Fourth graders analyze the song "Home on the Range" and identify its meaning and setting.  In this timeline and retelling lesson, 4th graders use dictionaries to find definitions of unfamiliar words, create a timeline and retell the...

Students explore ways in which they are smart. In this "getting to know you" classroom team building lesson, students discuss various ways people can be smart and describe ways in which they are smart. Students listen to "Smart" from...

Third graders examine the concept of alphabetizing. They develop a class dictionary, creating definitions of themselves, and typing in their names, pronunciation, and the definitions, and inserting their picture into their document.

How do you know when to use a semicolon versus a colon? Middle and high schoolers choose between a colon and a semicolon to correctly punctuate sentences. They must complete 10 sentences, either electronically or on a printout.

Students preparing for the GED test practice the components of reading for comprehension. Students complete a practice test activity and use a calculator to score the practice test.

Students define ancient Roman vocabulary using the dictionary writing sentences.

Fifth graders will use a dictionary to complete 5 charts organizing words by their roots and affixes. This worksheet is 4 pages long, and is a great way to help students better understand how to glean the meaning of a word by knowing its...

Students examine the Navajo dictionary used by the U.S. military in W.W. II. They role-play Navajo messengers and Marine Corp staff. They research the Battle of Iwo Jima and confirm or discount the claim that Navajos made the victory...

Students translate an entire Internet page from English into a target language. In small groups, they create a short story or document in their native tongue or find an Internet page in their own tongue that they translate into English.

Fifth graders explain the three phases of the water cycle in a narraive paragraph where they describe the journey of a single raindrop. They are introduced to five science vocabulary words and personfication.

Students make an illustrated dictionary of words they've used and learned in class. In this vocabulary lesson plan, students find words from their notes, discuss the words in a group, select the best words as a class, and complete an...

Learners identify lightning words from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to complete definition and synonym activities. In this word study activity, students discuss lighting words and read a Mark Twain quote. Learners then read specific...

Fifth graders, in teams, compete arranging vocabulary words into alphabetical order. They complete different worksheet activities to practice locating designated words in a dictionary.

Second graders explore their vocabulary by participating in a dictionary word find activity.  In this vocabulary lesson, 2nd graders locate words in a dictionary based on the beginning letter which must match the teacher's...

Elementary schoolers discover that the world is at their fingertips as they acquire new vocabulary. Several suggested activities and strategies are provided here, building new reading and oral vocabulary. 

How is Louisiana connected to the Holocaust? After reading The Diary of Anne Frank, eighth graders complete a research report about a survivor of the Holocaust who currently resides in Louisiana. Though the idea is a good way to...

While reading Chapter 8 of Number the Stars, learners write down any words they encounter in their reading that they find interesting, strange, or confusing. They record why they chose each word, and after completing the reading...

Youngsters complete a unit of lessons based on the story "Little Miss Muffet." They predict what will happen in the story, and use context clues to look for meaning in the words. They research information about spiders using the Internet...

This activities in this packet, the second in the series of support materials for the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt thematic units on animal habitats, are designed specifically for English language learners.

Gulliver's Travels tells the story of a man who goes on voyages and encounters strange people. A unit plan introduces readers to the classic text, as well as excerpts from other examples of sarcasm and satire, such as "A Modest...

A study of Alfred Noyes's poem "The Highwayman" opens a instructional activity about narrative poetry. Scholars read the poem and compare it to the animated video version using a worksheet. Learners look at models and use a template to...

Learners define spelling/vocabulary words using an online dictionary. For this Internet resources lesson, students learn how to use an online dictionary to look up the definitions of their spelling or vocabulary words.

Students examine how language evolves. They discover that language reflects changes in society. Students guess the meaning of words. In a group activity, students become wordsmiths by inventing new words. Students devise alternative...

Students practice nine phrasal verbs with the particle 'up' or 'down'. They experience the grammatical rules that are necessary when using phrasal verbs.