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Busy, Busy Bees
Students role play bees finding nectar. they put on bee tails and antenna. Then 3 or 4 students at a time performed the dances bees do when one is communicating to the others that he has found nectar and the when they are close the...
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A Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her By
Students create a water transportation device powered by wind. In this wind power lesson, students research transportation concepts after reading the poem "Sea Fever" by John Masefield. Students design the fastest sailboat they can...
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The Importance of Rivers in the Development of Early Civilizations Importance of Rivers in the Development of Early Civilizations
Sixth graders explore the role of rivers in the construction of early civilizations. In this importance of rivers instructional activity, 6th graders listen to a poem written by Langston Hughes and work cooperatively to develop a graphic...
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Understanding Primary Sources
Students draw conclusions from primary sources and share information and interpretations with a small group. They are introduced to the Jigsaw technique. Students discuss why a grocery receipt would be a primary source. They...
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Appreciating Our American Heritage
Students learn about the Chinese culture via literature. They read the poetry of Cathy Song, considering national pride as Americans and Chinese.
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Waterfalls
Third graders practice identifying the main idea and supporting details when reading informational text. They read text related to waterfalls and practice note taking skills to identify critical details. Students use their notes to...
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Making A Karuta Game
Students explore the culture of Japan be creating a traditional Japanese game called Karuta. They conduct research in order to find the rules for the game and to make cultural connections. The content of the game is modified according to...
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Young scholars participate in a layered curriculum unit in order to give them opportunities to master objectives. Students pick the activities and this allows a differentiated instructional activity to occur with many opportunities for...
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Give and Take
Second graders are introduced to the differences between goods and services. In groups, they discover whether a given occupation offers a good, service or both. To end the lesson, they pick one occupation that interest them, draws a...
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What is American Culture
Young scholars create what they feel is American Culture using a video camera and capturing 5 frames. They are animating parts of a poem in small groups. They decide the set up, create movable figures, and have a music section. Each...
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The Big Lie
Fifth graders create poems and other forms of writing.Then working in groups they share writing with each other. The opinions would be gathered and students would revise writing according to the comments.
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Real or Painted Art -- Tromp l'oeil Art Awareness an Activities
Students are introduced to Trompe l'oeil art by a docent. Using that information, they compare and contast it with other forms of art they are familiar with and discuss their opinions with the class. They write a poem about their...
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Habitat is Home
Students complete a picture to show things found in their homes. In this habitat lesson, students discuss and make a class picture of an animal habitat and its four basic needs. Students sing a song. Students create their own...
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History and Geography: Making a New Nation
Fifth graders examine the contributions of the different groups that built the American Nation. They identify the successive waves of new immigration, explain their attraction to America, and study the importance of Ellis Island.
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Fairy Tales: Thumbelina, Jack and the Beanstalk and Issun Boshi
First graders read several selections of poems and stories. They focus on a selection of fairy tales including Jack and The Beanstalk, Thumbelina and Issun Boshi. They complete several comprehension activities and compare the different...
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Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
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Johnny Appleseed
Students engage in a study of apples using children's literature. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Student list facts about apples and compare them while answering some guided questions. They plant some apple seeds and...
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Japanese Culture
First graders research information about Japanese people and culture. They read a Japanese story listening for rhyme schemes. They create their own rhyme schemes. They discuss Japanese food and sample rice cakes. They read Haiku and then...
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Transforming Negatives to Positives
Pupils create double-exposed photographs, poetry, and multimedia presentations to celebrate their Open Court "City Wildlife" unit.
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Adopt a Poet
Seventh graders research an assigned poet's life and times and read examples of their poetry. They prepare a word-processed paper analyzing the poems by their poet, and answering the essential question then they give an oral...
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Songs of Protest/Songs of Unity: 1865 to the Present
Students study song-poems from 1865 to the present. They explore the works of Woody Guthrie and the Almanac Singers (including Pete Seeger).
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Are You Money Smart?
Learners figure out and discuss the irony of this coin-centric poem. They also practice persuasive letter writing, and identify and count coin/money values.
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Chinese Calendar
Third graders listen to a Mak Kam's, "My Chinatown: One Year in Poems," before locating China on a map. They discuss the Chinese language and culture, comparing it to the American culture. They determine which animal sign they were born...