Curated OER
Jackie Chan and James Bond Movies
Young scholars investigate similarities and differences between popular films made in Asia and those made in the West.
Curated OER
Our Town: Using Song Lyrics in the Classroom
Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown” and Billy Joel’s “Allentown” motivate young lyricists to craft poems about their own home town. Groups compare the two songs, identifying details, symbols, and conflicts. Individuals then picture a place...
Curated OER
Personal Poetry: An Introduction to Narrative Poetry
Here are some simple and easy to manage lesson ideas to introduce narrative poetry in your classroom.
Classroom Adventures Program
Creating Characters
Examine character in depth. Over the course of these six lessons, learners explore their own character traits, determine the traits of characters in the books they read, practice comparing and contrasting, and collaborate in small groups...
Curated OER
The Gift of the Magi
Test the true meaning of giving - and irony - with this lesson about "The Gift of the Magi." Using textual analysis, details, and text organization, middle schoolers make predictions about future events in the story and determine the...
Curated OER
Beowulf: Songs of Ancient Heroes
Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...
Curated OER
Bone's Adventures
Students read and discuss a chapter from the book "A Dog's Life," focusing on the point of view of the dog in the story. They explore dog rescue organization websites, and play the online game "Bone Travels On," creating a story map and...
Curated OER
Project Interactive--Stem and Leaf Plotter
In this excellent stem and leaf plotter worksheet, students construct, arrange and write a report of how to interpret the leaves they collect in this data analysis. Students answer 4 detailed questions regarding the data analysis...
Curated OER
Cinderella Stories
Students read and compare Cinderella stories using a worksheet. They write and illustrate original tales with a twist.
Curated OER
Bound For Oregon
Students find 20 words that are new to them. They write the definition and drawing or symbol to help them remember the meaning of the word. Students use the context of the word from the book to help figure out the meaning of the word.
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension
In this reading comprehension lesson, 3rd graders read the story Treasury of Literature and complete various comprehension activities. Students answer factual questions about the story, analyze the story using a bubble map, and extend...
Curated OER
St. Augustine's Confessions by St. Augustine
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions based on St. Augustine's Confessions. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the...
Curated OER
The Magic in Writing
Learners watch a portion of a familiar film and write responses to a series of questions. They apply their observations to short stories.
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
Writing Own Tale
Third graders read The First Strawberries and complete a character chart. In this writing a tale lesson, 3rd graders discuss viewpoints and identify character traits. Students complete character charts and write their own tale about how...
Curated OER
Could You Repeat That?
Students participate in an oral story telling activity designed to show how story embellishments occur. They read "Beowulf" and identify incongruities that suggest additions and embellishments over the years.
Curated OER
Most Wanted Villians
Learners review the characteristics of various characters in fairytales. As a class, they review the story details and create a concept map using a software program. They create their own wanted poster of the villians in the fairytale to...
Curated OER
Scurvy at Sea: Researching and Writing About Vitamin C Deficiency
Students gather information about vitamin C deficiency, and research how scurvy was prevented in sea-going ventures during The Age of Sail. They create a "Scurvy Log" that will allow them to connect what they have learned about scurvy...
Curated OER
Frankenstein - Frankenfolio
Students engage in a variety of activities in order to appreciate the literature of Frankenstein. They create a portfolio that tracks progress towards mastering skills and stated objectives.
Curated OER
HOLES UNIT
Students participate in the unit based on the Newbery Medal-winning novel by Louis Sachar and the Walt Disney Movie "Holes". They use the layered curriculum model of assessment and activities.
Curated OER
The Seasonal Round and The Cycle of Life
Fourth graders are introduced to the concept of the seasonal round and how folklife traditions vary from season to season. They begin charting dates of personal interest on seasonal round calendars by starting with birthdays. Students...
Curated OER
Earth and Space Science: Exploring Earthquakes
Students explore earthquakes. In this earthquake lesson, students research earthquakes and identify where they take place. Students use map skills to track down earthquake locations. There are internet sites suggested in this lesson.
Curated OER
Using Inspiration Software to Explore Characters In Stories
Students identify characters, their qualities, and examples of their qualities and use Inspiration to organize them in a clear and understandable format. After a lecture/demo, students use the program on the next story by themselves.
Curated OER
Author, Author!
Third graders, in groups, select and research a favorite studenT author or illustrator. They answer questions about the author, conduct research and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with their findings.