Curated OER
Building a Paper Bridge: an Introduction To Problem Solving
Eighth graders explore problem solving strategies to build a paper bridge with a partner. As a class they discuss a variety of techniques to solve a simple problem, then in pairs construct the longest non-supported single span bridge...
Curated OER
Night: Socratic Questioning Activity
We construct meaning through discussion, so help your readers of Elie Wiesel's work Night with a socratic questioning activity. The strategy is outlined on the first page, and the second page offers some example questions you give to...
Curated OER
Gone to the Dogs
Approach vocabulary through decoding and chunking. Your class breaks up words into basic syllables or chunks then engages in a decoding activity. Useful for a variety of language levels and grades, just modify to fit your class.
Curated OER
Sssssssss
Students experience the strategy of phoneme recognition to recognize /s/ in spoken words, including plurals, and in writing. They encounter the book Summer Fun by Lucy Lawrence and the tongue twister "Miss Sam saw a sneaky slimy snake in...
Curated OER
Uh Oh!
Help your elementary learners distinguish between short and long vowel /o/ sounds. They are introduced to the vowel-consonant-e pattern that changes short vowel sounds into long vowel sounds. Then they practice reading and spelling words...
Curated OER
Mind Your Pints and Quarts: Making Sense of Liquid Measurement
Elementary and middle schoolers identify different units of liquid measurement. They use the online Visual Thesaurus to learn about the relationships between units of liquid measurement.
Curated OER
Keyboarding - Keyboard Scavenger
Young scholars play motivational keyboarding games that reinforce finger families, proper technique, and accuracy. They can create personal word lists from various finger families.
Scholastic
Summarizing: Using Hand Motions for Key Words or Points
Learning to summarize texts takes practice. Jump into the training ring and guide your learners through a summarizing practice session. The classic direct instructional practice of "I do, you do, we do" is used to help them identify key...
Curated OER
Cartoon Vocabulary
Third and fourth graders complete a vocabulary log which includes a definition, and a sentence that demonstrates the meaning of the word. Then make an illustration that represents the definition of the word. The trick is that they may...
Curated OER
Rent To Own
Reading can be a good way to learn about many different things, like rent-to-own housing programs. Learners read informational resources about rent-to-own programs and how they work. They complete graphic organizers using the facts they...
Curated OER
Writing in a Foreign Language
It seems that this presentation was designed for future educators, particularly those teaching a foreign language. Basic reading, writing, and organizational skills are presented, encouraging a discussion of strategies amongst your...
Curated OER
Building Vocabulary Quadrant Charts
This clever language arts lesson invites pupils to read verses of poetry, then construct vocabulary quadrants on index cards. The cards are divided up into 4 sections: Word, Meaning, Opposite, Example. They choose a difficult word from...
Curated OER
Proofreading
Reading backward and moving from word to word with a pencil are just two of the many strategies employed by proofreaders that are included in a presentation about the editing stage of the writing process. In addition, viewers are asked...
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet & Shakespearean Theater
The Bard? Folly? Tragedy? How familiar are your pupils with terms associated with Romeo and Juliet? Class members rate their knowledge of a list of words and then share what they know with the class. The worksheet, discussion questions,...
Curated OER
Past Tense Irregular Verbs
With this worksheet, youngsters review past tense irregular words and predict the spelling of these words. They complete a worksheet where they fill in the missing letters of irregular verbs. The sheet provides the exact number of spaces...
Virginia Department of Education
Writing Effective Dialogue
Spend a productive hour in the classroom with this tutorial where junior high writers discover how to create snappy dialogue. The learning begins with an analysis of sample writing and discussion on the effectiveness of each piece. The...
Curated OER
Problem Solving
Scholars will learn to solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Using a grocery store theme, they will identify the best way to solve real-life problems. There are many ways this basic lesson plan can...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Improving Academic Skills
Third graders play a variation of Bingo to reinforce study skills, time management, and test taking strategies. As the teacher draws key words, they offer brief explanations or descriptions about how the words can be used. As key words...
Curated OER
Right on Time
The hour is nigh for your class to practice equivalency problems in the form of time-zone conversions. They write equations to describe elapsed time and apply problem solving strategies, including writing a plan, to solve the problems.
Curated OER
Introduce /a/
Start your alphabet study strong using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples focused on the letter a. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /aaa/ sound. As you...
Curated OER
Introduce /Q/
Everything your pre-readers need to know about the letter Q is right here; this strategy combines pronunciation, letter recognition, sound, and word examples. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /kwww/...
Curated OER
Recycled Greeting Cards
Students create greeting cards from recycled products. They research how paper is recyled and the history of paper. They write free verse and create their own recycled paper. They use Microsoft Word to write their final drafts of verse...
Curated OER
Introduce /t/
What sound does the letter t make? As scholars develop letter recognition, form sound associations with strategies like these. Explain the tongue movement in making the /t/ sound, asking learners to try it. Draw the t on the board and...
Curated OER
Introduce /r/
Use these inventive strategies to focus on the letter r, forming sound associations along with letter recognition. Explain the tongue movement in making the /r/ sound, asking learners to try it. Draw the r on the board and give examples...