The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...

Students consider how cause and effect translate into sequencing in literary works. In this sequencing instructional activity, students read non-fiction passages about Eleanor Roosevelt and Clara Barton. Students complete graphic...

First graders examine the significance of the American bison to the American Indians of the Great Plains. They create a story in pictographs in the style of American Indians of the Plains.

Third graders view different genres of literature and identify which genre is being presented to them. In this genres lesson plan, 3rd graders choose from fiction, non fiction, and a poem.

Students listen to the reading of a book about the area of science they are currently studying.

A fabulous instructional activity which combines mathematics with space science. Middle schoolers work in cooperative groups in order to research early astronauts and their accomplishments. They look at a variety of rocket and space...

Fifth graders analyze pieces of writing to identify the author's purpose of writing. In this writing lesson, 5th graders consider a variety of pieces of writing such as, poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. Each student completes an...

Students practice relating non-fiction to knowledge they already have on the subject. They evaluate differences in the types of text structrures in non-fiction. They employ a review strategy that allows them to understand their reading.

Third graders use prior knowledge of fairy tales and fables to create a literature tree map. They categorize literature as fiction or nonfiction and use bubble maps to show features.

Who was Walt Whitman, and what link does he have to president Abraham Lincoln?  After Lincoln's assassination, Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain!" This poem and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" are the focus of...

Fourth graders read the book Because of Winn Dixie and define the characters, setting, and plot. For this Winn Dixie lesson plan, 4th graders also identify quality water management techniques addressed in the story.

"Three Stones Back," a passage from Matt de la Pena's best-seller, Ball Don't Lie, allows readers to practice their close reading skills as they compare the passage to an information text about wealth inequality. 

Fifth graders investigate the significance of the keelboat in the Lewis and Clark expedition. They define the key themes of the expedition and classify them in prescribed format, an ABC book.

First graders use skills to collect, organize, and interpret data. They compare and contrast two stories, Make Way for Ducklings and Chibi: A True Story From Japan. Students create a duckling.

Students recognize the elements needed to create a comic strip. In this comic strip lesson, student understand that comic strips need words and pictures. Students find differences and similarities in comic strips. Students describe how...

What is a signal word? Recognizing these words is an important step in both reading and writing formal text. Review a list of signal words (provided and organized into specific categories), and then have your class play a game to...

First graders read and discuss several stories. They share information about different types of shelter around the world. They explain that lifestyles and shelter depend very much on where people live and how they use the resources...

Pupils analyze primary source documents and evaluate historical evidence to find consequences of the policies that were adopted from the 1830s to today regarding Native American Indians.

Students examine Seventeen Magazine's America's Sweetheart contest and one of their finalists by reading about Sunia Arif and what made Seventeen choose her. Students then write a 300-word essay about what would make them or someone they...

Students study about Jessica Gaulke, a beauty queen from Minnesota. She is then deployed to Iraq with the National Guard unit she is in. They have to role play her and react to what they think they would feel if they were in her shoes.

Students examine how some city halls around the country are using private companies to run them. After watching a video, they write a reaction paper to some part of it. They write an article for their school newspaper discussing whether...

Students read about Kent State's ongoing support for Hurricane Katrina victims by building and auctioning off playhouses for children. They create an ad for the playhouses, including a headline and some copy (words) plus visuals that...

First graders recognize words associated with recycling. In this environmental lesson, 1st graders go through the alphabet and think of words associated with recycling that start with a letter. Students create a recycling ABC book.

Children learn to read and comprehend non-fiction text and explore how to relate non-fiction texts to things they already know. They then examine how to stop and think about what they are reading repeatedly to make sure they understand...