Curated OER
Exploring Science Fiction
Twelfth graders read a variety of science fiction short stories. Using the text, they identify the components that make it science fiction and a well written piece of literature. They record their observations and share them with the...
The New York Times
Writing Fiction Based on Real Science - NYTimes.com
Refuse to alienate your scientific-minded young scholars during your creative writing unit. Learners explore how literary writing can reflect observable fact, and be based in actual science. The links include examples of fiction and...
Curated OER
Ornithology and Real World Science
Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing instructional activity! This cross-curricular Ornithology instructional activity incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry,...
Curated OER
Time Capsule Survey
Here's a fun way to incorporate technology into your curriculum. E-mail each of your class members a picture and 10 questions about the photo. Individuals then imagine the story behind the image and e-mail back their responses. Although...
Curated OER
Vital Work
Students consider the role of women in the food industry. In this gender exploitation lesson, students work in groups to examine unfair labor practices. Students watch a video and write a fictional letter from a female laborer. This...
Curated OER
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Wow! Here is a most-impressive series of lessons and activities that revolve around the classic story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The purpose of the lessons are to provide an agricultural theme in the reading, writing, and science...
Curated OER
The Legendary Raptors
How are raptors and airplanes alike? Combine science and language arts in this fun and interactive project. Young scientists research the animal in order to design their own aircraft, and compete in a contest for farthest, fastest, and...
Listening Library
The Sign of the Beaver
Extend a class reading of the novel The Sign of the Beaver across all subject areas with this literature unit guide. From basic discussion questions and writing prompts, to a research project about tracking animals, this...
Curated OER
Space the Next Frontier
Young scholars examine the use of space as the frontier of the future. Using the colonist's experience coming to the New World, they identify challenges they would face if they were to settle in space. As a class, they share what they...
Curated OER
Blending Fiction and Nonfiction to Improve Comprehension and Writing Skills
Learners explore a content area by reading both fiction and nonfiction texts on the topic. They do more research online about the topic. After comparing the texts, they create their own written original work, using both narrative and...
Curated OER
Natural Disasters: An Adventure in Non-Fiction
Students study different natural disasters. In this natural disaster lesson students read a nonfiction book followed by a discussion, an experiment, then collect illustrations from their experience.
Concord Consortium
The Six Faces of Amzora
Here's a task that is out of this world! Given a description of a fictional cube-shaped planet, scholars answer a set of questions about the planet. They create a two-dimensional map and consider the distances between locations on the map.
Curated OER
Bug's Eye View
Young scholars explore biology by writing fictitious stories in class. In this insect life lesson, students identify many different types of insects in the animal kingdom and the classifications they fall into. Young scholars collect...
Curated OER
Baseball: Fact or Fiction
Students research the history of baseball. They complete a T-chart stating whether a given statement is a fact or fiction. They answer questions on a worksheet to complete the lesson plan.
Curated OER
Jack and the Beanstalk
Third graders read a story and grow a beanstalk. In this literature and life science lesson, the class reads "Jack and the Beanstalk," then lists fairy tale elements and write a puppet show. The students plant pinto beans and observes...
Curated OER
Apples and Apple Activities
Learners investigate apples. In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read a book about apples then compare and contrast, make graphs, distinguish between fact and fiction and work in groups. Learners...
Curated OER
Plants are Growing and Changing
Students explore living things. In this agriculture lesson plan, students read the book A Tree is a Plant and participate in an experiment to explore the patterns of change in living things. Students continue to observe the plant...
Curated OER
What's Special About Nonfiction?
Young scholars examine the difference between nonfiction and fictional writing. They identify the characteristics of nonfiction literature and examine how a nonfiction textbook organizes information.
Curated OER
Take the Lead — Get the Lead Out
Students research about the physiological effects of prolonged lead exposure. In this chemistry activity, students investigate the lead content of different paint, soil and water samples. They analyze data trends and share their findings...
Curated OER
We Garden: My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable
Students explore agriculture by participating in a role-play activity. For this farm to fork lesson, students ask and answer questions as though they were a specific plant about to be eaten. Students write responses to critical thinking...
Curated OER
Using a Matrix to Compare, Contrast, and Analyze Connections
Young scholars explore writing techniques by comparing fiction vs. non-fiction. In this literature analysis lesson plan, students read stories from Aesop's Fables and compare the themes and characters to stories from their own life....
Curated OER
Rainforest Introduction
First graders explore world geography by completing a KWL chart. In this rainforest research lesson, 1st graders read a fictional story discussing a boy who lives in the rainforest. Students analyze the story, identify the plot and...
Curated OER
Clustering
Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of clustering. In groups, they use their new science vocabulary words to put into a web or cluster. To end the lesson plan, they read a book related to electricity and write the definitions of...
Curated OER
CSAP Preparation: "Strike While the Iron is Hot"
Students survey several concepts in literature, science, history, and geography as a preparation for the CSAP standardized testing experience. This nine lesson unit provides exposure to the format and content of the test.