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...
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Cleveland debates: Port or Park?
Students perform research on the Web and in books or newspapers the planning going on recently in Cleveland. They read the longshoremen's objections. Students choose sides and prepare your arguments, using visual aids and facts and figures.
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Free to Speak and Free to Post?
Students research on the Web and in books with city statutes or call city officials to find out the local ordinance on posting signs on utility poles. If illegal, students explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided to...
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Write like David Shannon
Students distinguish various books by David Shannon from other authors, compare three of Shannon's books for similarities, list various possible settings for stories, integrate Shannon's pattern of writing into their own, and formulate...
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We the People Level 2
Young scholars explore U.S. history by participating in a government activity. In this Constitution lesson, students identify the role government plays in our society and the differences the British colonies had in the early 18th...
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Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn Introductory Lessons
“What is the role or function of controversial art? And, should children, our children, be required—forced—to study certain works they may find painful or humiliating or offensive?” Robert Zalisk’s question, found in his article, “Uproar...
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Reader Response
Fifth graders reflect upon different concepts of Language Arts while reading literature. In the novel Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, the characters discover a spring of eternal youth. After reading the first several chapters of...
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The Magic of Cranberries
Young scholars research climatic and soil conditions for growing cranberries and illustrate how cranberries grow. They research how cranberries are used past and present and create an a-b-c book on cranberries.
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Geography With Dr. Seuss
Students read the book, The King's Stilts by Dr. Seuss and discuss the geographical information given in the book. Then they discuss and locate on a map the physical features that make up the continent of Africa. They create an original...
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Nature and Fitness Trail
Students plan stations for a nature and fitness trail and construct an accompanying e-Book for extended descriptions at each station. Data on the human impact on the environment is gathered in this lesson.
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Flat Stanley Travels to U.S. Regions
Fourth Graders read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. In the story a bulletin board flattens the main character. He is then sent in an envelope to a friend in California. During a fantasy genre language arts unit, groups of students...
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Writing Process
Introduce primary graders to the writing process. After reviewing the steps, they practice using the process by writing a book report. Before writing the draft, they complete a graphic organizer. The completed draft is reviewed by peers....
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Curious Clouds
Second graders explore clouds. They read The Cloud Book by Tomie dePola. Students sort the cloud pictures into three categories. Students create a graph using the cloud pictures. They use Excel to create a bar graph.
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Flight of the Painted Ladies
Students explore the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. They set up cameras near a butterfly culture. They create an iPhoto photo book to document and journal their observations of the metamorphosis. Students produce a narrated...
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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day
Second graders interact with the story of Alexander's horrible day by connecting it to their lives. They practice predicting, writing paragraphs, reading aloud, discussing his problems, making a card to cheer him up, and designing a pair...
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EPub--Stuart Little
Following a detailed activity and reading guide students will better grasp their reading of the book Stuart Little. They visit a series of web sites to gain a mouse's perspective then create a Mouse Movie with an iPod camera and Keynote....
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Find Figurative Language
Meet with the school library specialist and work together to plan a visit and presentation on figurative language. After defining and examining examples of targeted terms, the class travels to the library where the SL has collected...
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: K-W-H-L Strategy
Ah, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer! Before your class reads this classic novel, encourage them to activate prior knowledge and build interest in the book with the KWHL strategy. Directions for walking your class through this strategy are...
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Color Your Destiny
Eighth graders read and discuss a variety of children's books that deal with feelings, self-concept and how they affect a person's perceptions of themselves as well as their world. They also tie in interrelationships of visual and...
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Give Yourself Some Credit
Eighth graders identify information and skills necessary to transition to high school. They complete a graphic organizer comparing middle school and high school. They discuss earning credits and specific requirements for graduation from...
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Story Retelling
Students explore storytelling by participating in an image analysis activity. In this story structure lesson, students read the book Cookie's Week by Tomie dePaola and retell the story to their teacher in sequential order. Students...
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Understanding a Narrative: The True Story of Balto
Strong comprehension questions and a list of initiating events that drive the plot make this resource worth a try in your classroom. Intended for use with tools specific to the mindwing concepts reading strategy system, the outline...
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Shizuko’s Daughter: List-Group-Label Strategy
Help your learners navigate the vocabulary of Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori with a lesson on categorizing words. After coming up with a list of things that grow from the earth, learners decide which categories each words belong in.
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Writing with Style: Six Traits of Good Writers
Fourth graders listen as the teacher reads a picture book that emphasized word choice. They discuss words and how word choice impacts a piece of writing. Students view various passages on the overhead, and highlight adjectives and verbs...