Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Chiaroscuro Apple
I absolutely love this idea. Kids explore the chiaroscuro technique as they draw, then bite, then write about an apple. They discuss chiaroscuro, depth, shade, perspective, and texture. Then they draw their apples, write a descriptive...
Curated OER
Convergence with The Cay: Exploring Geographic Concepts Wrapped in a Story
Here's an awesome unit that uses The Cay as the anchor text. The 16-page packet is loaded with teaching ideas, activities, and suggested adjustments.
K12 Reader
Punctuation Theater
Break out the slide whistles, triangles, and tambourines. It's time for a punctuation lesson. This richly detailed plan is loaded with ideas and activities for using rhythm instruments to accent the punctuation in folk tales. A great way...
Curated OER
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – Theme of Gender
In this poetry analysis worksheet, students read a reflection on the conflict between male and female identities in Dickinson's "My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun kids then respond to questions about male and female dominance as they are...
Curated OER
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – Theme of Mortality
In this poetry analysis worksheet, students read a paragraph regarding the preservation of life in "My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun –," by Emily Dickinson. Students consider the will to live, the “power to die,” and the power to kill as...
Curated OER
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – Questions
In this poetry discussion worksheet, students consider the elements of poetry as they respond to 6 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun –."
Curated OER
Native Language Arts Seasonal Poem
Intended for native Spanish speakers, this plan provides an opportunity to create a class semantic web describing the different seasons and listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." Learners will work together to revise their semantic webs,...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Racing for Fluency
Students improve fluency through drills to increase quickness and smoothness. In pairs, they practice reading sentences out loud, each time increasing their fluency. Finally, students play a game of timed readings using a stop watch to...
Curated OER
Ships 2: What Floats Your Boat?
Students design, build, and test the specifications (water displacement and load line) for a model boat. The instructional activity focuses especially on integrating design principles with inquiry-based experimental skills.
Curated OER
It's All an Allusion: Identifying Allusions, in Literature and in Life
To allude, or not to allude, that is the question: whether ‘tis better to make a reference and engage your audience or risk confusing them or sounding dated. After reading an article about, and loaded with allusions, class members take a...
K12 Reader
Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Hints for how to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are contained in a cross-curricular reading comprehension worksheet designed for primary graders. After reading a short passage loaded with tips, kids respond to a...
Curated OER
When is a Noun a Verb? Examining Double Duty Words
Act and act, address and address...there are so many words in our dictionary that can function as nouns or verbs. Start this lesson by having your class list as many as they possibly can. When an adequate list presents itself, have your...
Curated OER
Local Motives
Investigate current local elections across the United States with this New York Times reading activity. Using informational text, middle and high schoolers research local elections and create their own news reports about what they...
Curated OER
Asking the Questions and Questioning the Answers
What would you ask a presidential candidate if you had the chance? Bring politics to your language arts classroom with this lesson, in which young readers brainstorm questions they would have liked the presidential candidates to answer....
Curated OER
Student Opinion: How Impulsive Are You?
Sure to spark lively discussion in any Language Arts classroom, this article from The York Times asks the question, 'How much self-control do you have?'. Pupils begin by reading a short passage about a study on delayed gratification and...
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
Poetry Lesson Plans
Need some ideas for poetry lessons? Check out this packet loaded with suggestions for elementary, middle, and high school writers.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sentence Structure of Technical Writing
Most teachers and scholars look for a way to simplify information. Informational how-to slides simplify the process of technical writing into a step-by-step process. Learners gather information on what to do, as well as what to avoid....
Curated OER
Bases Loaded Word Challenge
In this word challenge game worksheet, students list as many words as they can from the letters in the words "bases" and "loaded". The worksheet includes 14 hints for words the students may use.
Curated OER
Poetry in Music
Sixth graders look at poetry in music. In this language arts lesson plan, 6th graders listen to and read the lyrics of songs to find the poetic aspects of them. They focus on similes and metaphors and write their own songs lyrics.
Savvas Learning
Clauses
Noun, adverbial, and adjective clauses are the focus of this 26-page grammar packet designed for language learners. Loaded with activities, exercises, games, and worksheets, the materials can be adapted for most levels.
Curated OER
The Learning Network: Alligators Everywhere Fill-In
Meant to be used with the article, "In Florida, the Natives Are Restless" (included here), this is a great source of high-interest, nonfiction reading. A fill in the blank vocabulary activity and an activity focusing on reading...
National Woman's History Museum
The Equal Rights Amendment
The debate over the Equal Rights Amendment continues. To better understand the controversy, class members research the history of attempts to get the amendment ratified. In addition, pairs engage in a structured academic conversation...
Curated OER
How to Write Really Good Dialogue
How do you create (and punctuate) really good dialogue so that it moves your story forward and provides strong characterization? Use this literary worksheet loaded with examples, clearly stated directions, and fun exercises. Fifth in a...
Curated OER
Magic Squares for Cyrano de Bergerac Act II
There is some tricky vocabulary in Act II of Cyrano de Bergerac! Front-load these words with this magic squares activity. Sixteen new words are listed, along with their definitions. Kids must match each word to its definition, completing...