Curated OER
Skill Building: Alphabet Poem
Amateur poets explore alphabetical poetry. They choose a topic and brainstorm vocabulary that relates to the topic using each letter of the alphabet. The class then generates ideas for a group alphabet poem. After creating one as a whole...
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Create a Book with Student Treasures
You can't publish a story until after it has been revised and edited! Budding authors investigate the writing process while drafting an original story. They select a topic, complete a rough draft, edit it, revise it, and finally publish...
Berkshire Museum
Adopt a Schoolyard Tree
Help young scientists connect with nature and learn about trees with a fun life science lesson. Heading out into the school yard, children choose a tree to adopt, taking measurements, writing descriptions, and drawing sketches of it in...
K12 Reader
My Favorite Subject
Reflect on your favorite subject in school with a straightforward writing prompt. Kids think about what subject they enjoy the most, why they enjoy it, and if everyone should study the subject in the space provided on the page.
Student Handouts
The Five W's and How
Here is a great graphic organizer for ensuring that young researchers and writers cover all their bases when brainstorming a topic by considering the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why) and how.
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Alphabet Poem
Students create an alphabetized list about their favorite topic using the Alphabet Poem Brainstorming worksheet or creating a list on the board with the class. They think of a word that starts with their letters that relates to the...
Curated OER
Creating a Digital Newspaper
Students create a digital newspaper. In this digital newspaper lesson, students review the sections of a newspaper and brainstorm ideas for their paper. Students complete a schools news report, student interview, opinion page, sports...
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An Introduction to Dinosaurs
Students research to collect information about dinosaurs. In this dinosaurs lesson, students brainstorm what they know about dinosaurs and chart the information that are fats. Students take a pretest about the topic and view a PowerPoint...
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Note Taking
Second graders work in groups to gather information from a factual paragraph on the topic of ants. They demonstrate taking notes by selecting 3 or 4 important key words in each sentence and write it on a note card to compile summary...
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Narrative Writing
Second graders select and read a variety of stories and discuss what happened in the story that made the day so special. Using a graphic organizer, 2nd graders brainstorm ideas about their best day at school. They compose a story...
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News to the Core Reported by Very Special Students
Students create news articles that help them build their knowledge, skills, and academic confidence. In this special education lesson, students use previous knowledge to write a newsletter and demonstrate their understanding of various...
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Free Verse
Students write free verse poems. In this poetry lesson, students use a three-step method to create a free verse poem. Students brainstorm ideas, let their ideas "incubate," and write a free verse poem.
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Community Brochures
Second graders research facets of their community in order to create an informational brochure. After brainstorming ideas of what could be included in the brochure, student groups get information from the internet, the library or a...
Curated OER
Johnny Appleseed
Students listen to a story about Johnny Appleseed while learning about how Johnny contributed to history. Students brainstorm rhyming words and write a poem using those words.
Teaching Tolerance
Community Bulletin Board
A project-based lesson has pupils create a bulletin board to share artwork, nonfiction articles, and messages based on social justice themes. The finished board is displayed in the community to create a place for discussion.
Laura Candler
Bio Poems Made Easy
A creative way bring autobiographical writing to your poetry unit or back-to-school curriculum, this lesson plan guides you through a bio poem activity. Kids use the graphic organizer to describe themselves using adjectives, things they...
Curated OER
Prewriting, Using Pictures
Young readers practice getting information from both the text and the illustrations found in books they are reading. They see that quite often, authors use pictures to help them get their writing process started. Youngsters are invited...
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Structured Diamante Poem
Youngsters review nouns, adjectives and verbs. In this poetry lesson, readers choose a set of antonyms and create a list of synonyms, verbs and adjective for each. Students use the words to write a Diamante poem.
Curated OER
What Is A Cave?
Young scholars explore their existing concepts of caves and match them with a working definition to use during the unit. They name the two types of rock formations in which most American caves occur, and define "show cave" and "wild cave."
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Learning Log
A simple idea, this exercise will help young learners practice metacognitive and language arts skills. At the end of each day of school, have each member of your class record, in their own words, what they learned that day. Merely...
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Whoever You Are
Students examine cultures, traditions, and feeling throughout cultures. In this cultural lesson plan, students use literature, maps, and cultural information to examine how people have universal feelings despite their different cultures...
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Choose Your Words Wisely
Improve word choice! Writers use dictionaries and thesauruses to aid them in choosing exciting words to incorporate in their writing. They rewrite sentences and practice identifying words that can be replaced using a better word. Flip...
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Riddle Poem
Second graders practice writing skills by writing riddle poems using adjectives to describe vegetables.
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Picture the Process
Young scholars read Chasing Vermeer and relate the book to the author . In this writing process lesson, students view Blue's Photo Album and see how the author writes and revises her work. Young scholars discuss the process that all...