Roald Dahl
Matilda - Throwing the Hammer
Full truth, or an exaggeration? How can you tell when a storyteller is exaggerating a story? Readers analyze a story told by Hortensia, and identify the exaggerative language she uses. Then, learners write their own narrative story using...
Curated OER
Unwind: Vocabulary Strategy, Creating an Unwind Glossary
Prior to reading Unwind, Neal Shusterman's 2007 young adult science fiction novel, class members research the common definition of words drawn from the novel that will come to have a very different meaning to them as they are...
University of Pennsylvania
Decoding Propaganda: J’Accuse…! vs. J’Accuse…!
Reading snail mail is a great way to go back into history and to understand others' points of view. The resource, the second in a five-part unit, covers the Dreyfus Affair. Scholars, working in two different groups, read one letter and...
Roald Dahl
Matilda - Miss Honey and The Trunchbull
As the instructor reads aloud several quotes from five chapters of the story Matilda, class members mime their interpretation of the scenes. Then, after reading "Miss Honey" and "The Trenchbull" (chapters seven and eight), the...
Virginia Department of Education
Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction
Discovering the main idea in fiction is like uncovering buried treasure; one must persevere to locate it, and the reward is priceless. Scholars delve deep into leveled stories using three questions to aid in identifying the main idea.
EngageNY
End of Unit 3 Assessment: Writing a Research Synthesis
Ready, set, write! Scholars work on the end-of-unit assessment by completing a writing prompt. They then look at the model performance task from instructional activity two to create a rubric for scoring the exercise. Using turn and talk,...
Learning to Give
What Are Your Thoughts?
The varying responses of the characters in Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to the discrimination they experience or perpetrate provides readers with an opportunity to not only examine the feelings of the characters but...
ReadWriteThink
Alliteration in Headline Poems
Poetry is everywhere you look! Create found poems using headlines from newspapers and magazines. Young poetry focus on creating alliterative phrases with words they find in headlines, tying their poems to a central theme.
Curated OER
The Metamorphosis: DR-TA
Guide class members through Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis with a series of questions designed for before, during, and after reading. Readers consider Gregor's situation and his options. In addition, they...
Roald Dahl
Matilda - Bruce Bogtrotter and the Cake
After reading the 11th chapter in Matilda, class members take on the role of Bruce Bogtrotter and re-enact the cake eating scene. Here's the catch: they must come-up with an impromptu re-enactment of the scene from the story, and...
Curated OER
Pride and Prejudice: Question Answer Relationship Strategy
Help middle and high school readers access the text with a series of question-answer relationship (QAR) strategies. Using Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as an example, the resource prompts learners to ask and answer questions using...
Curated OER
People of the Desert
Young scholars study the importance of caring for desert water sources. In this desert instructional activity, students investigate water resources that are available in deserts. They listen to a read aloud about the Sonoran Desert...
Curated OER
Who Lives Here?
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students examine water conservation efforts in desert regions as they act as members of a city council committee investigating the issue in a...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Computer Components
Students experience the first lesson in computer servicing by observing computer components. They observe the internal workings of a computer during the lecture section of the lesson before dismantling a computer to identify its major...
Curated OER
The Birth of a Butterfly
Students explore the life cycle of a butterfly. In this butterfly lesson, students visit Internet websites, observe a live butterfly culture, and examine pictures of the stages of the butterfly life cycle in order to independently...
Curated OER
Louisiana Cinquains
Students enhance their understanding of parts of speech by writing a cinquain poem about Louisiana. In this cinquain poem lesson, students read example cinquain poems and study the format for a cinquain poem. Students create a class poem...
Curated OER
Identifying the Solution in a Story
Using the book My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting, Kindergartners will gain an understanding that stories often have solutions. Using Eve Bunting's book as an example the teacher will identify the solution to the story and...
Curated OER
Storybook Art: Hands-On Art for Children
Students are read "Harold and the Purple Crayon. Using the same technique, they draw their own one-line design but use various drawing techniques to do so. They measure the line and if time permits they draw other lines in different...
Curated OER
Shells Around the World
Students research a geographical region that contains shells. In this shells from around the world lesson, students take a field trip to a local shell shop (if possible) and then work in groups to research a geographical region...
Curated OER
African-American Musicians
Learners research three African-American musicians and compose a report based upon their research in this Music Appreciation lesson for the middle level classroom. The lesson could be adapted for various student levels and abilities.
Curated OER
Experimenting with Sound
Students explore physical science by completing a worksheet. In this sound perception lesson plan, students collaborate in small groups to research sound properties on the Internet and in libraries. Students conduct a listening...
Curated OER
Classifying Seashells
Third graders practice classifying seashells. In this seashell classification lesson, 3rd graders listen to a guest speaker talk about collecting seashells. They participate in a discussion on the characteristics by which seashells are...
Curated OER
Give Me a Minute
Students categorize data. In this categories lesson, students get a specific topic and they have a minute to list as many items that fit under this topic. They compare lists with a classmate and discuss whether all answers work.
Curated OER
Plants and Animals
Young scholars discuss the different types of plants and animals in a local environment. In this science activity, students name some plants and animals understanding that they require different habitats to live. Young scholars use...