This second lesson in a larger unit is perfect for the beginning of the year because it explicitly teaches 3rd graders how to use close reading skills by identifying unfamiliar words, figuring out the gist, and defining important...

Start with the question in mind with a discussion activity on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. With four focus questions, note-taking prompts, and discussion points, readers practice answering thematic questions based on textual evidence.

As the final lesson plan in a larger beginning-of-the-year unit to establish routines and teach close reading skills, this plan is designed as an assessment piece. Using the story, The Librarian of Basra, learners independently...

Improve class understanding of colonial times by reading an informational text and filling out the accompanying graphic organizer. Class members work with a partner to read, take notes, make inferences, and synthesize information.The...

Learners perform simple and fun experiments to use the scientific method, take careful notes, and write a lab report. They first make and test a hypothesis about how many drops of water they can fit on the face of a penny and then test...

Organize your learners with this well-laid-out note-taking printable. Note blanks are organized to allow for two strategies of graphing an equation given in standard form. 

Expose your class to Waiting for the Biblioburro, narrative nonfiction that will act as the bridge between ficiton and informational texts to come. Class members do a close reading of the text, looking at excerpts instead of the whole...

Students investigate inspirational figures by researching Helen Keller.  In this biography lesson, students utilize the Internet to take notes about the life of Helen Keller.  Students complete a biography question worksheet...

Take your class on a field trip to Fractalland where they'll learn all about number and shape patterns. Based on Disney's movie Alice in Wonderland, this resource takes young mathematicians on an adventure as they explore patterns in...

Students investigate Newton's Three Laws. In this Newton's Law instructional activity, students write the laws in their own words. Students then do an experiment with a ping pong ball. Students drop the ball from a set distance and...

Reading, writing, and rings! A lesson from NASA combines space science with authentic reading and writing tasks. Included in this lesson are pre-reading activities, four mini informational booklets on Saturn, a structured...

Just because one integer is larger than another doesn't mean it will make sense right away. Go beyond note taking and show learners, through the use of algebra tiles and a Four-Pan Algebra Balance, how the numbers relate to one...

A note-taking outline is given to learners which covers meat composition and quality, types of meat and storage, and cooking meat. By viewing pictures they learn to identify cuts of meat or poultry products. They discuss inspection and...

Reading comprehension and note-taking skills are practiced as young ecologists embark on this journey. Explorers visit a website where they will read about three ecosystems that are in danger. They use interactive programs to build a...

Learn the stories a formula holds. An interesting lesson takes a unique approach to teach how to use formulas. Beginning with a formula, learners predict what the variables stand for and then use the formula to make calculations and tell...

Take the next step in the writing process with a lesson plan geared towards the completion of writing an evidence-based essay about a rule to live by, as Bud did in Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Pupils collaborate with their...

Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...

Learners induce an electrical charge on various objects, and experiment with electrical repulsion and attraction. They define related vocabulary, play Bingo and complete a take-home quiz.

What can shadows tell us about the changing season? Over several months, astronomy learners record length and position of an outdoor object's shadow, such as a flagpole. They apply the data to a growing hypothesis and note the...

Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...

How long will it take to save up for a car? Classmates use linear and exponential models to see how money received during a Quinceanera will grow over time.

Show your class how people calculated complex math problems in the old days. Scholars take a trip back to the days without calculators in the 15th installment of a 35-part module. They use logarithms to determine products of numbers and...

Explore multiple perspectives through a jigsaw activity that will improve your pupils' understanding of the characters in Esperanza Rising as well as their understanding of strikes and human rights. Tapping into prior knowledge, and...

Build a solid understanding of trigonometric transformations through exploration. Learners work in teams to analyze the effects of different algebraic components on the graph of a sine function.