Writing a paragraph from details found directly in a text is the central focus of this thorough and explicit lesson plan. Using the stories Nasreen's Secret School and Rain School, third graders are lead step-by-step...

Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...

Elementary writers practice writing descriptive paragraphs by adding adjectives and sensory words to their writing. They use a picture of a monster for their descriptive paragraph. This 12-page lesson should increase your charges...

Third graders answer text-dependent questions of the story Nasreen's Secret School both independently and then collaboratively through using the carousel of questions strategy. This plan is the seventh instructional activity in a...

Intended to supplement your existing cell function and organelle lessons, pairs work together to develop a real-world analogy for cell structures. In addition to writing paragraphs about the comparison, each group will make a short...

Introduce your classes to the Art of Rhetoric with a lesson that focuses on Aristotle's persuasive appeals and how they have been used, both ethically and unethically, to influence opinion.

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...

Kids gain a deeper understanding of mathematical symbols, by playing an interactive game using flash cards. They complete an attached Missing Symbols Worksheet, flash card and an assessment are also included.

Study how plants grow with your English language learners with a cross-curricular instructional activity revolving around pumpkins. These activities provide opportunities to practice new scientific vocabulary while practicing skills such...

After watching part of a Club Write Kids video and discussing the editing process, each group of learners writes a letter to a favorite author. They ask for a copy of a page of manuscript that has gone through the editing process. Prior...

Spice up your writing! Your amateur writers will benefit from concentrating on understanding and improving verb use in writing. An introductory activity addresses weak verbs. A second exercise helps them see the importance of strong...

Turn your passive readers into active readers with an engaging lesson on reading informational text. Focused on compare and contrast structured essays, the activity prompts elementary learners to jot down questions and think-aloud...

Students work in groups to give step-by-step instructions to the rest of the class about an activity of interest. They write presentation proposals, research the activity and then draft and edit a presentation. Students present their...

In this nonfiction sharing board worksheet, students complete questions about the books main idea, vocabulary, facts, connections. Students also graph information from the book, go beyond the text, and evaluate how they felt about the...

The first lesson of a five-lesson unit designed for eighth graders has class members reading and watching a video of Edgar Allen Poe's narrative poem, "The Raven." They then craft their narrative poem, illustrate it, and share their work...

An amazing set of resources! Found here are several lessons that work in conjunction to help learners better understand the juvenile court system. Learners review the judicial process, discuss how juveniles are tried, and hold a class...

Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson plan to emphasize the rules and individual...

Readers are asked to evaluate Helen Keller's claim, and the evidence she uses to support her argument, that it is more difficult for hearing impaired children to learn to talk with others.

How can opinions slant facts? Workshop participants learn how to examine primary and secondary sources and identify the author's point of view. They also examine how visual art impacts the meaning and rhetoric of sources. Full of...

What kind of text features help children build a strong vocabulary? Class members use text features such as headers to unpack new vocabulary words. They create vocabulary journals in which they will write what they think the definition...

Students practice summarizing what they have read. They review the meaning of comprehension. Students go through the steps needed in order to summarize a passage. They pick out the main parts/ideas of what they have read. Students...

Students use their 5 senses to write a paragraph about yummy treats they sample. In this writing lesson plan, students use a graphic organizer to organize their tastes and how they can write about them and then write.

Students practice techniques and strategies to assess mastery on the concept of summarization. They read, discuss and summarize the story, "How Goose Got Ready for Winter," by David Wingfield. Each student picks out the most important...