Curated OER
Organizing Ideas
Eighth graders investigate varous writing skills as part of larger course of study. The lesson is essentially a rough guide for conducting a class for writing. The main focus of the plan is organizing ideas using various strategies that...
Curated OER
Teaching Julius Caesar: A Differentiated Approach
While the themes of Julius Caesar may appeal to most readers, the act of reading the play can be a challenge. A unit plan related to the popular play by Shakespeare provides lesson plans and activities designed for differentiated...
101 Questions
Red Carpet
Roll out the red carpet for an exemplary lesson. Using the dimensions of a rolled piece of carpet, learners calculate the dimensions of the flat sample. Pictures provide individuals with the information they need to make a valid conclusion.
New York City Department of Education
Grade 3 Literacy: Investigating Sharks
Shark! Scholars read about sharks in Facts about Sharks by Susanna Batchelor. They then pretend they are shark scientists and choose a shark they want to study. Learners research their sharks and record information in graphic organizers...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Fact Patterns: A Film Guide
What does it take to create a scientific theory? Learners attempt to answer the question by studying the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. While watching a video, they track observations from each scientist and then look...
US Department of Commerce
Does the Percentage of People Who Walk to Work in Cities Vary with Population Size?
To walk or not to walk? Pupils create box plots comparing the percentage of residents who walk to work in large, medium, and small cities. Using the box plots, class members compare the data that reflects available statistics. Scholars...
Curated OER
Observing the Evidence
Fifth graders explore how to do research from a large group. They explore how to choose a representative sample and collect data from it.
Curated OER
Letters of Inquiry
Students compose letters of inquiry. In this written communication lesson, students read sample letters of inquiry about sites in Washington, D.C. Students then write their own letters of inquiry to the Washington, D.C. Chamber of Commerce.
Curated OER
Put That in Writing
Students identify life situations which require various writing responses, use the power of the written word to obtain results, practice writing responses to real-world events, and demonstrate the skills needed to recognize and create...
Curated OER
Choosing a Subject for a Research Paper
Students choose an appropriate subject for a research project. In this choosing a research subject instructional activity, students discuss the purpose and process of writing a research paper and read a sample paper. Students...
Curated OER
Just the Facts, Ma'am
Students use tables of content, chapter titles, and key words as a strategy for organizing non-fiction information. They write a paragraph with a partner using information from a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
Creative Inventions
Ninth graders develop ideas for an invention and write a persuasive essay explaining why their invention is best. In this invention essay lesson, 9th graders review persuasive essay writing. Students create a graphic web for an original...
Curated OER
TV Survey - Data Collection and Analysis
In this data collection and analysis worksheet, 4th graders complete a tally chart about the number of hours that fourth graders watch television. They create a bar graph with the information, write a paragraph about the survey results,...
Curated OER
Picture This
Students create a descriptive paragraph conveying ideas utilizing a personal photograph as a prompt for their writing. This concept includes the writers emotions, personal issues, education, art and photography. They share insights to...
Curated OER
Judging a Book by Its Cover
Students explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. In this book exploration instructional activity, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a...
Curated OER
Retelling and Summarizing
Having students use a rubric to score a piece of writing is an excellent practice. They read a passage titled, "Firefighters," and discuss different summaries that were written about it. They evaluate several summaries then score them...
Kenan Fellows
Determining Stream Health by the Diversity and Types of Benthic Organisms
How diverse are the benthic organisms found in local streams? Using the information learned in previous lessons on identification of macroinvertebrates and on calculating stream index values, groups determine the health of local...
Curated OER
Interviewing Skills
Prepare your pupils for the world of work and the dreaded interview by providing class members with a resource packet that includes handy tips. After examining the materials, pairs conduct mock interviews and reflect on the experience....
Curated OER
Combining and Rewriting Sentences
Learners practice combining sentences using the conjunction handout provided. They search magazines and newspapers to identify combined sentences that use conjunctions. Finally, these are rewritten again as two separate sentences.
Curated OER
Express Yourself Lesson Seed 8: Character
Characters often change over the course of a story or novel. Use the sample graphic organizer provided here to track how the narrator has responded to the sequence of events in chapter four through six of The Cay. In addition to this...
Curated OER
Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences
What kind of sentence is it? This can be a complex subject, so don't compound the difficulty by skipping over the topic! It's simple, just have your class read and go over the information here and then complete the included exercise.
Curated OER
Inside Information
Pupils research and write reports about inventions and inventors. They develop graphic organizers to organize their information, and create reports on the impact of inventors and inventions.
Curated OER
Picture Writing
Students use pictures to help them communicate their ideas. They write personal books or journals using pictures. Students can create daily blogs usig the internet and create a weekly newsletter.