Curated OER
May the Best Character Win
Running an election campaign takes money. Class groups must effectively budget money in order to design and purchase sufficient advertising aimed at procuring classmates' votes. After completing an online tutorial, they also write and...
Curated OER
Hot Spots
Keep an eye on progress with reading and vocabulary using pink and green sticky notes. This resource describes how to set up the sticky note system so that learners can note difficult passages, and teachers can track ability.
DePaul University
Chicago Changes
Scholars determine statements as fact or opinion in a practice page consisting of two reading passages followed by multiple choice and short answer questions. Fact and opinion passages detail information about Chicago and Ethiopia.
Southern Poverty Law Center
Evaluating Reliable Sources
A lesson plan instills the importance of locating reliable sources. Scholars are challenged to locate digital sources, analyze their reliability, search for any bias, and identify frequently found problems that make a source unusable.
Curated OER
Writing about Internal & External Conflicts in Lois Lowry's The Giver
Seventh graders examine the internal and external conflicts that Jonas faces in "The Giver" in an essay. Students use SMART Board and Inspiration to organize their ideas graphically before combining them into their paper.
Curated OER
Grammar Review
Review grammar rules for simple and compound sentences. Learners diagram sentences and identify conjunctions, interjections, and prepositional phrases. As a class, they study their notes and complete pages in their grammar book to...
Curated OER
Defining Success
The class defines what it means to be successful by examining the achievements of Rich Wilson. They create headlines for a mock paper, discuss achieving personal goals, and create a scrapbook of his journey. Tip: Use this resource when...
Curated OER
Car For Sale!
Car For sale! In this GED prep instructional activity, writers develop a classified advertisement to sell a car. After a discussion of precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language, sellers draft their ad for review,...
Curated OER
Using Dictionary Entries
Work on word pronunciations by exploring the dictionary. Learners complete a worksheet containing questions about dictionary entries. They review how to use a dictionary, identify syllable breaks, parts of speech, and word pronunciation.
Curated OER
Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
What do you know about American Indians? Upper graders compose an informational essay based on the research they conduct. They choose a Native American group to study and, using the provided list of web links, gather information and...
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet
Use this SMART board activity to review the familial relationships in Romeo and Juliet. Review the characters from the play using descriptions first, then in the context of the other characters. The SMART board file (included) guides...
Curated OER
Analyzing Sonnets
Model for your class how to craft an analysis of a sonnet by examining the literary techniques used, the background of the poet, and critical reviews of the poem. As guided practice, learners are assigned a sonnet, complete a preliminary...
Curated OER
Gathering, Evaluating,and Organizing Information for a Research Report
It's never too early to build research skills! Young scholars locate information relevant to a subject they are doing a research project on. They take notes and sort the information under main topic headings. Through research, they gain...
Curated OER
Recognizing Cause and Effect
Students define cause and effect and recognize an effect as something that happens as a result of a cause. They apply information they have learned about cause and effect to their study of literature.
Curated OER
Shamrock Spelling
Review spelling skills by learning about the history of shamrocks. Learners use a picture of a shamrock to practice spelling three letter words. One letter goes on each shamrock leaf. It is a way to engage your kinesthetic learners.
Curated OER
Subordinate Conjunctions and Complex Sentences for SMART Board
A SMART board is a great way to get kids engaged and excited about grammar. Using this SMART board lesson and worksheet, pupils study the rules of conjunctions, clauses, and complex sentences. After they have worked on the exercises, a...
Curated OER
It's Up for Debate
Learners work together to research issues surrounding World War II. They review the decisions that were made at the time. They participate in a debate and how those decisions maintained world peace.
Curated OER
Read Me a Story and Check My Listening
Students develop listening and reading skills with the oral reading of a story. The students demonstrate good listening skills using appropriate body language and answering assessment questions. They discuss the story looking for main...
Curated OER
Identifying author's purpose
Why is it important to know an author's purpose? After reviewing the three main purposes of writing, seventh graders write a persuasive letter to convince why summer school is better than taking the summer off. They can then join in a...
Curated OER
100 Questions
Gather around to play a game! Middle and high schoolers answer questions (provided here) using various reference materials. Bring encyclopedias and other reference materials to class, as each group has limited Internet access! An answer...
Curated OER
Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago - Chicago Blues
Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Phonics lesson for -ick family
Kindergarteners and first graders develop phonemic awareness for words that contain -ick. Each learner gets a stack of cards with different -ick words, highlighting the target sound as they review each one.
Curated OER
Breaking up a Poem
Seventh graders break down the barriers in reading, speaking, listening, writing and understanding poetry. As a whole group, they establish their own criteria for line breaks by discussing questions and taking notes on a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...