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What is a Friend? A Multimedia Approach to Comprehension
First graders identify and discuss the characteristics of a good friend. They read the book "Just My Friend" by Mercer Mayer, and watch the videos "My Wet Pet" and "The Berenstein Bears: Road Race." Students identify the friend...
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Launching a Writer's Workshop
Young scholars interview each other and their parents to examine why and when writers write and where published authors get their ideas. They complete a class T-chart, fill-out an interview worksheet, and read and discuss a variety of...
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Here Comes Winter!
Students investigate winter behaviors in animals. They describe winter and write about the characteristics of the season by drawing and labeling a winter picture. Students then conduct research on a chosen animal and create a chart. ...
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Different Ways We Celebrate
Young scholars examine a variety of ways that families celebrate winter holidays. They complete a graphic organizer comparing Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and write a five-sentence paragraph about one of the holidays discussed. ...
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BELT-ABOUTS Lesson 1
Students explain how safety belts prevent injury. They identify three other safety features in a vehicle. Students discuss how fast 40 miles per hour is. They discuss how high a five story building is. Students discuss other types...
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Social Studies: Shaking the Family Tree
Create family trees while reading "Little House in the Big Woods." After examining Laura Ingalls Wilder's family tree, compare it to a real tree's roots and branches. Conclude with interviewing family members and decorating family...
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Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Students investigate and explore the three states of matter. They read and discuss the NASA article "The Engine That Does More," identify examples of each state of matter, and as a class complete a section of two worksheets. They...
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Picture This
Students, after explaining the famous quote, "A picture is worth a thousand words," supply the missing words to a wordless story by Mercer Mayer called "A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog." They brainstorm the setting, plot, descriptive words,...
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I've Felt the Same Way
Students recognize various differences between their lives and the lives of
people living in the 19th century Chicago area. They hear stories from people living in four different historical time periods and match the stories
to their...
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Picture Dictionary
Students write and contribute one page for a class picture dictionary. They discuss how to alphabetize words, and examine both regular and picture dictionaries and how they are organized. Next they create a page for the class dictionary...
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"Habitat'
First graders explore and explain that different plants and animals live in different kinds of environments. They illustrate various plants and animals and how they survive in the places where they live. A nature journal for enrichment...
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Art Museum Visit
Students engage in a lesson designed to be used before visiting The Orange County Museum of Art in California. They are exposed to works of art from a featured artist and recreate some of his work in the classroom. Students also conduct...
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Phonics and Vegetable Books
Students participate in phonemic awareness and phonics activities and develop a list of vegetable vocabulary words. They break up words into beginnings and endings, and trace and write the letter s. Students then create a Vegetable...
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Object Sorting
First graders follow directions when sorting objects. They illustrate how objects are categorized by drawing at least two of the categories that they sorted the objects into. Students work in small groups at completing the task of...
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How Does a Butterfly Grow?
Students explore the stages of a butterfly. They read and discuss the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. They draw a picture of their favorite part and create a graph. They write a letter to Eric Carle and observe a...
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The Mysterious Plant Caper
Students investigate the basic parts of plant and that plants are living things which require water, air, light and nutrients for survival. They do this through a series of scientific experiements and multi-curricular hands-on activities.
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Technology Blackout Day
Students describe the impact of modern technology inventions on daily life. They create a graph of the class's favorite item of technology and draw a picture of their favorite piece of modern technology.
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Greetings and Introductions
Students recite common forms of courtesy, greetings and leave takings appropriate to the time of day. They practice identiying the differences in forms of address for age and rank. Pupils are each given a copy of the "Greetings and...
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There's a Monster in My Classroom
Students work in groups making drawing of monsters and then given written instructions to students in another class about how to draw the same monster. After the drawings are complete, they share with other students using an iSight...
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Modern Marco Polos: Searching for China
Students conduct Internet research to determine information about China's laws, government, philosophy, architecture, inventions, calendar and language. Students create a web site about ancient China and how it has influenced world history.
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Metamorphosis
Learners complete a unit about the insect metamorphosis process. They read and discuss a handout and sequence the events of metamorphosis for a variety of insects. Students also view and hold a tobacco hornworm, and complete a...
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"Angel Child, Dragon Child"
Students read and analyze the book "Angel Child, Dragon Child" by Michele Maria Surat. They chart the main story elements on a graphic organizer, and write three sentences about themselves and draw a self-portrait. Students then create...
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Expanding Journal Writing Entries For Beginning Writers
First graders through a variety of strategies assess how to write in journals openly and effectively. Those strategies include integration of technology, story telling, group and team work, performance-based assessment/rubrics, visual...