ProCon
School Uniforms
Americans spend around one billion dollars each year on school uniforms, but are they necessary? As pupils research the debate topic, they form their own opinions. They review the history of school uniforms and discover the top pro and...
Primary Resources
8mm Handwriting Template
It's a handwriting template that is perfect for intermediate learners; the smaller size allows for practice in using regular lined paper. However, it offers a dotted middle guideline to help remind writers about spacing and letter...
K12 Reader
Swooping Seagull
Take a dramatic trip to the beach with a narrative writing prompt. Kids examine a picture of a seagull stealing food from a man at the beach, and write a short story from either the seagull's or the man's perspective.
PreKinders
Wild Animal Word Cards
Take a walk on the wild side with a set of animal vocabulary cards! Each card includes a picture of an animal and its name in large print for kids to read.
Reading Resource
Going to the Movies (Basic Code Sentences)
Take a pretend trip to the movies with a series of basic code sentences. Images of movie tickets, popcorn buckets, and movie cameras award learners varying amounts of points for each sentence that they can successfully read.
Curated OER
5th Grade Historical Fiction: Solder's Letter
A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a single word can go a long way as well. Practice making inferences about character traits with a letter written from the perspective of a soldier in the American Revolution.
National Institute for Literacy
Making Sense of Decoding and Spelling
Go over digraphs, vowel sounds, and affixes with a series of decoding and spelling lessons. Each lesson guides learners through a different reading and phonics skill, building on the lesson before, and challenging them with each step.
ReadWriteThink
Concept Map
When you think of one topic, related ideas and details invariably follow. That's concept mapping! Jot down ideas with a straightforward graphic organizer that works both electronically and as a printed resource.
Reed Novel Studies
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Novel Study
Are there secret worlds? The four children in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe answer the imaginative question when they discover a magical land in a wardrobe. Scholars read the first chapter to match vocabulary words and...
Curated OER
Goddesses Are Personifications Too!
Young scholars explore the use of personification as a way of expressing ideals. They transfer this understanding to the present by creating an allegorical depiction of a contemporary ideal or value inspired by precedents in the...
Curated OER
Isn't It Romantic?
Sixth graders investigate the ideas, literature, music, and art of the Romantic Movement. They apply romantic ideals to their original writing and art, analyze poetry, discuss key vocabulary, and analyze artwork from this era.
Curated OER
Create Your Own COMMUNITY
Students discuss "their community" and the elements they have chosen to include in their ideal community by presenting to the class a collage of ideas incorporating the ideas presented by the instructional activity rubric.
Curated OER
Substance Abuse Prevention
Students evaluate the impact of substance use and abuse in society and the workplace. They identify support services in the workplace which deal with substance abuse. They create an "ideal" policy statement governing substance abuse in a w
Curated OER
Members Only
Students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of private communities and the lives led by their residents. They design ideal planned communities for people featured in other Class Matters articles.
Curated OER
Somewhere Under the Rainbow--The Romantic Period in British Literature
Students create 2-3 poems, a children's story, or a two or three dimensional piece of art. In this Romantic Period lesson, students discuss the historical background of the Romantic Period and relevant literary terms. ...
Curated OER
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Fact, Fiction, and Artistic License
Students examine The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. In this visual arts instructional activity, students study the historical significance of the event as they examine the Grant Wood painting and primary sources regarding the event.
Curated OER
Rhythmic Expression
Young scholars discover movement and expression to music/sound through a series of teacher-led exercises and role plays. This instructional activity is ideal for the middle school drama class with possibilities for adaptation to any...
Curated OER
Community Symbols: Heroes and Leaders
Students research the importance of community leaders in portraits. In this art history lesson plan, students look at the painting "The Ascension of Simon Bolivar on Mount Jamaica" and discuss what they see in the portrait. Students...
Curated OER
New Zealand South Island Fault Model
Students explore world geography by creating a scientific model in class. In this New Zealand lesson, students research the geography and fault lines of the South Island in New Zealand. Students utilize foam board, arts and crafts and a...
Curated OER
Wish Boxes
I love these are lesson ideas! Young artists practice the art of Calligraphy and Origami. They make gift boxes with good wishes. This plan includes an excellent component that shows exactly how to fold the paper in order to make the box,...
Curated OER
The Ideal Home
Fifth graders design their ideal home. In this ideal home activity, 5th graders illustrate and describe their ideal home. Students present visuals to their classmates. Lesson is part of a unit.
Curated OER
Rice Wreaths
Students create rice and glue holiday wreaths in this Art activity ideal for the 1st or 2nd grade. The activity can be adapted for older or younger students and includes an ingredient list and step-by-step directions for siccessful...
Curated OER
What's Right and Wrong? Moral Messages in Art
Young scholars explore the Steen and Mount paintings and their presentation of moral issues. They discuss ethical debates in society today and write a short position paper on an issue raised by the paintings or in the discussion. They...
Curated OER
Hoot: Vocabulary: Magic Squares
Define words with numbers in a fun vocabulary activity. Using words from Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, learners use a grid to match words and their definitions, and to find the magic number that is the same when the numbers are added from...