Curated OER
Identify and Write About Cause and Effect Relationships
Students write news reports about current issues. In this writing skills lesson, students report about the weight epidemic in the United States as they focus on fast food consumption and how it relates to poor health.
Curated OER
At the Crayon Factory: high frequency and spelling words
After reading the story At The Crayon Factory learners complete 4 different language arts activities. They write spelling and high frequency words, fill in the blanks to sentences, answer short answer questions, and write...
Curated OER
What's In a Noun: Grammar and Usage
Nine lessons in a grammar and usage unit provide endless opportunities for drill and practice. Topics include the four types of sentences, subject and predicates, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs and prepositions, conjunctions...
Curated OER
Right on Time
The hour is nigh for your class to practice equivalency problems in the form of time-zone conversions. They write equations to describe elapsed time and apply problem solving strategies, including writing a plan, to solve the problems.
Curated OER
Magical Creatures Land
The opening of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit provides a model of how to use rich details to create a setting. After reading the description of Bilbo Baggins’ abode, young writers create their own magical home for a fantasy creature. The...
Curated OER
Consumer Scams
Letter writing may be outdated but it's a great way to practice English conventions, grammar, and spelling. The class researches consumer scams, then writes a letter about them. They each choose a scam to write about paying close...
National Woman's History Museum
Anne Hutchinson: Foremother of the American Women’s Movement
Many learners may be familiar with the legacy of figures such as Susan B. Anthony, but what about Anne Hutchinson? Hutchinson was a lesser-known woman who spoke up to patriarchal figures in colonial America, leading to her banishment....
Curated OER
Teacher of the Year
Now is the time to identify the great teachers in your school! Discuss the characteristics of persuasive writing and analyze an example. Then, each pupil chooses a teacher who they feel should be named teacher of the year. They plan and...
Curated OER
Spooky Analysis
Focus on building suspense as well as evaluating web sites through creative writing. After introducing the idea of suspense and holding a discussion, class members complete a WebQuest, during which they find inspiration for their own...
Curated OER
Sand Castle: Lesson 29
The story Sand Castle is the basis for each of the four learning activities found on this activity. Learners will write spelling words, fill in the blanks, compose sentences, and answer comprehension questions relating to the story....
Curated OER
Hard C and Soft C
Learners categorize different words that contain a hard c and a soft c. In this hard and soft c lesson plan, students also pick words from each of the categories and write a story with those words.
San José State University
How to Recognize and Eliminate Passive Voice
This handout presents the appropriate times to use the active voice and the passive voice with examples and a short exercise. After reading through the information and examples, pupils transform passive sentences into active sentences.
A...
Novelinks
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Herber Readiness Activity
What does it mean to be alone and isolated? What would you do if you were all alone in a strange place? Kids ponder these questions as they prepare to read Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Curated OER
Discovering Saturn, The Real "Lord of the Rings"
Reading, writing, and rings! A lesson from NASA combines space science with authentic reading and writing tasks. Included in this lesson are pre-reading activities, four mini informational booklets on Saturn, a structured...
Curated OER
The Achievements and Challenges of Zimbabwe
Here is an excellent set of five short lessons and activities intended to help learners not only gain an understand of current issues in Africa, but build critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, expository writing, research, and...
Curated OER
Bring Sports Inside the Classroom
Research sports to foster an interest in afterschool engagement, and see your students grow more creative and focused.
Curated OER
Myths, Folktales, & Fairy Tales
Introduce the concept of myths to your class. Using the link to "Myths Around the World," read a story aloud and have learners list characteristics of a myth. Readers then choose their own myths from the site and work in groups to answer...
Curated OER
Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Learners participate in a variety of emergent and early-literacy activities based on a "friendship" theme. Learners listen to the book Do You Want to Be My Friend by Eric Carle, then echo read, choral read, and independently read...
ReadWriteThink
Style-Shifting: Examining and Using Formal and Informal Language Styles
Your high schoolers are probably versed in two languages: formal language, and informal conversation. Help them identify the correct language style for their audience and context with a thorough lesson and examples of different speech...
Curated OER
The Little Red Hen
Young readers access prior knowledge of how wheat becomes bread. Using "The Little Red Hen" story, learners make predictions of the events. Extension activities include singing a song about the story and making a list of...
Curated OER
Great Expectations: DRTA Strategy
A Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy for Great Expectations scaffolds and guides readers as they begin Dicken's novel. Step-by-step directions are provided, as are chapter one pair-share questions, a prediction worksheet,...
Curated OER
Home Smart Home
How smart is your home? Middle and high schoolers write a journal entry describing the types of technology found in their homes. After reading an article, they are introduced to "smart" home technology. In groups, they identify and...
Curated OER
What Makes a Seed Breathe Faster?
Here's a five-star lesson plan in which inquisitors conduct sophisticated experimentation with cellular respiration in plant seeds. Placing seeds in a closed system they measure the amount carbon dioxide produced and relate it to...
Curated OER
Redistricting: Drawing the Lines
Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They...