Curated OER
Experiencing "Romeo and Juliet"
Ninth graders read and analyze the William Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" and compare it to the 1996 modern version of the play and the movie "West Side Story." They write an essay comparing and contrasting the three versions.
Curated OER
"The Lottery"
Designed to open a unit on the suspense/horror genre, this plan hooks readers with an activity that mirrors the action of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" (without the grisly ending). Use either the twenty-minute 1969 film or...
Curated OER
Defining Love
After reading and discussing Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, pupils compare/contrast the concept/theme of love within several multiple pieces of literature. They must support their claims with textual evidence. In addition, they analyze...
Curated OER
The Economics of Information
Create an expert guide to local businesses in this lesson. Through research, young readers consider their local businesses and the services they provide, paying attention to any conflicting information they might find. Working in groups,...
Curated OER
Impersonating Great Poets Using "Science Verse" by Jon Scieszka
A great way to bring poetry and parody into your language arts classroom, this instructional activity mimics famous poems based on Jon Scieszka's Science Verse. The activity not only allows the class to see examples of poem parodies, but...
Curated OER
Writing Process- Expository Writing
Expository writing is the focus of the language arts lesson presented here. In it, young writers review what expository writing is through a class discussion and teacher demonstration. Then, learners write expository text that describes...
Curated OER
Two-Digit Subtraction With and Without Regrouping
Second graders subtract two-digit numbers. In this mathematics lesson, 2nd graders subtract both with and without regrouping. Students use manipulatives and place value mats to assist in problem solving.
Curated OER
I Can Build It.....Yes I Can!
Kindergartners listen to a story read by their teacher, then use magnetic shape pieces to construct simple designes. They "build" their own house using pre-cut paper shapes. This age-appropriate lesson would be an excellent choice for...
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: California
It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...
Curated OER
What is a Fable?
Students read a variety of electronic Aesop's fables to define fable and moral, and write and illustrate an original fable. They then publish their fable using PowerPoint.
Curated OER
Happy 100th Birthday Airplane
Students research the Wright Brothers and their plane. In this airplane history instructional activity, students use a hotlist of sites to research and create an airplane. A question is provided for each site.
Curated OER
School Forest
Sixth graders explore the concept of biodiversity. In this biodiversity lesson, 6th graders discover a variety of planets and animals that live in forests, and how a rotting log benefits that environment. Students also locate seven...
Curated OER
The Best Main Idea
What is the main idea? Interest your young readers with this fun introductory lesson! After selecting several items from a paper bag, the teacher leads learners to determine the big idea for those items. This concept is then applied to...
Spreading Gratitude Rocks
A Gift of Gratitude
Words of appreciation make great gifts for special occasions, but people can't tie them up with a bow ... until now! Using the lesson plan, learners write gratitude messages to a chosen recipient. Next, they fill a box or paper bag with...
Curated OER
Scripting The Great Train Robbery
Take writing prompts to another level in this activity, which allows pupils to create scenes of dialogue based on the 1903 silent film, The Great Train Robbery. Useful for a language arts/history cross-curricular activity, the activity...
Curated OER
The Mathematician And The Archaeologist
Young scholars decorate clay pots and destroy them in order to learn the techniques of modern-day archaeologists and practice mathematical measurements. This is an exciting lesson suitable for Social Studies, Math, Science, or Art...
Curated OER
Revision Techniques for Writing
How can you help your class improve their writing? Start by showing a student example on the overhead. Read through the paragraph in a think-aloud format, commenting on areas that need improvement. Then, as a class, work together to make...
Curated OER
Cultural Environment
Students learn about a new culture. In this Native American environment lesson, students begin a unit on Native Americans where they learn about their homes and the environment they lived in. Students view pictures of Native American...
Curated OER
Bird Brilliance!
First graders explore natural resources and search outdoors to find materials to create a bird's nest. In this bird's natural resources lesson, 1st graders listen to a book about birds and reflect on the various things birds use to...
National Gardening Association
Migration Mishaps
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
Willow Tree
Scientific Notation
Numbers that are very large or very small are difficult to express in standard notation. Pupils learn how to convert between standard and scientific notation. They also multiply and divide the numbers in scientific notation.
Curated OER
Racing Readers
Student increase their reading fluency through the use of various strategies. After reviewing good reader strategies, students complete an initial read of a novel text. Working with a partner, they read complete a timed assessment of...
Curated OER
Geo Jammin' - Day 3, Lesson 9: Attribute Attitude
Second graders read poetry and build their vocabulary through use of the puppet Geo George.
Curated OER
On the Mayflower Lesson Plan
Students build a model of the Mayflower inside of the classroom in order to learn about the voyage of the Mayflower and the hardships faced by its passengers. In this American history lesson, students work in small groups to construct...