Curated OER
Bumper Stickers: A Matter of Focus
Honk if you love bumper stickers! Long used as a persuasive tool, bumper stickers are used to launch this study of persuasive writing. Each class member is given a bumper sticker and asked to formulate three questions the strip might...
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Collaborative Writing
Collaborative writing projects can be a lot of fun for students. They use a Scholastic Story Starter and the class blog to write a creative story containing basic story elements. The web link to Scholastic is included but non of the...
Curated OER
Creating Your Own Story
Students think about a dramatic moment in their lives and imagine how to translate it into a work of art. They write their own personal experience as a story. They describe a visual image of their personal experience and/or story.
Curated OER
Printable Story Starter: Tired of the Snow
This writing prompt about Earl, the polar bear, who is tired of the snow, helps students complete the story by providing the first few sentences. The prompt also sets students up with the first conflict, which they can complete as they...
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Story Starters: Woodpeckers' Park
A great Earth Day and environment assignment, or even a basic creative writing lesson, this prompt helps students to begin the story of Woody and Woodruff, two woodpeckers who don't like litterers! Both a picture and an introduction can...
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Printable Story Starter: The Arrival
A creative writing prompt about the arrival of a boat after a long journey helps students to continue the story by providing the two opening sentences. Students compose the middle and ending of the story. This prompt could be used in the...
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Printable Story Starter: Grandmother's Cottage
This writing prompt provides students with an introduction paragraph about a trip to Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. Students can finish the story in a creative writing exercise. The prompt could be a good addition to a...
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Printable Story Starter: Christmas Morning
A writing prompt about a surprise on Christmas morning provides students with the beginning of the story, and invites them to finish the middle and ending. This prompt could be a good addition to a Christmas-themed unit, or as a lesson...
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Picture Prompt: Dolphin Games
Kids who love dolphins will get a kick out of this prompt, which includes a picture of two dolphins playing with a beach ball. Using the picture for inspiration, students complete the beginning, middle, and ending of the story. A text...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: Images of Faulkner and the South
Learners research one aspect of the life of Faulkner and the culture of the South. For this As I Lay Dying instructional activity, learners explore a webpage on Faulkner and write a summary. Learners analyze the images...
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Jacob Lawrence's Freedom Trail
Students read excerpts of autobiographies from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. After listening to excerpts of an oral reading of Frederick Douglass' book, they discuss the ways African Americans were treated on plantations. ...
Curated OER
Cause And Effect
Fourth graders read the book Stellaluna and cite sentences that show cause and effect in the story. In this cause and effect lesson plan, 4th graders also write sentences that show cause and effect in their own lives.
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Writing to Photography/Photography to Writing
Students improve their' writing by incorporating photography into descriptive and narrative writing exercises. They write descriptions of various professional photographic collections. Later they use their own and other classmates'.
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Holidays: Ramadan and Eid
Young scholars study ways some holidays are celebrated in this country, and share their experiences, the activity focuses on Bangla students' celebration of Eid, an important holiday in Bangladesh for the Muslim People. Young scholars...
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Nibble, Nibble, Little Mouse
Students complete activities to analyze points of view in different texts. For this point of view lesson, students read Hansel and Gretel and The Magic Circle and discuss the points of view. Students choose a character from the story and...
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We Are One World
Students access prior knowledge to choose a country and research the living conditions in that country. In this living conditions activity, students recognize the differences and similarities of conditions of another country to ours....
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Impact of Indian Removal
Seventh graders consider how the majority sometimes enforces unjust laws upon the minority. In this Indian Removal instructional activity, 7th graders research Internet and print sources regarding the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and...
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A Visit to Aunt Louisa's
Fourth graders write a diary entry. In this journaling lesson students examine a 1880's primary source document. Students read about a young girl visiting her Aunt in rural Indiana. Students write about what they did in the last day.
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Mission Accomplished
Second graders describe the impact of certain figures in United States history, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They describe experiences of early American explorers and compose narratives from the perspectives of others.
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Guidebook
Students create a guidebook page about a plant on the school grounds. In this life and plant science lesson, students identify plants around the school, then research the plant and write a narrative about it. Students publish the book...
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Through Their Eyes: Perspectives on Slavery
Students write a personal account of slavery seen from the eyes of a slave trader, a slave plantation owner, a fugitive slave, or a working slave.
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Depression
Fifth graders discuss feelings and depression and brainstorm ways to seek help. In this health instructional activity, the teacher leads a discussion about emotions focusing on when emotions are balanced and when they become unbalanced...
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Poetry and Our National Anthem
Students express the meaning of the Star-Spangled Banner. In this American history lesson, students read through the national anthem and complete an activities from a list of choices. Some choices include: writing the anthem in your own...
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Relative History
Students explore theories about how the Olmec civilization influenced other Mesoamerican societies. They research the Olmecs to create a museum exhibit of their findings and reflect on how an Olmec person might have understood the...