Curated OER
Barnyard Protest: Cows, Chickens & Fundamental Freedoms
Here is an ambitious and engaging lesson that should help elementary schoolers begin to develop a basic understanding of human rights. Pupils are asked to think about their own rights, the rights of others, and how an individual's voice...
Scholasic
The Magic School Bus and the Missing Tooth
We chew with our teeth every day, but how much do we really know about them? Allow Ms. Frizzle to teach your kids a thing or two about teeth. Kids complete a prereading exercise, read the book, and respond to several prompts about the...
ReadWriteThink
Looking for the History in Historical Fiction: An Epidemic for Reading
Combine informational reading skills with fictional text in an innovative historical fiction lessons. After reading a fictional text related to diseases, class members read non-fictional text to gain knowledge about specific infectious...
Scholastic
Thomas Jefferson and Monticello: An Introduction to Writing Historical Fiction
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most recognized names and faces in America—but is there more to the third president of the United States? Upper elementary and middle schoolers conduct research on Jefferson, his famous home at Monticello,...
EngageNY
Asking and Answering Questions: Reading about a Frog's Habitat
Building upon previous lessons, scholars take to asking and answering questions about a frog's habitat. A partner discussion follows a read-aloud of an informational text in preparation for a worksheet that boosts reading comprehension...
EngageNY
Reading about Freaky Frogs: “The Water-Holding Frog"
Boost reading comprehension skills with a lesson all about freaky frogs. A poem hooks scholars and takes them into a reading of an informational text followed by peer discussions. A three-page worksheet focuses on text features and...
K12 Reader
MLK: Complete the Speech
Take a close look at a few paragraphs of Martin Luther King, Jr.s' famous speech, "I Have a Dream." Class members fill in the missing words using the bank of words provided and then respond to a question about the speech and modern day...
Student Handouts
Textbook Vocabulary Word Boxes
Encourage the development of proactive readers with this graphic organizer, which prompts pupils to identify words they do not recognize as they are reading a textbook or literary piece.
Curated OER
Long Vowel Sounds
Build reading skills, phonemic awareness, or spelling strategies with this super handy presentation. Each slide contains several variations of a long vowel sound and multiple examples of each. This is a great tool to have around,...
Curated OER
Why is Handwriting Important?
Love this resource! Have your ever found it difficult to get your class to buy into the idea that handwriting is important? This resource provides a history of handwriting and a detailed discussion of the importance of it as a...
Curated OER
Apostrophes
Here is some very good, interactive practice for your class regarding when they should, and should not, use apostrophes. Clear examples are given, and learners have ample opportunities to practice the skill. Instant feedback is given for...
Curated OER
Procedural Text: Pop up card instructions
Build procedural text comprehension skills by having your class follow a set of instructions, first with, then without visual aids. They work through each step to create a pop up card. They also learn a bit about themselves as learners...
Curated OER
Story switch up
Gather your class around to hear the real story of Jack and the Bean Stalk. In this version Jack is mean and rude, and the Giant is friendly and kind. Have your class rewrite a classic fairy tale to build strong written...
K12 Reader
Sum Difference
If you need a way to address math and reading in one lesson, look no further than a passage about inverse operations, complete with reading comprehension questions. Kids focus on context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Curated OER
Informative/ Expository Writing
Elementary schoolers are charged with writing an article for their peers. A class discussion yields topics about which learners consider themselves to be an expert. The teacher models how to construct an article by using facts he or she...
Curated OER
Word Reference Materials
A class discussion on reference materials opens up a lesson on how to use these important resources. They discover that dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses are called word reference resources, and they practice using them. The...
EngageNY
Revising: Strong Conclusions for My Accessing Books Around the World Informative Paragraph
It's important that writers leave their readers with a strong and satisfying conclusion. Help your young writers develop the skills to compose a concluding sentence with the steps outlined here. After class members have had a chance to...
K12 Reader
Alliteration and Tongue Twisters
Did she sell seashells by the seashore, or did Bill buy berries by the ballpark? Practice literary skills with an activity based on famous tongue twisters. Kids replace the nouns, verb, and adjectives in two phrases to create a new...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Close Reading of the "Spadefoot Toad"
A mid-unit assessment challenges scholars to use their close reading skills to identify the main idea and key details. After reading a brief excerpt, learners answer a series of questions—multiple-choice, short answer—complete a graphic...
EngageNY
Reading about Freaky Frogs: “The Glass Frog”
Freaky frogs are the focus of a lesson plan designed to boost reading comprehension skills using text features and asking and answering questions. Informational text and a poem supply scholars with animal-related vocabulary and facts. A...
EngageNY
Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts about Poison Dart Frogs: Eggs and Tadpoles
Poison Dart Frog babies are the focus of a lesson that challenges scholars to compare and contrast two informational texts. Beginning with a read-aloud, followed by a discussion, readers complete a practice page that examines the main...
EngageNY
Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts about Poison Dart Frogs: Poison!
Scholars compare and contrast two informational texts about Poison Dart Frogs. A brief vocabulary review and discussion lead the way to a two-part close reading—the first reading for gist the second reading for details. Followed by a...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Words in Context, Meaning Maker
Support children with finding meaning in unknown words using this graphic organizer. While reading a piece of writing, learners identify unfamiliar words, using context clues and reference materials to find and record definitions before...
Library Sparks
When Marian Sang: Reader's Theater
Put on an eight-actor show based on Pan Munoz Ryan's When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson. The resource comes with a color-coded script that includes some images from the picture book.