Curated OER
The Eighty Yard Run
Learners read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. In this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Learners develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty Yard Run.
Curated OER
Identifying Author’s Purpose and Viewpoint in Nonfiction Text
Why do people write books? Pupils discover how to identify the author's viewpoint. They read non-fiction passages their instructor selects (the plan has the class look at nonfiction children's picture books), and then identify the...
Curated OER
Visualize and Draw to Increase Comprehension
Improve readers' comprehension with a pair of visualization opportunities. First they listen, eyes closed, as you read a description from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, and discuss ideas about what they "see." After you read...
Curated OER
Choosing Words Carefully
Use literacy tools to select precise vocabulary. High schoolers respond to discussion questions that require them to consider the denotation and connotation of words. They then read non-fiction passages and identify words in the passages...
Curated OER
Drama-Dialogue
Use drama to study and practice dialogue. Creative minds discuss what dialogue tells about a character, and how it can be used to advance the plot. They read a play, think about what they gleaned from dialogue, and record their...
Curated OER
Identify Text Features in Nonfiction
What does a non-fiction text look like? Examine the text features of non-fiction. Middle and high schoolers read non-fiction passages provided by their instructor and analyze the texts for word choice, details, and organization.
Curated OER
Primary Sources: Diaz and Cortes
Provided are two descriptions, both from famous Spanish explorers. Pupils read each passage and then answer 2 inference questions based on how they think each description shows what Cortes and Diaz felt about the Aztecs. Show images of...
Curated OER
Meaty Words
Headlines from newspapers launch a discussion of image-rich, meaty words. Just as headline writers choose vivid vocabulary to attract readers, young writers develop headlines that capture the essence of a passage from a book they are...
Curated OER
Seasonal Poetry Reflective Journal
Pull quotes from a text and craft responses to the quotes you chose. First, read a short excerpt from Mary Claire Wilfert's oral history. Then, read the contemporary poem "Robert's Cove," pulling quotes and writing responses as...
Curated OER
Understanding the Compass
Young geographers view an excellent description of how compasses work, then work in partners to make a compass of their own. There is a heavy religious component in this activity; for example, as closure, the teacher reads a verse from...
Curated OER
The Truth About Bats
Students read information about bats in an encyclopedia. They discuss the different myths associated with the animal. They answer questions about the reading passage to end the lesson.
Curated OER
The Use of Language in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
Readers of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are asked to craft an essay in which they compare how Maya Angelou uses figurative language to depict herself and Mrs. Flowers.
Curated OER
Identifying Text Features of a Self-Written Fable
Make learning the parts of a book fun by having pupils construct their own glossary entries, table of contents, and title page. Beginning with a review of text features and a hunt for examples, kids use previously written fables to...
KIPP 3D Academy
Epic Poetry Unit
The Odyssey is the core text in this unit study of the hero's journey motif. Along the way, kids research Greek and Roman history, mythology, art, and epic poetry. The 104-page packet is perfect for homeschool or classroom situations and...
Curated OER
Phonics: Long Vowel O and Silent E
In this long vowel o and silent e worksheet, students read four descriptive passages and choose the multiple choice answer that fits the descriptive passages. Students circle their answers.
Curated OER
Using Text Features
Fourth graders read a nonfiction story that is presented to them with graphic features, and presented to them with only the text. In this text features lesson, 4th graders decide what the benefits of text organizers are and create...
Curated OER
The Power of Words in "Charlotte's Web"
Students analyze the text in Charlotte's Web. In this language arts lesson, students dissect the passages from Charlotte's Web, specifically the adjectives Charlotte used to describe Wilbur. Finally, students play a game using "word...
Curated OER
Sequencing
Young scholars consider how cause and effect translate into sequencing in literary works. In this sequencing lesson, students read non-fiction passages about Eleanor Roosevelt and Clara Barton. Young scholars complete graphic organizers...
Curated OER
Tapping into the Experiences of Senior Citizens
Through casual talk and structured interviews, 6th graders tap into the wealth of their senior pals' experiences. They write descriptive essays and narratives based on conversations with relatives or neighbors. They read selected...
Curated OER
The Diary of Anne Frank-Clash of the Clans
Middle schoolers read selected passages from The Diary of Anne Frank. They, in groups, discuss the television / movie characters and create character webs involving these characters and those in the Anne Frank book.
Curated OER
Focus on Me
First graders create a "Focus on Me" book of photographs and narrative passages about themselves. They focus on the traits that make each of them special. They become a VIP for a day in order to share the books.
Curated OER
Valentines Day - Elementary
In this ELL instructional activity, students match 6 definitions with pictures and then write the word each definition and picture represents. Students read a passage with pictures in place of missing words and then answer 5 fill in the...
Curated OER
Narrative Collage
Students use a book or passage for their inspiration to create a narrative collage. They need to illustrate the action or the setting.
Smithsonian Institution
For Land's Sake: George Washington as Land Surveyor
Students discuss the importance of land ownership and the purpose of land surveying in the eighteenth century. They interpret a transcript of an eighteenth-century land survey. They survey and area of land. They create a written or...