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Mystery or Hogwash?
Eighth graders choose topics of interest, and select books from the library about them. They utilize a worksheet embedded in the text which has the students rate the text they've read based on it's "believability factor." An interesting...
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Giving Tree Lesson
Students read and respond the book, The Giving Tree. For this literary unit, students listen to the story and discuss the story using Bloom's Taxonomy. Students write a letter of empathy to the tree and observe the changes the tree went...
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Analyzing Poetry with TPCASTT
Middle schoolers read a poem and complete a TPCASTT chart. They make a prediction about the title (T) , paraphrase each line (P), identify poetic devices and nuances (C-connotation), explore mood and tone (A-attitude), point out shifts...
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Implied Main Idea
Reinforce main idea and supporting details with your seventh graders in this language arts activity. Using a SMART board presentation and handouts (all attachments are provided), they review and practice finding main idea and details in...
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Prewriting Strategies
Fourth graders explore various strategies to overcome fears of writing, and utilize a story map as a prewriting strategy. They read and discuss the steps of the writing process, follow the steps along with the teacher as they discuss the...
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If I Were the Wind
Eighth graders are introduced to authors in the conservation community. As a class, they describe a personal experience they have had with nature. They identify examples of an author's descriptive writing techniques and answer questions...
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A Walk Around the School: Mapping Places Near and Far
After reading Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk, have your young cartographers create a map of Rosie’s walk. Then lead them on a walk around the school. When you return class members sequence the walk by making a list of how the class got from...
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Narrative Literature Response Letters: Original Lesson Plan
Readers write a formal letter to an author offering an alternative ending to a story the author has written. First, the class reads a story or novel. Upon finishing the reading, they are introduced to the format of a formal letter. They...
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Authoring Stories for Guided Reading
Students in a teacher education program write their own children's book. Using books already written, they review age appropriate for their grade level placement. They write their own story and illustrate it using various software...
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Refusing to Budge
Students explore fair play. In this character education lesson, students examine being fair in decision-making as they participate in role plays and read The Zax.
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Caring Makes a Difference
Students define caring. In this character education lesson, students examine the attributes of compassion as they read a folktale and discuss plans to help those less fortunate than themselves.
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A Loyal Friend
Students examine the attributes of trust. In this character education lesson, students read the Irish folktale "Beth Gellert". Students discuss the folktale and how they can earn the trust of others.
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A Decision of Integrity
Students study a man's life. For this values lesson, students read about Frederik De Klerk and answer discussion questions. Students discuss his values, especially integrity, and how they made a difference.
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What Is a Promise?
Students brainstorm the definition of honesty. In this honesty lesson, students read Ostrich Egg Wife and discuss events in the story relating to honesty and breaking a promise. Students explore ways the main character showed he was not...
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The Cricket in Times Square
Fourth graders explore vocabulary by reading a contemporary story in class. In this English literature instructional activity, 4th graders read the story A Cricket in Times Square and practice using the vocabulary words from the story....
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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...
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Richie's Rocket
Fourth graders, while working in centers read Richie's Rocket by Joan Anderson, and then create a puzzle using ideas, emotions, and experiences from the story. In addition, they write specific definitions for certain words, use those...
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Richie's Rocket
Fourth graders, after reading with intonation and expression the book, "Richie's Rocket," by Joan Anderson, circulate in centers to create a puzzle with emotions and experiences from the ideas in the story, write the definition of words...
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Do You Really Need It?
Fourth graders read and share chapters of The Boxcar Children. For this wants and needs lesson, 4th graders understand through their reading the differences between wants and needs. Students complete a worksheet about wants and needs...
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Taxes
Fourth graders read Stone Fax and explore earning money, saving, credit and taxes. In this taxes lesson, 4th graders complete a worksheet to develop understanding of paying off debts, keeping a checkbook, calculating sales tax and...
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Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source activity students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might have taken with...
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The Role of Money
Fourth graders examine the role of money. In this money lesson plan, 4th graders read a chapter from Judy Blume's, Double Fudge, to see how money is made and how people make money. They finish a worksheet, and play a game about money.
Ontario
Critical Literacy—Media Texts
Media texts convey both overt and implied messages. As part of their study of media, class members analyze the language, form, techniques, and aesthetics in a variety of media texts.
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Pretending with Prefixes
The book Fortunately provides an excellent opportunity to discuss prefixes and suffixes as they appear in context. The class goes over a list of prefixes and suffixes with the teacher. They then write two sentences; the first...