Curated OER
Elaborating the Main Idea, Using Supporting Details
A desk is used as a visual analogy to construct the main idea and supporting details in a story. The top of the desk is the main idea, and each of the four legs provides supporting details. The legs of the desk provide support for the...
Curated OER
Short and Sweet Science
Readers learn how to summarize scientific text and evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges in writing summaries. They select science-related articles you've pulled and collected from the New York Times and, with a partner,...
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Read All About It! California History of the 30s and 40s
Explore the Great Depression! Discover the challenges people experienced during the time period. Learners investigate photographs from the Dust Bowl and WWII era and create a story line about the photographs, writing a newspaper article...
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Covering the Issue
Examine how art and music can be powerful tools for conveying a political or social message. After considering the issues surrounding rapper Paris, learners design their own album covers that reflect their political and/or social...
National Geographic
Rescuing, Relocating, and Rehabilitating Wildlife
Bring up the Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Display the colorful diagram of the coastal and marine organisms living in the area. Show a video about relocating the eggs of the Gulf's sea...
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Outline It!
Fourth graders investigate how outlining can aid in comprehending text. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, 4th graders outline an article they read in groups of two. Students take turns reading the article, identifying...
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Time Travel Writing Assignment using "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
High schoolers examine the consequences of time travel through the analysis of the short story "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. They watch a PowerPoint presentation, conduct Internet research on endangered ecosystems, and create a...
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Describing Clothes
A instructional activity all about clothing and colors, this might be a useful instructional activity for English language learners or introducing descriptive writing. After a short review of colors and clothing vocabulary, learners...
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The Cultural Geography of Africa South of the Sahara "Kente Cloth"
Students read several articles about West African strip weaving of Kente cloth. They explore the cultural context in which strip weaving occurs. They answer four comprehension questions and compose a magazine article about strip weaving.
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Archeological Finds
Pupils explore archeology and it contributions to human history. They write a magazine article describing the discovery of a dig.
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Living to Eat, Eating to Live
Students develop a five paragraph essay.They write their essays, review rules related to subject/verb agreement and the use of transition words or devices. They find examples of transition words or devices in newspaper or magazine...
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Canada
High schoolers examine a variety of issues that affect the geography of Canada. In small groups they read a magazine article about a specific issue related to Canadian geography, answer discussion questions, and present a summary of...
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Famous Afro-Americans Historical Sites Recognized by the National Park System
Students use the library to find historical information about each Afro-American. They use magazines, articles from newspapers, and oral histories from video tapes and slide presentations to write biographical sketches about each...
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Figurative Language
Twelfth graders examine personification and alliteration in various reading selections. They read magazine articles, brochures, and advertisements, identify the examples of personification and alliteration, and create a business name...
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Un-Presidented Election
Students explore the results of the 2000 presidential election. They look back at important issues in the campaign and write newspaper articles which cover specific angles on the election.
Curated OER
"In God We Trust": The Camden Man Who Put the Missing Motto on the Dollar Bill
Here is a fascintating instructional activity which relates how the motto "In God We Trust" came to appear on all US currency. It turns out that a man from Arkansas came up with the idea and petioned his congressman and President...
Curated OER
Adjectives, Adverbs and Advertising
Students identify adjectives and adverbs and be able to use them correctly in a Christmas-related creative writing project. They work in pairs to cut out ads from a magazine to classify them as adjectives and adverbs.
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Who Am I? - Brainstorming
Students brainstorm lists of places, events and relationships that define them. They search for clip art and pictures in magazines to illustrate the items on their list and create a graphic timeline of their lives.
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News View
Young scholars read and analyze three different news sources that describe the same event. They compare/contrast the similarities and differences of the news sources, and write an essay describing the main event.
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Saint Patrick's Day
Students read an article about Saint Patrick's Day and answer short answer questions about what they read. In this Saint Patrick's Day lesson plan, students answer 17 questions total.
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Wilderness Lesson Plan
Students investigate the wilderness by reading magazine articles and discussing with their peers. In this wild life instructional activity, students read a page from the Natural Inquirer magazine and examine photographs online of...
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Youth Leading the Way
Students share opinions about groups or activities that give meaning to their lives. They read and discuss the article "Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms". Afterward, they investigate and write news articles about...
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California Missions Project-Using Publisher
Students create a California Missions magazine that includes a Table of Contents, pictures, and websites. In this culture and history lesson, students research missions and write and create a magazine article about it.
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Outlining
Students read and evaluate a piece of expository writing. They participate in a class discussion of the outlining process and individually outline a piece of expository writing. Finally, the students create an outline for the purpose...