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The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Students examine the life of a butterfly. They write a biography from the point of view of a caterpillar using new vocabulary. They use magnifying glasses to examine butterflies and caterpillars.
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Digging for Dinosaur Information
Students explore how to locate dinosaur information. They read the book, Catch Me If You Can! and discuss the popularity of dinosaurs among children, identify various kinds of dinosaurs and select a dinosaur to research. TAs they...
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Cloud Databases
Students complete a unit on clouds and a report about one type of cloud. They collect data through observation about different types of cloud cover and then create a spreadsheet to reflect their observations over a 2 week period.
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Amazing Grazing
Students discuss their experiences on a ranch. As a class, they tell the best part of their experiences or one thing they gathered from being on the ranch. They listen to the story and identify five items to focus on in the reading and...
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Constellations
Students explore constellations. They read trade books about constellations and write notes including their locations, origins, and names. They research and report on one constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and share their report...
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Fish and Oxygen
Students explore what factors affect population dynamics, identify factors affecting fish populations, and use Stella to model how dissolved oxygen affects fish populations.
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Is It A Crime To Be Gay?
Students stage a parliamentary committee hearing in the newly independent Eastern European country of Boldovistan. Role playing characters with differing attitudes towards homosexuality, students testify on legislation to abolish laws...
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Lessons From the Lorax
Young scholars read and discuss Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. They explore the changes the characters could have made to preserve the environment and relate the plot to real-world places and events.
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I am the Walrus
Students research walruses using the library and the Internet, then write an essay from what they find in their research. In this investigative lesson students view a video on walruses then write an essay after researching.
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The Cassini Robot
Learners compare the functions of a robot to that of the human body. In this technology lesson, students identify the important components of the Cassini robot that would enable it to carry out space missions. They design and build their...
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Archaeology as a Career
Fourth graders read about archaeology as a career. They develop a list of questions they would like to ask an archaeologist and then actually interview an archaeologist on the future of archaeology as a career.
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Creature Feature
Students research an animal, and create a video to share their information and pictures with the class.
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Precipitation
Fourth graders identify the conditions that create rain. They read and discuss weather records, and write a news article that includes factual information fom one of the listed weather records.
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Time to Read
Students identify how the literary elements of theme, point of view, characterization, setting, and plot illustrate the effects of a certain disease on a community. They identify the aspects of the book that are specific to the...
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Farm Animals
First graders conduct research about farm animals and what it is like to live on a farm. They explore a variety of websites and complete an online WebQuest. They select a farm animal, and write a report about their animal's...
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Differentiating for High Ability Students
You can challenge high ability students in your classroom with these differentiated lesson plans.
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Brief Encounter (Looking at Ourselves and Others)
Students participate in a simulation game in which they realize what it is like to be from another culture. They observe and describe different behaviors. They also examine values from other cultures.
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A Chair for Mr. Bear
Learners listen to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and work collaboratively to create a chair for a small stuffed animal that will allow it to sit upright and withstand a short drop out of Legos. Students write about the engineering...
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Scribbleboy
Fifth graders are introduced to the text, SCRIBBLEBOY, discussing the cover page for clues to the genre. They discuss the ordinary surroundings contrasted by the graffiti and the words and phrases used to provide information about the...
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Getting the Word Out: From Gutenberg's Press to Zines
High schoolers examine the effects of Gutenberg's printing press on the world. Using this information, they create their own Zines or internet magazines about a social issue of their choice. They share their magazine with the class for...
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Literature: Isabel Allende
Students watch and respond to a Bill Moyers Now video on the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. They brainstorm a list of recent events that might inspire writers and choose one to write about in poetic, diary, or short story form.
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Poet Naomi Shihab Nye
Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.
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"Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets"
Young scholars examine the expressive and descriptive language used in the books "Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets" and "Planet of the Robots." In pairs they take notes about each other's physical appearance and conduct interviews,...
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Horatio's Drive
Students assess the literary quality and elements of Jackson's journey to write a ballad about his automobile adventure.