Students classify objects that are similar by one attribute. They explain what a pattern is and how to make a pattern using objects.

First graders sort Valentine candies according to kind. Data is inserted into a spreadsheet and displayed in various graphic formats.

Students view video clips and observe similarities and differences between animals. They sort animals into groups for a zoo. They make a graph of their observations and review scientific classifications.

First graders identify basic shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle) and describes the attributes of each. They use magazines to find examples of each shape, and then make a collage.

Eighth graders sort items as they are shown one at a time by the teacher. They attempt to identify the one physical trait the teacher is looking for (metal and not metal). After several objects have been shown and placed in groups, the...

Students study term deposits and the attributes of long and short-term savings. They examine their spending habits while looking at how different types of accounts meet different economic goals. They complete worksheets that are provided...

Fourth graders explore polygons. In this polygon lesson, 4th graders sort polygons according to their properties. Students discover the connection between polygons and the Greek language.

Engage your youngsters in basic economics by connecting the terms to dessert and pizza! After a discussion about intermediate goods and natural resources, learners read and connect a pizzeria to economic terms.

How can you tell if something is living or nonliving? Introduce a set of criteria which can be used to determine which things are alive and which are not. The class discusses the basic needs of all living organisms, checks out an...

Help kindergartners develop the academic language they need to master the Common Core standards with this list of math vocabulary. Including the definitions of each term as well as a set of word cards with supporting images and examples,...

This second instructional activity in a larger unit is perfect for the beginning of the year because it explicitly teaches 3rd graders how to use close reading skills by identifying unfamiliar words, figuring out the gist, and...

Third graders read excepts from the story, Thank You, Mr. Falker in order to gain practice in understanding an unfamiliar story by focusing on the details. They use a worksheet, embedded in the plan, which directs them to certain...

For this ninth lesson plan in a larger beginning-of-the-year unit, close reading skills are used independently to find the gist of the story That Book Woman. Rereading for important details is the targeted skill to unlock a deeper...

As a summative assessment for this unit on colonial trade, fourth graders listen to and read informational texts in order to demonstrate their ability to take notes, write summaries, and draw connections. Young scholars first listen as...

Lesson 7 focuses on building academic vocabulary and writing an explanatory letter with supported textual evidence. For the first five minutes of the instructional activity, the educator reminds the class of how to read and refer to the...

The twelfth instructional activity of this unit builds on the skills developed in the previous instructional activity, as fourth graders continue their quest to become experts on colonial trade by listening to interviews with historical...

Voices from the past. Young scholars listen to a podcast interview with a historical re-enactor as they continue their research in the eleventh instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. Applying their close reading skills,...

Lesson ten in this unit for the book Bullfrogs at Magnolia Circle, prepares third graders to begin writing an informational paragraph about the adaptations of bullfrogs. First, young writers work either independently or in pairs to...

Fourth graders view examples of help-wanted ads as they plan and create their own writing in the fourteenth instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. The engagement of the class is captured when the teacher shares an actual...

In instructional activity 13 of this unit on colonial trade, young researchers learn about apprentices as they prepare to write help-wanted ads for the specific trade they have been researching. To begin, the class listens closely as the...

Demonstrate lift to the class that is studying aerodynamics. In the stream of air produced by a blow dryer, little physicists place a wad of tissue paper and a spherical figure to compare. Or, if you have a vacuum cleaner and beach ball,...

 In this geometry instructional activity, learners read The Greedy Triangle and use geoboards to construct geometric shapes. They identify the number of sides and angles each shape has.

Elementary graders discover the concept of fractional pieces of a whole. They investigate the meanings of fractions in everyday life and why they are used. Pupils divide brownies amongst each other to demonstrate the use of fractions...

Young learners listen to a read aloud of Gail Gibbons book, Apples and the story A Red House With No Windows and No Doors. They compare characteristics of a number of kinds of apples, graph them and create a apple print picture. Learners...