Scholastic
Smart Quotes Mini-Lesson
Prepare for an interview project with a set of worksheets about asking questions and quoting people. After completing a grammar exercise about quotation marks, kids write out the questions they want to ask their interviewee, and record...
Curated OER
Art: Weaving Based on Draft Patterns
Fourth graders observe the process of drafting a pattern on graph paper. After creating their own patterns, they create their own weavings, and explain its title to the class.
Curated OER
Everyone Can Write Poetry
Embark on a journey of writing several different types of poetry. Fifth graders read several examples, and use the examples to model their own writing. Each poem is to be accompanied by a different art visual representation. In the end,...
Curated OER
Creative Convincing
Young writers will love examining Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type for examples of good persuasive writing. Generally, when we write persuasive pieces, there are common words we use. Encourage your writers to...
Curated OER
Newbery Award Winners
Sixth graders select a book from the Newbery list and read it. They write a short summary of the book without giving away the ending and then research the book's author. They write a book review and, finally, incorporate all of this onto...
Teaching Tolerance
Community Newsletter
What does it take to develop and publish a newsletter? Young academics create a newsletter with original artwork for their school or community. They explore social justice themes and spread messages of tolerance and inclusion. Scholars...
Denver Art Museum
Descriptive Haiku
Even though this is technically an art activity, haiku poetry is actually the main focus! Learners view photographs of Japanese tea caddies. They list five descriptive words for the caddies, then write haiku poems using the caddies as...
Curated OER
Fishing For F's
Students discriminate initial sounds of words and categorize words based on the initial sound. They generate ideas and topics for writing and use prewriting and drafting strategies to formulate text.
Curated OER
Tall Tales
Students examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their story,...
Curated OER
Airplane Design
Young scholars design an airplane. In this transportation lesson, students review the parts of an airplane and their functions. Young scholars work in groups to design their own airplane, reflect on the ideal plane, and compare it...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Technical Writing
Students discuss technical writing and its importance in the work place and review the definition of technical writing They evaluate technical writing examples and look for characteristics of effective technical writing. They conduct a...
Curated OER
My Pyramid: Preparing for a Journey
Sixth graders imagine and record what a pyramid they might create would be like. For this pyramid lesson, 6th graders construct the contents of their pyramid which would include a hieroglyphic of their name, drawing of the structure,...
Curated OER
Key Pals
Second graders analyze the proper form of friendly letters and write emails to a key pal. In this friendly letters and email lesson, 2nd graders discuss sending friendly letters and view examples of the letter format. Students then...
Curated OER
Memory of a Kiss
Third graders read, discuss, and memorize the poem "Jenny Kissed Me." as an example of lyrical poetry. They write a letter to Jenny reliving the memory of her kiss from an elderly person's point of view. They illustrate their poems.
Curated OER
Black Bayou Lake Short Story
Tenth graders use Microsoft Word to create an original short story. The setting must be Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The characters must be animals found at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The story must contain...
Curated OER
I Love Navarre
Third graders use a research checklist to gather information for a brochure of their local area. students then use a Brochure Data List and Brochure Rubric to edit their brochure. They discuss and revise and create their final brochure.
Curated OER
Water Around Us
Third graders learn the effects of temperature on the states of water. Then students create paper snowflakes. Finally students complete a computer project with software which teaches the different states of water.
Curated OER
Writing a Personal Letter Using the Short Story "Eleven"
Challenge your class to connect to the text of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros with this activity, which prompts them to write a personal letter from the main character's point of view. The story, prompt, and letter template are all included...
Curated OER
Writing Formal Letters
Help your young writers recognize the importance of composing formal letters. Middle schoolers read letters written by Thomas Jefferson and analyze the components that make it a formal letter. They will then compose their own...
Curated OER
Imperialism Political Cartoon Assessment
Students work from topics provided by the teacher to create a political cartoon that illustrates imperialism throughout the world, focusing on that which led up to World War One.
Curated OER
Poetry: A Picture of Feelings
Students take a field trip to a place of interest. After the trip they share with a partner their most memorable memory about it. Later, they paint a picture representative of the trip and illustrate it with a poem using at least two...
Curated OER
Music in Words
Your class can build strong, well-represented opinions about the music they hear. They listen to, and share thoughts about, a piece of classical music. Then they write a piece of music or a poem, and analyze their peers' work and their...
Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...