Curated OER
What is a Friend? A Multimedia Approach to Comprehension
First graders identify and discuss the characteristics of a good friend. They read the book "Just My Friend" by Mercer Mayer, and watch the videos "My Wet Pet" and "The Berenstein Bears: Road Race." Students identify the friend...
Curated OER
Mental Images in Reading Comprehension
Students use textual clues to create mental images and interpret characters moods and actions. They visualize the setting, characters and events.
Curated OER
Stories of Hope: Dragonfly and Mosquito
Students identify and interpret the value of the dragonfly as a predator of the mosquito. They create their own folktales using the dragonfly or a creature of their choice to solve the malaria problem or another issue. Students also...
Curated OER
Fittest of the Survivors
students consider the reality television show 'Survivor' as a means to contemplate what it means to be a survivor. They create fictional characters and explore how different personal qualities would help and hinder their success on...
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Women in History: Research for Expository Writing
After reading an excerpt from Amelia Earhart's autobiography, The Fun of It, learners explore various nonfiction resources about her life and write a short newspaper article on a specific event. They then develop a longer piece of...
Curated OER
R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find Out What is Means To Us!
Learners, while discussing and brainstorming all they already know about the concept of respect, create and illustrate the concept of respect through an acrostic poem. They assess what respect looks and sounds like at school and then...
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Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram for Briar Rose
Compare and contrast the characters of Gemma and Becca from Briar Rose. Using a Venn diagram (not included but easy to create), readers will explore the characters. Not much direction or explanation is included here.
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PowerPoint Short Story Report
Learners make a Microsoft PowerPoint report from a short story read in class. They summarize and paraphrase a short story identifying the six story elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, solution, tone/mood.
Curated OER
It's in the Elements - Lesson Four
Young scholars compare and contrast story elements in two versions of Cinderella. In this literature elements lesson plan, students are read two different versions of Cinderella, they identify the characters, plot, and setting, then...
Curated OER
Final Crucible Project Options
Finding and/or designing a menu of equally weighted synthesizing projects to end a unit can be a challenge. Simplify the task with this menu of individual and group projects meant to accompany a study of The Crucible. Presentations,...
Curated OER
Nonfiction Genre Mini-Unit: Persuasive Writing
Should primary graders have their own computers? Should animals be kept in captivity? Young writers learn how to develop and support a claim in this short unit on persuasive writing.
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The Name Jar
Students participate in a lesson that focuses on the literature of Korea. "The Name Jar" is read by students to practice some essential reading skills. This would include the recognition of sequence in a story, characterization, and...
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Compassion
Students discuss respect, responsibility, and honesty, and participate in a project that reaches beyond the classroom.
Curated OER
Cooperation Tag
Students brainstorm a definition for the word cooperation. As a class, they participate in a game in which they try to avoid the taggers. In groups, they surround a tag classmate and help them get to safety. To end the instructional...
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Out of the Dust
Seventh graders read a book of poems called "Out of the Dust". In groups, they research the Dust Bowl and how it affected people living through the Great Depression. Using the text, they identify the theme and key turning points and...
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Journalism Career Pathway Unit
Students explore a career in journalism while using various forms of technology; such as, distance learning via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and the Internet. They have the opportunity to create a final project that is based...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin Franklin’s Community Contributions
Students research Benjamin Franklin's community contributions. In this social studies lesson plan, students create a collage showing things they can do to improve their communities.
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The Experience of Diary Writing
Students read sections of Mackenzie King's diary. King was the Prime Minister of Canada during WWII. They relate the importance of keeping a diary.
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Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction
Students read examples of mysteries and detective fiction. With a focus on Sherlock Holmes, they are introduced to the techniques for reading properly. In groups, they define new vocabulary, make predictions and summarize the stories. ...
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Game Plans
Students consider the online game Neopets as a springboard to developing the characters, settings and plots for online fantasy games. They draft technical plans that describe how their games be presented and played on the We
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Determining Importance
Middle schoolers observe pieces of art and look for the principle story the artwork portrays. They compare the techniques artists and authors use to focus on and support these essential stories. They create a piece of art that portrays a...
Curated OER
Event in Time
Students, after describing and identifying a variety of major consequences and sequences of major historical events and developments in American History, create a mobile on a specific event in history. They follow specific instructions...
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Inspired by Muses, Graces and Fates
Young scholars examine how artists express the Muses through the arts. In this art and history lesson, students work cooperatively to identify the Greek Muses, Graces and the Fates. Young scholars will identify the attributes of each,...
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Chain Together A Book Report
Individuals examine a book's components, including key events, characters, and vocabulary and develop "chain book reports" with their peers. Strips of paper containing the book's important events are staples together and hung.