EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment Part 2: Beginning the Writer’s Workshop
Writers learn about using sensory details as they revise bland sentences with more vivid language. Next, they begin writing the first drafts of their children's books, completing storyboards to effectively plan their writing.
Museum of Tolerance
Immigration Journeys
Through the journey of four stories of immigration, scholars complete graphic organizers and apply knowledge to create a visual representation of their findings on a large poster. Third and fourth readers write a letter to their...
Joel Michel Studies
The Tale of Despereaux: Novel Study
What kind of mouse is Despereaux Tilling ... a field mouse? A white-footed mouse? With the novel study for The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, scholars research the different species of mice and draw pictures of the one that they...
Rainforest Alliance
How Do Jaguars and Howler Monkeys in Belize Depend on Us?
How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a lesson focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and howler...
Flourish N Thrive Counseling
A Volcano in My Tummy (Helping Children to Handle Anger)
Sometimes it's hard for kids to express their anger appropriately, or to understand what is happening to their bodies when they feel angry. An insightful instructional activity about anger management can help them identify angry...
Baylor College
Microbes and Disease
Discuss how diseases have impacted human history. Divide your class into groups and assign each group one of the following: tuberculosis, malaria, plague, cholera, smallpox, and AIDS. They read up on, complete a concept map, and present...
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat
Youngsters listen to the story of Gregory the Terrible Eater and write a similar story using the same pattern. In the new book, Herman is requested to eat things that are nouns. They must supply the correct part of speech for the class...
Curated OER
Living History- An Intergenerational Philanthropy
Students gather information from a senior friend to write a biography. In this living history books lesson, students organize information to complete a book about their senior friend. Detailed teacher instructions for completing the book...
Curated OER
TV and Teaching
Students write a story centered around their favorite TV show. In this story writing lesson, students share their favorite TV shows and discuss their favorite characters. Students draw pictures that illustrate a story in which they are a...
Curated OER
A Child's Daily Life in South Africa
Students compare the life of a child in South Africa to the life of a child in America. In this multicultural education lesson, students read the book Not So Fast Songololo and discuss the differences and similarities between their lives...
Curated OER
What Can I Write About When I Can't Think of Anything To Write About?
Third graders write, illustrate, and publish a collaborative story. In this writing lesson, 3rd graders review story elements by reading stories written by professional authors and other students. They work in groups to write a...
Curated OER
Characteristics of a Good Citizen
First graders examine characteristics that good citizens need. In this civic virtues lesson, 1st graders discuss people they know who are heroes or good citizens. Students name three qualities they believe heroes need. Students create a...
Curated OER
Children's Books
Young scholars use their personal experiences to create students's books for younger young scholars on topics to which they can relate. Students observe a guest speaker who talks about different formats of young scholars's books that are...
Curated OER
Dear Mrs. LaRue; Letter Writing
Students listen to the story about a naughty dog who writes to his owner in letter form. In this writing a letter lesson, students pretend to write to a character in the story and practice their literacy skills. Students then...
Curated OER
Book of Little Things
Students inquire about visual arts by reading a children's book in class. In this Keith Haring lesson, students examine the book Nina's Book of Little Things and create their own drawings based on their personal life. Students emulate...
Curated OER
Comic Book Project
Students write a fictional story into a comic book format. In this creative writing lesson, students analyze example comics and discuss the format. Students create a comic book using imaginary characters that find a solution to a problem.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: The Grouchy Ladybug
Students explore language arts by reading a children's book in class. In this vocabulary identification lesson, students read the book The Grouchy Ladybug and answer study questions about the story. Students define a list of vocabulary...
Curated OER
Teaching "Theme" with Children's Literature
In this exercise, learners examine the difference between a theme, topic, and moral. After a class discussion on the definition of literary themes, the instructor reads The Cello of Mr. O by Jane Cutler. Next, individuals analyze the...
Curated OER
Web Designs: A Story Comes Alive
Students work cooperatively to choose a theme, write a story, and produce a web site to display this story in this middle-level activity on the career of a web designer. This excellent activity ends with an organized, web site launch party.
Curated OER
Dig A Little Deeper
Here is a great lesson on recognizing events and themes in a story. Students read chapters from a chosen book and then fill out a graphic organizer to further explore the purpose of the chapter. They write the events, themes, author's...
Curated OER
Pippa's Journey
This unique presentation is a children's story written by a teacher. The last slide of the presentation tells you of the history behind the story, and how it is used to teach her own students the art of story writing.
Curated OER
Voice - 6 + 1 Traits of Writing
Fourth graders combine listening and writing skills in this instructional activity. After listening to Up North at the Cabin, Students are asked to write a piece from a specific viewpoint about a place that they like to visit.
Roald Dahl
Matilda - Throwing the Hammer
Full truth, or an exaggeration? How can you tell when a storyteller is exaggerating a story? Readers analyze a story told by Hortensia, and identify the exaggerative language she uses. Then, learners write their own narrative story using...
Penguin Books
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt - Teacher's Guide
Children in foster care face a lot of uncertainty in their lives. A guide for the novel One for the Murphys introduces a main character, Carley, who is thrust into the foster care system. Chapter-by-chapter questions cover key...