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Drafting
Young scholars engage in the writing process. In this drafting lesson, students research different types of genres to find which they enjoy reading and writing. They review the drama in a story and discuss different story prompts.
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Finding Nonfiction Features
Students review the differences between a fiction and non-fiction book. In groups, they use different non-fiction books to identify the eleven features that distinguish it from a fiction book. To end the lesson, they create a chart...
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Water Cycle
First graders research for information on the water cycle. They use a hot list to find pictures of the water cycle, and create a movie in Kid Pix about the water cycle.
They present Kid Pix movie to the class.
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What Is A Community?
Learners engage in a instructional activity which introduces the definition of a community and challenges them to explore the characteristics of their own community. This instructional activity uses the true story of Humphrey the Lost...
National First Ladies' Library
A Blessing in Disguise
Young scholars study the history of polio as well as a history of modern medicine, the history of alternative medicine and the role of the scientific method in each of these histories. They review the scientific method and research...
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Hurricane
Students use children's literature in order to investigate the concept of hurricanes and how they occur. The metaphor is used to describe a play area that is magical. They use their imaginations and write about their favorite places to...
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Signs of Mine
In this reading and life skills lesson, students practice recognizing common signs that would see around town and at school. Examples are, stop signs, exit signs, etc. After a class discussion where examples are given, students tour the...
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One Person CAN Make a Difference
Students illustrate how the actions of one person can make a difference. They identify school and community issues to address and complete group projects and action plans for making changes in the school or community.
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SeaWorld: Education, Entertainment, or Exploitation?
Students discuss SeaWorld, research marine animal biology, investigate one animal currently collected by SeaWorld, and decide whether they oppose or support SeaWorld's collection policy. Students then gather information relating to...
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Martin Luther King Jr.: A Clothesline Timeline
Students use print and online resources to obtain information about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. They identify important events in King's life. They sequence lists of important events by date.
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Literature Circles in Action
Students form cooperative groups to read, discuss, and respond to a novel. They select a novel from offered choices or by criteria given by teacher and complete a culminating project on the novel from such choices as: creating a...
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Gold Fever
Students read the story Gold Fever about the Gold Rush and write journal entries as if they were miners. In this Gold Rush lesson plan, students also pull out rocks from a back, and if they pick a gold one, they have struck it rich!
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Let the Campaign Begin
Students differentiate between positive and negative personal attributes and select a fictional character for nomination who personifies the qualities of a good leader. They use the Internet to learn about the election process and write...
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Measuring Animal Sizes (and Relative Sizes in our Animal Environment)
Students discover the actual size and weight of many insects and animals. In this biology instructional activity, students investigate animals and insects to determine their actual weight and size. In groups, students create an animal or...
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I'm Tellin'!: Kids Bringing Folktales Alive
Students participate in a reading lesson that works on social and academic skills. They increase reading comprehension with direct instruction with the group reading of a folktale. Then students research their own stories to tell.
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The Great Water Hunt
Students create a model of the land to water ratio in a large group and search for all the places water is used at their school while on a Great Water Hunt. They identify where water can be found and compare how much of world is covered...
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Outlining Main Ideas and Details Adapted from: Expository Writing by Tara McCarthy
Middle schoolers examine articles from a number of sources to determine their main ideas and details, and discuss them as a class. Using a worksheet, they practice outlining a report after watching a teacher demonstration of the...
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Planting Phil's Garden
Students study how to care for plants. In this plant care lesson, students observe a plant care demonstration and examine flowers using their senses. They listen to Janet Wakefield's, What If Everybody Gave? They complete a community...
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Planting Phil's Garden
Students explore gardening. In this agriculture lesson, students plan and plant seeds according to the procedure modeled by a "master gardener." Flowers are distributed at a local retirement home.
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Comparative World Mythology
After a brief review of the areas that can be selected for the project, I would discuss myths with the students, dispelling any misconceptions about mythology that the students may have. The students would then break into groups and I...
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Building Log Cabins
Fourth graders design and create a log cabin in this lesson. They use ratios to help make dimensions of a house. They draw out how they want their house to look and gather the materials they need to complete the house. The log cabins...
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Poetry Immersion
Students explore the genre of poetry through centers. They listen to the sound of poems being read aloud, visualize individual poems and observe and apply line breaks in poetry.
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Sonnet Illumination
Pupils create presentations of digital sonnet illuminations along with sonnet research. In this Sonnet lesson, students view images, colors, and listen to sounds of their own choice to illuminate Shakespeare...
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Directionality
Second graders discuss the cardinal directions and intermediate directions and then look at the spooky map to locate different points on the map. They answer questions about where things are located in reference to another object and...