Curated OER
Apply Post-Reading Skills and Discuss Persuasive Text
Students put their reading comprehension skills to practice. In this interpreting text instructional activity, students read "Chief Red Jacket's Reply," and then respond to questions that require them to reason, infer, and analyze the...
Curated OER
Symbolism in Poetry and Fiction
Students examine the use of symbolism in literature. For this literary elements lesson, students discuss the attributes of symbolism. Students then read selected Cinderella stories and "The Fall of the House of Usher," and identify the...
Curated OER
Identify and Evaluate Problem-Solving Processes and Solutions
Students identify a problem, the process by which it is solved, and the solution in a piece of literature.  In this problem solving lesson, students read a nonfiction passage and use a think-pair-share strategy to identify the...
Curated OER
Figurative Language and Symbolism
Young scholars identify figurative language and symbolism in poetry as well as prose. In this literary elements lesson, students read and discuss the role of symbolism in Yellow Man by Moonlight, A Christmas Carl, The House of Wings, and...
Curated OER
Reader's Theater, Get Ready
Students recognize what features make a play. In this reader's theater lesson, students read the play Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria told by Aaron Shepard and determine what features make this a play and what the author's purpose was.
Curated OER
Introduction to Digestion: What Happens to a Hamburger?
Students explore the human body by analyzing how food is absorbed. In this food digestion lesson, students utilize health vocabulary terms by participating in a guessing game activity. Students discuss their own eating habits and conduct...
Curated OER
Note-Taking
Students take notes and summarize information. For this communication lesson, students summarize information by taking notes using the various methods that their instructor presents to them.
Curated OER
An Introduction to Poetry Using Color
Middle schoolers complete a variety of poems that focus on many different literary techniques and styles. As part of this experience, students share their portfolios with adults in the school and at home.
Curated OER
Rock and Poetry: A Thematic Project
Students explore poetry. In this literature lesson, students examine music and lyrics by Natalie Merchant in order to make the transition to analyzing poetry by Keats and Wordsworth.
Curated OER
Native Americans
First graders explore the lifestyles of several North American tribes. They investigate about the homes, food, transportation, and daily living habits of each tribe. Pupils use a map to locate several Native American tribes in North...
Curated OER
When I Was Puerto Rican
Learners are read passages from When I Was Puerto Rican and asked to respond to the passages in their journals. They decide on a topic for researching and they use this topic to develop their own memoirs.
Curated OER
Two Vowels Making one Sound
First graders become word detectives and find words with the vowel combinations: "ee" and "ai". In this phonics lesson, 1st graders read the words they find and create pictionaries of the words read.
Curated OER
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Notes
Students listen to classical music and create a listening map for each piece. In this classical music lesson, students select a piece of classical music and create a visual map for the piece. Students set their pictures to music in a...
Curated OER
Two Haiku
Eighth graders, in pairs, discuss what they already know about Haiku poetry.  They try to remember the rules, history, and focus of traditional Japanese Haiku.  they read more examples of Haiku and then write and illustrate their own...
Curated OER
Reader's Theater
Learners perform a reader's theater. In this analyzing text lesson students perform Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria, a play by Aaron Shepard.  The learners are assessed on their performance.
Curated OER
Comparing Two Books
Second graders compare and contrast The Hat and Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothes. In this connections lesson, 2nd graders read two books and discuss their similarities and differences. 
Curated OER
Examine Persuasive Elements by Reading, Analyzing, and Discussing Persuasive Text
Learners identify persuasive strategies and analyze arguments. In this persuasive writing lesson plan, students read "Chief Red Jacket's Reply" and "Reverend Cram's Speech to the Iroquois Nation" and chart major elements of each...
Curated OER
Assessment and Evaluation
Students model creating level appropriate lesson plans. Using a matrix, students develop a lesson plan with various technological resources. Students videotape their presentation and write a self narrative reflection evaluation.
Curated OER
Autobiographical Postage Stamp
Students design a postage stamp that communicates to the world who they are, what they hope to be, what they are good at, and factual information. They use, "My Great Aunt Arizona" by Gloria Houston as a model for a biography.
Curated OER
Hickory Dickory Dock Webquest
Pupils listen to and read nursery rhymes. They discuss rhyming words. Students play a variety of computer games with rhymes, numbers and telling time. They retell the story through dramatic play, speech, and comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Same, But Different
Students compare and contrast specific characters in the book, "Old Henry." They discuss similarities and differences between people and define character traits. They assess one's own character traits and have a class discussion about...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of Butterflies
Learners identify ways plants and animals make changes related to the seasons, specifically focusing on the life cycle of butterflies.
Curated OER
Writing Expository Paragraphs
Students read Arthur's Pet Business and  complete a pre-writing worksheet for expository writing.  In this paragraph writing lesson, students gather and organize material for a paragraph about pets.
Curated OER
A Journey To Japan Through Poetry
Third graders gain an appreciation for writing, analyzing, reading and listening to poetry, viewing poems as a motivation for studying Japanese culture and tradition. They study and create their own haiku and tanka poems with illustrations.