"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own...

Here is a unit designed to support English language development. Scholars speak, move, and write to learn more about topics that focus on community and local concepts. The series of lessons aids to reinforce concepts...

Smart Solutions is the theme of a unit created to meet the needs of English language earners. Through a series of lessons, scholars follow a routine—move, speak, and listen— to cover topics including stores, shops, celebrations, pets,...

Show your class how to use a dictionary and teach class members vocabulary related to space travel along the way. Pupils must place vocabulary words that pertain to space travel between the correct dictionary guide words. Next,...

Develop study skills and improve spelling at the same time. Every time I teach this mnemonic device, the kids thank me. It makes memorizing more manageable, and fun. To remember how to spell difficult words, make up a sentence using...

Students use a database as a vocabulary resource during writing/reading. They preview stories and list unknown works into their reading notebooks. Students find the definitions, and enter their words into a database using a teacher...

Students discover the benefits of kind acts by dissecting the word itself.  In this vocabulary lesson, students utilize the letters in the word "kindness" to create other words which they record.  Students figure out what...

Middle schoolers answer seven analogy questions using their problem solving and vocabulary skills to discover how various words are related. Pupils are encouraged to use a dictionary as needed.

Students explore how to use the dictionary. They practice finding words in the dictionary. Students find the word that is between two listed words and they find the word that does not belong in between the two listed words.

Use this resource to discuss various ways to dictionaries can be used. What a terrific presentation to display when exploring how dictionaries are used to define words, check spellings, identify parts of speech, and more. The PowerPoint...

Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional...

How can learners evaluate research sources for authority, accuracy, and credibility? By completing readings, discussions, and graphic organizers, scholars learn how to properly evaluate sources to find credible information. Additionally,...

Students use a dictionary to review their spelling words. They discover how to use guide words in the dicotionary to find the words. They must write their spelling word and the page and guide words found on the page where the word is found.

Discover alliteration found in picture books by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Then, dive into a read aloud of Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak. This practice sets the stage for budding poets to create their own acrostic poem,...

Second graders examine the use of entry words in the dictionary. In this dictionary use lesson plan, learners look at guide words in a children's dictionary as the teacher/librarian describes the characteristics of each entry. They...

Learners understand the way the dictionary is laid out as well as the purpose for why people use dictionaries. In this language arts instructional activity, students recognize the need for alphabetical order and are able to find words...

This is a vocabulary worksheet with a twist! Young elementary-schoolers put these 13 words into alphabetical order before finding their meanings, uses, and origins. They will need to use reference materials, and may need some help...

Students explore economics by creating a budget. In this financial goal setting activity, students investigate their use of time by completing a worksheet. Students identify financial goals they would like to achieve in the next several...

Looking for materials to accompany your study of Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes? Look no further! Included here is everything you need to go alongside your unit: worksheets, graphic organizers, writing assignments, an assessment,...

After watching the documentary Dark Water about a traditional Chumash ceremony and reading a Chumash origin story, viewers are asked to create a coat of arms and to craft an essay that details a family tradition or their own origin story.

Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that...

What does it mean to stream a program? How do you know if you're watching a mash-up? If you don't know these words, reach for your handy Merriam-Webster dictionary, because they're there! A series of fill-in-the-blank questions...

Combine math and vocabulary in a fun activity based on Lois Lowry's The Giver. Before kids begin the book, they look up the definitions of 16 vocabulary words and complete a puzzle that will give them the same number.

The fourth standard for reading literature in the Common Core calls for young readers to be able to determine the figurative and connotative meanings of words and phrases. Use this resource, a continuation of a series of Common Core...