MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Book Review Writing: a Guide for Young Reviewers
Encourage scholars to share their love of reading with informative and engaging book reviews. Here, you'll find a series of guides that walk learners through the review writing process. Included in the collection is information about...
College Board
Reading—Central Idea and Evidence
Young readers become experts at finding the central idea in informational text with an educational resource. The resource includes helpful tips to annotating close passages to succeed on the actual SAT exam, as well as strategies to make...
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 9 - Contractions
Is it do'nt or don't? How about doesn't or does'nt? A lesson on contractions helps learners identify, form, and use contractions. Components within the plan include direct instruction on decoding and encoding contractions, as well as...
Curated OER
Mandy
Third graders read Barbara D. Booth's, "Mandy" while noting each time they read a sensory detail. They read about the young girl in the story who is hard of hearing and determine how her other senses are heightened. Also, they determine...
Curated OER
Circus Lesson
Students take part in group entertainment activities. In this circus lesson, students discuss their own memories of a circus and conduct several activities such as juggling scarves and creating balloon animals. Students discuss why...
Curated OER
Chocolate and Ice Cream Across the Curriculum
Sixth graders in a special education class discuss excerpts of two stories and read biographical information on the authors. In groups, they read the full text of both stories and try to solve the mystery as they read. They practice...
Curated OER
Sentence Train
Students in a special needs classroom practice making sentences. Using a graphic organizer, they compose sentences using an article, adjective, noun, verb and adverb. They use the idea of a train to help them make complete sentences.
Curated OER
Alphabetizing Words
Students practice alphabetizing words. For this alphabetical order lesson, students say words and look at the beginning letter to put them in order. This lesson is geared towards special education and comes with a worksheet.
Curated OER
Do We Need a Permanenet International Criminal Court?: War Crimes, Violence, International Law and Politics, Nuremberg
In this lesson, students explore the history, relevance and current application of international tribunals for war crimes. Students look at cases from the Nuremberg trials, Tokyo trials and the Bosnian War.
Curated OER
Journalism in War Time: What Does the Public Need to Know?
Students view the film "War Feels Like War" about journalist's experiences in the Iraqi War and discuss the role of journalism in war. They evaluate different media sources for war reporting and determine the questions they want to see...
Curated OER
Speech/Language Scavenger Hunt
A good idea. To build both speech and social skills special ed students go on a scavenger hunt. They locate people around the school and say a series of words, when they say the words correctly they receive a prize. They also ask for...
Curated OER
I Am Special, You Are Special Too #2
After being read a story, the students attempt to identify one individual difference, and one thing about themselves that is similar to other students in the class and one thing that makes them special. For the art lesson, students...
Curated OER
Specializing in Space
In this literature book review activity, learners read a nonfiction book about space or space exploration before choosing a topic to explore further. They choose from 7 activities such as designing a model, writing a letter, write about...
Curated OER
Non-Verbal Communication
Many developmentally disabled students struggle with accurately conveying messages and interpreting those of others around them, especially when they are non-verbal. This instructional activity contains fun activities and exercises, such...
Curated OER
Kids' Bread Restaurant
Students use technology as a tool for learning. They work together on a special project.
Curated OER
Introduction to Victorian Valentines
Students explore the history of Valentine's Day and how paper valentines became a tradition in Victorian times. Using a photo organizer, they select photos using tags. They use a software program to create a special image for their...
Curated OER
Asking Shows Respect for Privacy of Others
Fourth graders explore how to hold conversations and respect the privacy of others. They discuss why it is important to ask those in authority for help and to respect others' belongings. They review signs they have observed in public and...
Curated OER
Taxi: A Book Of City Words
First graders engage in a literature study that helps them to focus on the concepts of goods and services. They describe the various skills people may need at home, school, and work. Students create a map of businesses found in the city.
Curated OER
Writing Bug - A New Holiday
What we need is another day off! Pupils use a one-page worksheet to present their ideas for a new holiday celebration. After choosing a name and date, they describe how the holiday would be observed and what people would do to celebrate...
Curated OER
Origami Ducks: Geometry, Listening, and Following Directions
Make origami ducks with your class to reinforce geometry concepts and vocabulary; develop fine motor and visual translation skills; and enrich study of Japanese culture, the pond habitat, or migration. Create a whole group "worksheet"...
Curated OER
Create a Book on Tape
Learners of all ages record themselves reading their favorite books with accuracy and feeling. They must read with sound effects and consider the audience for whom the tape is being made. They are assessed based on the quality of their...
Curated OER
Storytelling in the Classroom
What makes story telling special? Young readers demonstrate how to tell a story to others. Kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders read biographies of "Building Blocks" characters and tell a story about a character to their...
Curated OER
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia
Connecting to literature and learning how to infer are two great reading strategies everyone needs to know. Here, the class will read along with the story The Miracle of the First Poinsettia, review folktales as a genre, and make...
Curated OER
Illustrated Dictionary
Students make an illustrated dictionary of words they've used and learned in class. In this vocabulary instructional activity, students find words from their notes, discuss the words in a group, select the best words as a class, and...