Curated OER
California Crops
Young scholars explore agriculture by researching the native food crops of California. Students define a list of agriculture vocabulary terms and analyze maps of California which explain which foods come from which area. Young scholars...
National First Ladies' Library
Red Hunts, Black Lists, and Communists
Students research and examine the unsavory history of the hunt for communists in the United States during the 1950s. They divide up into groups to review the Red Scare of the 1920s as a backdrop to the McCarthy era and write a short...
Virginia Department of Education
Synthesizing to Support a Thesis- Big Picture Emphasis
Help your researchers as they begin to develop a topic for research with these worksheets. Included are two nicely designed graphic organizers that assist students in narrowing and researching their topic, and an efficient...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Strategy: Call of the Wild
Here is a strategy for groups to contribute to whole class vocabulary development. Teams (based on seating rows) work together to look up dictionary definitions of words from upcoming sections of the book (though previous sections seem...
Curated OER
Introduce: Fact and Opinion
Build reading comprehension and critical-thinking skills as learners focus on discerning fact from opinion. First, introduce the two terms as you test prior knowledge and explain their meanings (there is a scripted explanation here for...
Curated OER
Who Took Jerell's iPod? ~ An Organic Compound Mystery
Within the setting of a crime scene investigation, biochemistry beginners analyze organic compounds as a means of determining "Who dunnit." They use a brown paper test for lipids, glucose test strips and iodine to identify carbohydrates,...
2012 Teaching Resources
Analyzing Character Traits
Character analysis becomes easy with a 24-page packet packed with mini-lessons, graphic organizers, and activities. A must-have for your curriculum library.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Voyagers: Challenge Activities (Theme 5)
Young voyagers face the challenge of the wide dark sea, travel with Yunmi and Halmoni, and even get trapped by the ice as they explore the reading selections offered in these enrichment activities designed for the Houghton...
Curated OER
What a Character! Comparing Literary Adaptations
What do Robert Downey Jr., Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Fritz Weaver, Roger Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Daffy Duck have in common? Why, it’s elementary, my dear Watson! They all have portrayed Sherlock Holmes. Literary detectives...
Joy Uzarraga
Famous American Research Project
Designed specifically for lower elementary pupils, this is a great biographical research project in which students research a famous American, and then design creative poster boards to help them "become" the famous...
Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
Curated OER
Encyclopedia Expertise
Fourth graders, in groups, practice using the encyclopedia as a reference tool. They research animals today using the encyclopedia. Their job be to find three or more strange but true facts about the animal listed on their card.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Cows Can’t Fly
Students explore language arts by reading a story book in class. In this tier two vocabulary lesson plan, students read the book Cows Can't Fly and identify the use of certain vocabulary terms. Students define the selected words and...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Madeline’s Rescue
Students explore language arts by reading a children's book in class. In this story vocabulary lesson, students read the book Madeline's Rescue and identify the use of specific vocabulary words. Students define vocabulary terms and...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever
Students explore vocabulary by reading a children's book in class. In this tier two words lesson, students read the book The Biggest Pumpkin Ever and identify the use of specific vocabulary words. Students define the selected vocabulary...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: The Story of Ruby Bridges
Students explore language arts by reading a children's book in class. In this story vocabulary lesson, students read the book The Story of Ruby Bridges and identify the use of specific vocabulary words. Students define the selected vocab...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
Third graders access prior knowledge of the monarch butterfly and discuss what they would like to know. In this Monarch Butterfly lesson,students read Monarch Butterfly and discuss the life cycle of the butterfly. Students gather...
Curated OER
Discovering Flight
Students discuss what wind can do such as cause a ball to roll, a book to open, water to move. They observe in the book, "Up, Up and Away!: the Sciene of Flight" things that fly and begin brainstoring things on paper that can fly. They...
Curated OER
Adjective Monster
Explore descriptive writing and visual art. Listen to the story Go Away Big, Green Monster by Ed Emberley and generate a list of adjectives used in the book. Name familiar shapes and create a shapes list. Choose an adjective and shape to...
Curated OER
Getting Ready to Write
Students watch an online slideshow that shows Cornelia Funke's transition from an illustrator to a writer. They discuss her writing process from the way she gathers ideas to how and where she writes. Next, they work in groups to choose a...
Curated OER
Subjective Pronouns
In this subjective pronouns worksheet, students determine singular and plural pronouns referring to first person, second person, and third person nouns. Students complete fifteen activities.
Curated OER
Beginning Research
Students view and discuss a video segment to discover the importance of researching a topic before writing about it. They use the topic of plants to research information by looking through picture books and observing potted plants in...
Curated OER
Library Curriculum: What Would a Wonderful Library Be Like?
Second graders complete a KWL chart about libraries. They create a book using writing patterns of a particular author. Students decide criteria for awarding the Second Grade Librarian Award to books in the classroom library, and use a...
Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My Favorite Animal
Students create books about their favorite animals using graphic organizers.