Perkins School for the Blind
Capture the Treasure
Did you ever play capture the flag? I did, and it was so much fun! Your learners with special needs, physical handicaps, or visual impairments can play a classic and highly engaging game with a few minor adaptations. The best part is,...
Perkins School for the Blind
What Do I Hear?
Being able to give positive reinforcers to a child starts with knowing what the child likes. Intended for children with blindness, this lesson gives you a way to determine the types of music your learners like best. You are given a...
Curated OER
Swing Your Partner!
This was written for ESOL learners, but could work for any elementary class. Learners read about the American dance style known as Square Dancing. They explore its use in literature, write a friendly letter about it, and then use their...
Curated OER
Lesson: Emory Douglas: Revolution in Our Time, Part 2
I love lessons like this because they let kids see the power of art, poetry, and activism in times of social injustice and unrest. They'll analyze the art used by Emory Douglas in the production of the Black Panther newspaper and...
Curated OER
Long Vowels
Now here is a great set of activities that will make learning about long vowel sounds a snap. The activities cover two days and include vowel identification, reading, and several great games. Kids will hunt for long vowel words, play...
Curated OER
Project-Based Learning and the Arts
What's so great about Project-Based learning? Read to learn how projects can help kids apply higher-order thinking skills, conduct thoughtful investigations, and make cross curricular connections. This short article includes five...
Curated OER
Introducing Vocabulary: Christopher Columbus (Weinberger)
The story of Christopher Columbus has fascinated young historians for centuries; use this vocabulary-in-context strategy to dive into Kimberly Weinberger's picture book about this classic explorer. Begin by introducing the new words:...
San Francisco Symphony
By the Great Horn Spoon!
By The Great Horn Spoon is a fantastic novel for introducing learners to life during the California Gold Rush. First, kids research and analyze American folk songs, then they connect to the text as they listen to symphonic pieces written...
Curated OER
Dodgeball Variations
Dodgeball has been beloved by schoolchildren for many years, but who would have thought there could be so many variations for this exciting and physically active game? Mix it up in your PE class and keep the adventure going with over 30...
Macmillan Education
A Wrinkle in Time Discussion and Activity Guide
As you work through Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, try out some or all of the 20 questions and activities included here. Useful for discussion questions, group assignments, or individual projects, this resource covers plot as...
Whitewater Valley Railroad
Teaching and Learning with The Polar Express
Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...
Illinois Elementary School Association
Improv Exercises
Here's an eight-page packet that describes 70 different improv activities to use as warm ups for drama classes.
Curated OER
This Is My Home
Students listen to a read aloud of Mary Ann Hoberman's A House Is a House for Me before discussing the meaning of habitats and the different types of homes that people live in. Next, they pretend to be architects and design a home for...
Curated OER
Genres, Genres Everywhere
Young readers assume the role of Genre Sleuths to investigate the characteristics of folktales, fantasies, and mysteries. For this session you will need to collect a variety of books on a topic you have been studying. Groups then examine...
Curated OER
Who Am I? - Brainstorming
Students brainstorm lists of places, events and relationships that define them. They search for clip art and pictures in magazines to illustrate the items on their list and create a graphic timeline of their lives.
Curated OER
Let's Travel to Mexico!
Students investigate and explore information about Mexico. They listen to a story, view an Internet video, write a page for a class book, and play an online Spanish word concentration game.
Curated OER
Heart Mobiles
A variation on classic Valentine's Day lessons that is sure to please, your elementary class construct heart mobiles using construction paper, string or yarn, hole punchers, foil, and pencils.
Curated OER
Who Am I?
Middle schoolers use a graphic organizer to brainstorm information about their lives. They utilize brainstorming techniques in a writing exercise, and create a graphic organizer describing their lives. They set personal goals for the...
Curated OER
Beautiful Birds
Students engage in a lesson that is about birds while taking part in a variety of activities that are like the following. They play a game that is used for increasing memory while using bird pictures. Students also create a collage with...
Curated OER
Over the Rivers and Through the Woods
Sixth graders examine the purpose of the keelboat used by the Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark expedition. They assess its strengths and weaknesses for navigating different rivers, and describe its overall purpose for the...
Curated OER
Take It Or Leave It
Third graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark, and discuss "needs" versus "wants". They listen to a story, plan for a journey like Lewis and Clark, create a list of supplies, and...
Curated OER
The Change of a River
Students explore changes in the Missouri River. In this Missouri River lesson, students discover that changes in the atmosphere cause changes in the river. Students search the Internet for information about the Missouri River and its...
Art Authority
Art Authority K-12
Image field trips to museums that display over 1000 major works of western art. Imagine no airfare, no long lines, and only one admission fee. Imagine viewing at your convenience, with your own private docent providing information about...
Curated OER
Long Division Methods
This resource provides learners with three different methods for solving long division problems. The same problem is used to show each of the methods, which include guess and check, repeated subtraction, and the classic method. This may...