Context clues are important when understanding the intent of a sentence. Kindergartners read eight sentences, and decide if each should end in a period or in a question mark. The last two questions prompt kids to draw a mouse and a cat,...

This is just the transition phase. Scholars participate in a mini lesson plan about using transitions in writing. They then have a brief peer critique of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs for their end of unit assessment....

Here is a clever way to help your 3rd and 4th graders add -ing to verbs. A list of 10 action verbs is given, and learners must adjust the spelling of each verb to accept the -ing ending. This would be an excellent choice for a homework...

Close your colonial America unit with a performance-based assessment. Class members will show their proficiency in several skills including using details to back up inferences, determining the meaning of words in context,...

Use some provocative modern art to get your class considering stereotypes and the impact they have on us all. Your class will discuss the print art Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie and stereotypes in general before...

Ready, set, write! Scholars work on the end-of-unit assessment by completing a writing prompt. They then look at the model performance task from instructional activity two to create a rubric for scoring the exercise. Using turn and talk,...

Speak your mind. Scholars present their claims in groups of three. They use a presentation checklist as each member takes a turn. At the end of the lesson plan, pupils complete an End of Unit 2 Assessment: Presenting a Claim and Findings...

Is it worth it? Scholars complete the end of unit assessment by participating in a fishbowl discussion to consider if the benefits of DDT outweigh the consequences. They reflect on their discussions by completing an exit ticket.

The last instructional activity in this unit about human rights consists of a final assessment. To demonstrate the skills your class has acquired throughout this unit, they will work with a new article entitled "From Kosovo to the United...

Anybody can write a body paragraph! Pupils analyze the development of ideas in a body paragraph from a model essay. Next, using what they've learned, they draft the body paragraphs of their My Rule to Live By informative essay. 

Identify common prefixes and suffixes used in the English language and categorize the different kinds of information provided in a dictionary entry. Learners will write at least five pieces of information that they learn about a word...

Close the unit on Esperanza Rising with an in-class analytic essay on how Esperanza changes over the course of the novel. Writers can use any of their notes and work from the unit as well as their drafts of the first two paragraphs of...

What a wonderfully creative way to have your class create a class journal. Learners use a variety of materials to design an art journal using collages, drawings, and paintings. An interesting and motivating variation on traditional...

Nicki Minaj is a pop and fashion icon to today's youth. Here, they will read an article about her and what she wore to the MTV Music Awards. They read the article, then attempt to fill in the missing words from several of the paragraphs....

Each one of the learners in your class has a story to tell, so help them learn the most efficient and organized way to tell their tale. A thorough unit on narrative writing addresses the writing process, grammar, story structure,...

Your scholars may have an idea of who Dick Clark is, but do they understand the role he has played in American history for over 50 years? Give learners some practice with media literacy as they read an article about Clark's life and fill...

Should your dog be watching tV? Read the article and then fill in the blanks by memory. Encourage a friendly debate: would you get DogTV for your beloved pet?

How is that relevant? Scholars gain an understanding of the words relevant and compelling. They then go back to the End of Unit 1 Assessment Prompt: Adversity in the Middle Ages and look at the second bullet that pertains to relevant and...

In this alphabetical order worksheet, students place 12 words that end with the "-uck" pattern in alphabetical order. Some words begin with the same letter.

For this word family worksheet, students read 16 words that end with "aw." Words include claw, draw, flaw, withdraw, and jigsaw.

In this reading worksheet, students circle each picture that ends with -ail. On the second page, students also write the word in the box.

In this categorizing spelling patterns learning exercise, learners sort words with their correct endings in groups with ack, ick, ock, and uck patterns. Students write 15 words.

In this word formation worksheet, learners practice creating new words from base words to place in each blank in ten sentences in order to make each one grammatically correct.

Construct spelling words through a Making Words activity. Learners create words at various levels using onsets, rimes, suffixes, long and short vowels, and word families. They write words as they create them and compare the words with...