Curated OER
Understanding Characters
Students analyzing characters from a story by creating an article about one. In this story analysis lesson, students read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, and pick one character to write descriptively about. Students...
Curated OER
School Newspaper
Fifth graders run a school newspaper on a school website and discover how to use various literary forms as they relate to the writing process. In this school newspaper instructional activity, 5th graders synthesize information from...
Curated OER
The Final Word
Although this lesson is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content and style used by...
EngageNY
Finding Relevant Information and Asking Research Questions: The Benefits of Video Games
Video games may not be so bad after all. As scholars read the text "The Many Benefits, for Kids, of Playing Video Games," they summarize the gist in their researchers' notebooks. Next, pupils draft supporting research questions based on...
Curated OER
Elaborate It
Students read writing samples and discuss the differences between the writing with and without anecdotal examples. They write expository essays that include personal anecdotes.
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Essay Writing
Young scholars complete essay writing activities. In this essay writing lesson, students use an outline activity to learn about the advantages and disadvantages for various essay writing types. Young scholars also break down the...
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Encouraging Writing Through Combined Photos
Students practice writing skills through using photography to help create a writing prompt. They investigate how images can be used to create new ones that related to each other. This is similar to making a collage except now the images...
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We are the World - Writing about our Earth
First graders write facts about the Earth. In this Earth lesson, 1st graders discuss natural resources, recycling, and how to keep the Earth clean. They work in groups to create a small book with 3-5 facts about the Earth's environment.
American Battlefield Trust
Fredericksburg 360
Urban combat long preceded today's video games. Pupils today experience the battle of Fredericksburg—a major Civil War engagement in an American city—using a 360-degree interactive app. Users explore the battlefield online, using a...
Curated OER
Lesson Five:Determining Ideas and Adding Details
Second graders create their own writing pieces. In this narrative lesson, 2nd graders use a graphic organizer to come up with ideas and details. They practice writing topic sentences.
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How do we write a report?
Students write a report on a word processing program. In this report instructional activity, students write about what qualities a hero possesses. They type it on a word processing program and proofread for spelling, grammar, punctuation...
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Resolving a Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding
Students explore the concept of cross-cultural misunderstandings. In this communication lesson, students read a scenario involving communication misunderstandings and discuss cultural perspectives.
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Basic Feature Interviewing
Students act as reporters to develop interview skills. In this interview lessons, students develop the skills needed to use anecdotes and quotes to make an interview interesting. They practice asking questions over and above the 5 W's so...
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A Critical Role
Students read a New York Times review of the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. They discuss the roles and responsibilities of a cultural critic, and prepare for a visit to a local museum in order to write their own reviews.
Curated OER
Creating A Teaching Plan For A New Diabetic
Students investigate the concept of diabetes. They use the internet to conduct research. The information is used to communicate the facts of the disease for a hypothetical patient in a clinical situation. Students work in small groups to...
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Tuck Everlasting
Seventh graders use literary terms while discussing literature with their peers. They explore literature on a deeper level. Students formulate their opinions regarding response to literature, as this instructional activity helps students...
National Security Agency
Let's Party With Place Value
Put on your math caps and explore place value and ways to represent numbers. Learners read, write, and represent whole numbers. They interact with numbers as they read and explore a teacher-created story, play games, and practice their...
Curated OER
Could You Elaborate on That?
Fourth graders engage in a lesson which teaches the parts of an expository essay and how to organize and write an expository piece from a given topic. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan which...
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Show! Don't Tell!
Young scholars write a descriptive paragraph. For this writing lesson, students define elaboration and discuss the characteristics of an elaborate paragraph. Young scholars write a paragraph that contains vivid adjectives, strong verbs...
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Survivor Suitcases
Students analyze and discuss how they would prepare for a trip to a desert island. They write a paragraph explaining why they chose their three items and how each help them to survive.
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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...
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Biography: Telling Someone's Life Story
There are many different ways to help your students get excited about writing biographies.
Curated OER
Enough to Make Your Head Spin
Learners investigate the world of nonverbal communication by analyzing body language around the world. In this cultural communication lesson, students research the Bulgarian language and how we could easily misinterpret their...
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The Eyes, Nose, and Taste Write It
Third graders generate a list of adjectives about a Reese's Cup using their sense of sight, touch, and taste. Then they write a descriptive paragraph about the Reese's Cup.