Curated OER
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: Fate Versus Free Will
Students relate legends of lucky objects such as a rabbit's foot and principles of Feng Shui to fate and free will concepts that are expressed in Shakespeare's play, "Julius Casear". In small groups, they redesign the palace of Casear to...
Curated OER
The Learning Network: The First Middle School Chess Champs
Introduce some nonfiction reading into your classroom! This resource contains seven comprehension questions pertaining to an article from The New York Times website about the first middle schoolers to ever win the United States Chess...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7
Considering adding more research to your curriculum? Check out this idea. The assignment example, which connects to the Common Core, is written for a lesson on "The Scarlet Ibis." However, you could adapt the bigger idea to almost any...
Curated OER
Painted Dreams
Third graders explore the importance of art in Haitian culture by analyzing the cause and effect within the story, "Allie's Basketball Dream." They examine all the aspects of the story and characters including their goals, dreams,...
Curated OER
LOOKING AT A CHARACTER
Second graders investigate self- and teacher-selected literature (e.g., picture books, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poems, legends) from a variety of cultures. They re-enact and retell stories, songs, poems, plays, and other literary...
Merlyn Education and Climate Protection Project
Short Story Lesson Plan: "Ghostwriter" By Kyle Downey
Frankenstein, Mr. Data, Hal, and DEFCON, the computer featured in Kyle Downey’s tale, “Ghostwriter,” all illustrate the dangers of creating intelligent life. After reading Downey’s story, class members craft their own narrative in which...
US National Library of Medicine
Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature
Just because you can, should you? Reflections on the ethics and limits of medical research are prompted by a reading of excerpts of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, viewing of clips from the 1931 film, and examining sections of the online...
Curated OER
Building Reading Skills: Fluency
Students practice their fluency skills. In this fluency lesson, students read aloud stories to their peers and they help to coach one another on their fluency, pronunciation, phrasing, and inflection. They discuss what makes a good...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Meet Our Class
Students survey the exploration of oneself through self-assessment and interviews by others. They organize ways to present themselves to the world through writing and artwork. They also customize research from a computer as a tool for...
Curated OER
Analyze This
Students gain practice in the analysis of various types of graphs common in daily life. These examples often use graphic images like charts, graphs, tables, and pictures to supplement learning.
Curated OER
Picture Dictionary
Students write and contribute one page for a class picture dictionary. They discuss how to alphabetize words, and examine both regular and picture dictionaries and how they are organized. Next they create a page for the class dictionary...
Curated OER
American Revolution Multimedia Project
Students create multimedia projects based on the American Revolution Era. In this American History lesson, students combine photographs, slides, and video to present the time line of the American Revolution to the rest of their class.
Curated OER
My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Curated OER
An Author Study: Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes' books can be a great way to introduce students to an author study in the classroom.
Curated OER
Gatsby and the American Twenties Newspaper
Students research 1920's US History. In this historical literature lesson plan, students use the novel The Great Gatsby as a tool to examine the era. They work in individually to create newspaper articles based on different historical...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Investigating the Declaration of Independence
Teach your class about the Declaration of Independence while giving them practice working as a team. The resource breaks participants into groups and has them answer questions about specific grievances from the Declaration of...
Curated OER
Enrichment Activities - "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"
Fifth graders read the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." They discuss the various characters in the book, and the different types of conflict that take place within the book. They also research owls and rats to make comparisons...
Curated OER
Living Longer
Students relate health information text to themselves and society. In this health information lesson, students answer questions using the 5 W's based on the health issue they are reading about. Students discuss life changes they might...
Curated OER
When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry
Students explore feelings. For this language arts lesson, students realize that books help in talking about feelings. Students discuss how they feel during the reading of a story and listen to each other in answering various...
Curated OER
Just "Who" are the Three Little Pigs?
Fourth graders use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast various versions of the story The Three Little Pigs. They write a Cinquain, and then act out their version of the Three Little Pigs in a skit.
Curated OER
What I Dream For:
Students investigate about the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., watching video clips from unitedstreaming. They identify ways that they can help make Martin Luther's dream of peace a reality. Pupils identify contributions that...
Curated OER
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam A Study of the Vietnam Era
Students examine letters that US service people wrote to their family and friends while they served in Vietnam. They examine the daily hardships and the role of medical personnel and helicopters. They write letters in response to those...
Curated OER
My Journal
In this journalism instructional activity, students complete 7 short answer questions regarding literary interests. Students are asked to reflect on their current reading assignments and lessons which they are involved in.