nothing, and discuss what predicting means, Students predict how Joesph might remember what his grandfather made him, now that the button is gone. They...
Curated OER
Wants and Needs, Our community
Young scholars, after hearing the story, "The Rag Coat" discuss how family, school, and neighborhood provide basic needs and learning experiences. They decipher the difference between wants and needs and create a collage showing wants...
Curated OER
Seminole Housing (Chickees)
Students listen to a story about the Seminole Indian tribes. They participate in a teacher-lead discussion of chickees--Seminole housing. They create a chickee book in which they write a description of their belongings in a chickee.
Curated OER
Painting with Words
Fifth graders discuss words that are over used in their writing such as good, nice, happy, glad sad, etc. they complete a survey about word choice then hear a story and discuss descriptive phrases used in the story and how they help to...
Curated OER
KS3 Bitesize
Students complete exercises using their five senses to improve their writing skills. In this writing skills instructional activity, students complete activities blindfolded and using their five senses. Students then select an abstract...
Curated OER
Summarizing
Students use their note-taking skills to write summaries of information. In this writing skills instructional activity, students use the notes they have taken in another instructional activity to write adventure stories by implementing...
Curated OER
Social Studies and Children's Literature
Students are read a story about Alejandro and how he builds an oasis to attract animals. Using the text, they discover the needs of the animal not only for water but for safety. They discuss different environmental issues as well as...
Curated OER
Digging Up The Facts
Students research environmental issues. In this environmental lesson, students use the Internet to research an environmental problem and list ten facts about it. Students write a summary of facts.
Scholastic
A House for Hermit Crab
Engage young marine biologists in a reading of Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab with a fun hands-on activity. Given a set of clipart images of the different aquatic animals that appear in the book, children identify each one...
Curated OER
Identify and Create Rhyming Words
Students discuss rhyming word families and read stories that present those families in rhyme. They generate rhyming words, manipulate sentence strips to pair rhymes and sort pictures of rhyming words.