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Sampling the American Dream
Students, after viewing a variety of different and unique websites, write a short paragraph on each one that describes their reactions to specific information on unfamiliar subjects. They react to each website as personally as they can.
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Mapping My Pathway
Eighth graders create career portfolios, speak with the school counselor, and develop and educational plan. Individually, 8th graders discuss career options and how an educational plan can assist them in future goals. They explore...
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Analyzing My Path to Success
Seventh graders review their graphs from the previous lesson about trends. Individually, they identify their personal strengths and weaknesses when it comes to being successful. To end the lesson, they use this information to write a...
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The Eye of the Camera
Students practice making summary statements and drawing conclusions. They observe ten photographs relating to Texas history and develop a statement about each. Then they compile their single statements into a summary that represents the...
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3R Activity (Reading-Relating-Responding)
Young scholars read for detail. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read a passage and share their thoughts with a small group. Young scholars reflect upon the passage and develop an oral summary of the text.
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Shakespeare: Henry V - Writing Task
Pairs of pupils choose a person who they consider to be a hero. They research that person, develop a speech, and deliver it to the class in hopes of persuading them that this person really is a hero. A vote is taken after the...
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Preparing Arguments
Pupils review the information from the previous lesson on persuasion essays. In groups, they brainstorm a list of arguments to use to support their trip to Six Flags. They also develop counterarguments and gather information to put them...
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Maps with a "Spin"
Learners, in groups, research and map the effects of a proposed airport three miles outside of town. They prepare a presentation based on a set of maps they make and explains its different points of view from the viewpoints of the town...
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More Details and Transitions
Provide young learners with the terrific transitions handout attached here. As a group, discuss the importance of putting ideas in an order that is easy to understand. Although this activity is designed to follow a writing activity from...
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All Around the Neighborhood - Part 3
Second graders illustrate the roles, responsibilities, and skills of community members and write a paragraph that summarizes the importance of those roles, responsibilities, and skills. They are asked: "What is a role?" Students are...
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Me and My Job Shadow, Part 1
Third graders identify the skills that are important in performing helper jobs in the school and the skills that are possessed personally by them. They write a short paragraph to summarize the information taught about top three job...
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Classification and Binomial Nomenclature
Students practice identifying different groups of living organisms using a dichotomous key. Students also examine the history of an organism and its lineage by writing a paragraph about it and "three generations" of ancestors.
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The Periodic Table
In this periodic table worksheet, learners complete a paragraph containing facts about the periodic table by filling in 18 terms from a word list.
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Saving the Past for the Future
Students discuss an archaeological dilemma. They write a paragraph about possible solutions to the problem.
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Main Idea and Supporting Details
Second graders write topic sentences. In this writing lesson, 2nd graders construct a paragraph consisting of a topic sentence and 2-4 additional sentences. Students analyze their writing and publish a final copy.
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Sandwich Chart
Students fill in the blanks on a writing instructional activity to create ideas for a five paragraph essay. Each blank needs to be filled in to create a "sandwich" essay which includes a topic sentence, the paragraphs with supporting...
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Comprehension: Identify the Main Idea from Text
Children in first grade listen and read along with the teacher to practice main idea identification. They use the provided reading passages to read, locate the main idea and supporting details. This is a fully scripted lesson which means...
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Basic Guide to Writing an Essay
Introducing your class to essay writing? The gentle tone, concise explanations, and clear examples provided by a 17-slide presentation introduces young writers to the expository essay format. All that's missing is a complete essay with...
Polk Bros Foundation
Illustration Planner
One way to help your pupils more fully understand an idea from the text they are reading is to require them to draw or sketch the concept. This page provides some space to plan the details your students want to include in their...
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What's the Big Idea
Discuss the concept of main idea in a story or other reading material. Middle schoolers identify the main idea in a passage using a technique that eliminates unnecessary words not relevant to the main idea.
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Finding the Main Idea: Little Women
Whether or not your class is reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, you can use this exercise as the basis of a mini-lesson on how to determine the main idea of a passage or as a pre-test to assess mastery of the skill. A graphic...
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The Learning Network: Fill-In Super Bowl Ads
A possible high-interest activity for the ESL classroom, this online resource has learners complete a fill in the blank exercise about advertisements during the Super Bowl. Coupled with a related article entitled "Before the Toss, Super...
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The Learning Network: Fill In 2011 Commencement Speeches
Meant to be used with the article "Words of Wisdom" also available on the New York Times website, this resource contains a fill in the blank exercise where learners complete the article by supplying missing words. Use words from the word...
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Main Idea and Supporting Details
Readers use an "Idea Tree" graphic organizer to discern the main idea and supporting details of several passages included in this presentation. The three passages offer opportunities for guided and independent practice.