Institute for Excellence in Writing
A Writer’s Guide to Powerful Paragraphs
When it comes to teaching writing, it helps to start small. A supplementary guide to A Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs provides suggested activities to help writers craft a variety of paragraphs. Each assignment covers a...
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Comprehending Through Questioning
Elementary schoolers observe and apply a variety of reading comprehension strategies. They silently read a passage out of their science textbook, and discuss answering the who, what, where, when, and how of the text. In small groups they...
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Reading Examples
Young writers read excerpts from Gary Paulsen's memoir to identify figurative and literal language that contain sensory details. They determine which selections are examples of sensory language and fi the language is used literally or...
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The 5 W's of Reading
Primary young scholars will use the five "W" questions for reading comprehension as they read silently to themselves so that they can understand and remember what they have read. They then read The Velveteen Rabbit aloud, discussing the...
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Plot of a Short Story (SMART Board)
Help your pupils track the plot of a short story with this SMART Board activity. Using the short story "The Dinner Party" by Mona Gardner (though the activity would work with any other short story), they define the exposition, rising...
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Expressive Eloquent Experts
What does it mean to read expressively? Beginning readers hear examples of expressive reading and partner up to practice. One partner reads The Littlest Pumpkin and the other partner reads Franklin and his Friend. While...
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Hop on the Express Train to Read Expressively
Encourage beginning readers to read expressively. After the teacher models what it's like to read with expression, pairs of learners work together to practice developing this ability. While one learner reads, the other marks a check-list...
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Understanding Poetry
Students search the Internet to find a poem to research, analyze and present their interpretation of the poem to the class. They develop their interpretation in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
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I'm Done! What Now?
You can use these lesson plans to give your high ability math students something challenging to do when they finish early!
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President Who? Forgotten Founders and Their Capitols
Students explore the beginning of the United Colonies that were formed in 1774. In this history lesson, students discuss the Articles of Confederation and then answer questions about the events surrounding the development of the...
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Explore Writing with Louis Sachar
Students identify and interpret the author's writing process and how he came up with his idea for Holes. They experience a moderated chat with the author by participating or reading the transcript. Students also reflect on their own...
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Building the Foundation
Students understand the purpose of the judicial branch of government. In this judiciary lesson, students participate in exercises to understand how the court system works. Students complete activity sheets to develop understanding of...
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Ways to Set Up Creative Classroom Environments
Here are a few ideas to freshen up your classroom environment.
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Equations Lesson Plan
Seventh graders play "What's my Rule" beginning with simple equations and working towards harder problems as student's gain confidence. They evaluate the equations by graphing them. Students identify the slope and y intercepts of the...
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Geometry Center Games
First graders explore eight geometry activities that improve understanding of positional words and shapes. They identify, describe, and create simple geometric figures. They help another student who may not understand the concept yet.
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Something's Fishy!
Students experience center activities to explore the habits and traits of fish. They observe a goldfish, play a memory game, complete artwork and read about fish.
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Atomic Structure and Bonding
Eighth graders discuss and write about what led up to the discovery of the atom. Students label proton, nucleus, electron, and neutron in their notes. Students take notes on electron shells and how different atoms have different...
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Punnett Squares
Eighth graders take a short quiz on genotypes and phenotypes. As a class, they are introduced to the concept of Punnett Squares and listen to a description of Gregor Mendel's pea experiment. In groups, they complete Punnett Squares to...
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Geometry: Tessellations
Students create tessellations with computer software while applying their knowledge of reflections, rotations, and translations.
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A Neighborhood Expedition
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
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Charles Darwin
High schoolers research Charles Darwin and the process he used to develop his theory of evolution. They keep a journal about the skill of observation and make a newspaper of their learning.
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PowerPoint Short Story Report
Students make a Microsoft PowerPoint report from a short story read in class. They summarize and paraphrase a short story identifying the six story elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, solution, tone/mood.
Manchester University
The History of the First Thanksgiving
First graders complete a project about the first Thanksgiving. In this history lesson plan, 1st graders read The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving, answer comprehension questions, and complete a booklet about the first Thanksgiving.
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Scotty T-Rex: Inspiring History All Year Round
Students study changes that occur in geological and historical time. They place themselves in relationship to the universe, the world, Canada, and Saskatchewan.