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Commas: Conventional Usage
This four-page handout explains in detail when and why to use commas. Three extended sentences provide an opportunity for practice splitting long sentences into shorter ones. Multiple examples help to clarify correct usage.
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From A Different Perspective
Emerging writers create a response to their reading. They read Notes from the Trail and discuss whose perspective the journal entry is written from. Then, they write a response to the journal entry in first person perspective as if...
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Genres, Genres Everywhere
Young readers assume the role of Genre Sleuths to investigate the characteristics of folktales, fantasies, and mysteries. For this session you will need to collect a variety of books on a topic you have been studying. Groups then examine...
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Bronze Bow
Explore ancient Rome through reading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. Readers activate prior knowledge by examining objects that relate to the story and predict the significance of the items. Their curiosity is aroused...
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Skip Counting to Music
Your youngest mathematicians skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's as they sing along to a Hap Palmer song that helps them remember the patterns. Students practice in whole group and then individually with the worksheet provided, using the...
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Analyzing Word Use Through Guided Wordle
Even though this lesson is just a basic way to review verb usage, it takes a novel approach. First, pupils identify verbs that they use too often in their writing, and then they create a Wordle. Wordle is a website that provides graphic...
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"Tis The Season" Bulletin Board
Students explore a variety of objects which represent the various seasons as a preparation for writing about their birthday and the season in which it is located.
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Vocabulary Development
Learners utilize various vocabulary strategies. They use vocabulary logs to record strategies they have been taught, such as the Frayer Model (definition, picture, examples, non-examples), writing their own definitions, and using...
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Critical Thinking Strategies
Teach your readers to be critical thinkers. A strategy is outlined that can be used to compare and contrast entities. An example lists four states. The learner removes one state that "does not belong" in the list for some reason, and...
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Stop Talking
Third, fourth, and fifth graders practice the correct usage of grammar rules through the editing and correction of a variety of poorly written paragraphs. You create (or find) the paragraphs, as they are not provided here. And be sure to...
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Worksheet 7/7 A Pride of Collective Nouns
Play around with collective nouns! For this activity, learners read and study a story about a band of thieves coming to an island. Readers look for the collective noun groups in the story and circle all 40 of them. This exercise includes...
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Cause and Effect: Light Clusters and Geography
After viewing a map of lights at night over a variety of geographic formations, young topographers connect the location of light clusters to geographic features that encourage human settlement. They list causes and effects of large...
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Introduce: The Suffix -ing
Second and third graders are introduced to the suffix ing and examine a list of words with the suffix. They examine the meaning of the target suffix as it relates to the present verb tense and connect suffix ing words with...
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The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
With The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry as the hook learners discuss the rainforest, the animals that live there, and conservation efforts. Then, students write a letter to the man in the story asking him not to cut down the Kapok...
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Idioms in Everyday Language
Learners create an iPhoto book exhibiting a variety of idioms that describe feelings. They take photos using a digital camera that show students exhibiting the feelings explained by the idioms.
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The Interactive Read-Aloud
Students listen to a variety of books about immigration themes. They discuss immigration and some of the ideas presented in the books. They complete a variety of immigration-themed art projects.
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I Am, Am Not! Project
Get your class writing with this project idea. Kids choose two pictures of objects that are like them and two pictures of objects that are not like them to entice their readers. Then, they write an informative paragraph describing each...
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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...
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To the Sea
Improve pronunciation and phonemic awareness in your first and second graders! With this plan, they distinguish between the sounds for short vowel e and long vowel e. They are introduced to the vowel patterns that comprise long vowel...
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Using Speech Marks: Quotations
Provide your class with a review of the appropriate way to punctuate dialogue. This presentation goes through a detailed explanation of the use of quotation marks in writing and provides learners with a variety of examples to cement...
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Long Vowel Phoneme - oo
Learners recognize words by common spelling patterns. The teacher reads a poem to the class and look at rhymes for the word moon. They practice handwriting in conjunction with spelling, and they can even write their own -oo- poem!
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Easter Egg Surprise
Young readers describe objects by using describing words. After reviewing the five senses, they use their senses to gain information about an object. Then as homework, they write three descriptive words about a mystery object and place...
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Measuring Objects in the Classroom
Third graders use ruler and tapes to measure classroom objects. After discussing measurement tools, have students complete sentences stating what they would use to measure various objects. Later in the computer lab, they type their...
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Phonemic Awareness: Blending
First graders listen closely as their teacher sounds out a variety of words, one phoneme at a time. They then practice blending sounds to create words on their own. Tip: While you sound out words have your class write down each phoneme...