Curated OER
Text Structure: Organizational Patterns
Explore plot structure by analyzing text samples with writers. They define terms such as problem and solution, cause and effect, and story arc. They also identify the sequences used in modern stories by reading samples and determining...
EngageNY
Getting Ready to Learn About Human Rights: Close Reading of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Introduce young readers to informational texts with a well-designed, ready-to-use, and Common Core-aligned unit. Young readers learn a variety of skills while studying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). As the first...
EngageNY
Speech Writing: Identifying Criteria for a High-Quality Introduction
Using a helpful resource, pupils watch a TED Talk of an opinion speech as they consider the criteria for a high-quality introduction. Scholars then engage in a shared writing process with the teacher to practice writing the introduction...
Curated OER
Specialized Structures and Environments
Fifth graders explore biology by completing an Internet activity in class. In this adaptation lesson, 5th graders identify several organisms and mammals that fight for their existence through slow changes to their anatomy over the course...
Curated OER
How to Make Your Own Website
Students explore technology by creating a web page on-line. In this digital arts lesson, students identify the structure needed to create a website as well as the content required to keep visitors entertained. Students collaborate in...
Curated OER
Teaching Grammar in Context: Using Sentence Combining to Teach Subordination
Reinforce sentence styles with this instructional activity, which prompts young grammarians to build complex and compound-complex sentence structures. They respond to non-print text and identify subordinators as parts of speech...
Curriculum Corner
ELA Common Core Checklists for K-6
In the hustle and bustle of life in the classroom, it's easy for teachers to lose track of the standards they have taught, and those that still need to be addressed. This Common Core checklist provides educators with an easy-to-use...
Curated OER
Making Connections: I Know Why Caged Birds Sing
Young scholars discuss equality and fairness by reading a Maya Angelo poem. In this U.S. history lesson, students read the poem I Know Why Caged Birds Sing, and discuss how the era it was written in affected the words. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Vermicomposting
Fifth graders explore agriculture by viewing compost related presentations. In this worm and soil lesson, 5th graders identify the relationship between good soil and the worms who inhabit it by reading assigned text in class. Students...
Curated OER
Word Meaning Using Prefixes
Fifth graders use structural analysis to identify root words with prefixes such as dis, sub, re, and pre.
Curated OER
Homophone Cartoons
A terrific lesson plan on homophones awaits your youngsters. First, pupils access a website that contains lists of homophones. Then, it's time to get creative! Everyone gets a piece of poster board and they create a homophone cartoon -...
Curated OER
Synonym Trees
Pair learners to define synonyms. They search flash cards to find a synonym partner. Then they chart pairs of synonyms on a synonym tree.
Nazareth College
Creative Writing
Students discuss creative writing—what makes something creative writing? Each learner starts writing a story and after 15 minutes, they pass their story to another who adds to it. After another 15 minutes of writing, the story is passed...
Curated OER
Using Context
Teams practice decoding and using context strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. After verifying the meanings of words through the use of dictionaries, the Internet, thesauruses, and other sources, learners write the...
Curated OER
Sustainable Southern Belize: Coral Health Lesson Plan
Fifth graders investigate coral reefs and the dangers they face by labeling and drawing. In this oceanography instructional activity, 5th graders view a PowerPoint presentation of photographs of coral reefs in Belize. Students...