Curated OER
Noisy Nora, Studious Students: Story Elements
Alliterative adjective nicknames generate stories inspired by Rosemary Wells' book Noisy Nora (also a thematic complement to any class with children who make a ruckus to get attention). Class members explore basic story elements --...
Curated OER
Storytelling in the Oral Tradition
Seventh graders research Greek mythological characters. They write about problems faced by middle school-aged children and how the character would handle them. Students also create story boards to accompany their oral narratives.
Curated OER
Where is Flat Stanley?
Young scholars create a story map of the basic elements and significant events of the book Flat Stanley. Students brainstorm places they would like to visit if they had been flattened and then, write about an imagined experience. Young...
Curated OER
A Pixie Biography Report
Learners practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. For this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Learners...
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Immigration: Marijana's Story
Second graders explore world geography by researching U.S. history. In this immigration lesson, 2nd graders read the book Marijana's Story and discuss the main character, her goals, and the plot. Students complete a worksheet about U.S....
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Mummies in the Morning Egyptian pyramids, hieroglyphics
Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...
Curated OER
A Fine Feathered Flock
Students role play different situations. In this respect lesson plan, students read Mr. Lincoln's Way, identify the story elements and answer comprehension questions. Students discuss how they can always treat others with respect and...
Shakespeare in American Life
Tom Hanks and Caliban: Survivor Superstars
Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...
Curated OER
Teaching "Theme" with Children's Literature
In this exercise, learners examine the difference between a theme, topic, and moral. After a class discussion on the definition of literary themes, the instructor reads The Cello of Mr. O by Jane Cutler. Next, individuals analyze the...
Curated OER
Introduction to Victorian London and A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley
Immerse your class in Dickens's London and classic story of A Christmas Carol. Here, a SMARTboard presentation and WebQuest build background of the setting for the novel (or the play A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley.) Learning about...
Curated OER
The Lore o' the Irish
Students examine the importance of folklore in Ireland and how that folklore reflects Irish culture. They first interpret various Irish folk tales, focusing on what about Irish culture can be better understood from these stories.
Curated OER
Compass Rose Directions
Second graders use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places on maps and places in the classroom, school, and community. They draw a setting map of "Little Red Riding Hood." Students give five steps of cardinal or...
Curated OER
Message in a Bottle
Sixth graders write a short story about being stranded on a deserted island. After a brief geography review of locations at various latitudes and longitudes, 6th graders draft their story about being stranded. They use sensory and...
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John Muir in California
Fourth graders listen to key events in John Muir's life and plot locations on a California map. They discover that John Muir was an immigrant to California who encountered environmental problems and found solutions.
Curated OER
Protest Art in Pre-Revolutionary Russia
Students study the social class conflicts that existed during the Russian Revolution by reading the short stories of Anton Chekov and Leo Tolstoy. They analyze the stories to find criticisms of pre-Revolutionary Russia before designing...
Curated OER
Health Grade 5
Fifth graders understand conflict and how to solve them. In this instructional activity about conflict resolution, 5th graders explore different factors that cause conflict. Students are put into groups and develop a list of examples for...
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A Map is Worth a Thousand Words
Students read the story, "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. They discuss specific parts of the story with a group and put their lists on the board. They write a summary of the plot and setting of the story.
Curated OER
Bible Readings: Supernatural, Cosmic, Angelic, Meteorological
Students create and present a short science fiction story. In this Bible studies activity students work in small groups and are assigned characters and a scenario to develop a play about.
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Journal of Time: A Historical Perspective
Analyze the setting behind the Great Depression in California with Pam Munoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising. Middle schoolers assess the protagonist during her coming-of-age moments, while migrant workers manage the hardships of the...
Curated OER
Harry Potter and the Spellbound Children
Help your class explore the world of Harry Potter. Learners visit selected websites to learn the background about the book series, discover details about the marketing of the books, and investigate book banning.
Curated OER
Immigration Unit
Third graders develop an appreciate for the various cultures that are present in their local community. Through reading and research, they explain how various culture came to live in their area. At the conclusion of the unit, 3rd...
Curated OER
Woodland Indians
Third graders research Woodland Indians. In this Woodland Indian lesson, 3rd graders have a classroom discussion and write facts about the Miami Indian group. They write a narrative from the perspective of an Indian child.
Curated OER
Halloween Comic Strips
Fourth graders participate in a lesson on the subject of creating comic strips. They create facial expressions in drawings for practice and gradually progress to making their own comic strips based on the holiday of Halloween. The...
Curated OER
Owen
Students discuss items they may have wanted to bring to school, but were not allowed to. (Example: Blanket). Their responses are listed on chart paper. They listen to the teacher read "Owen" by Kevin Henkes. Students discuss appropriate...