Literacy Design Collaborative
Structure Forming Meaning
Teach literary lovers how to form opinions about form. Scholars read
informational text about the form used in villanelles. After analyzing
the structure used in the poetry with graphic organizers and gallery
walks, writers create...
Curated OER
Using Plays in the Language Class
Students improve their reading and speaking skills. They experiment with language, tone of voice, body language as they write a play. They write a script to a play. They act out roles of the play.
Curated OER
Question Order
As part of a review on forming sentences, this activity could be used with adults to teach English language concepts, or with younger students to cement basic skills. While this 8 question fill-in-the-blank exercise is short, it could...
Curated OER
Reading Strategies: Those Darned Examinations
Eleventh graders demonstrate how to study for exams using Reciprocal Teaching technique. They apply new reading strategies when studying for an exam. They demonstrate a variety fo strategies before, during, and after reading to increase...
Curated OER
Dual Existence
Read an excerpt from Sonia Mycak's short story A Dual Existence in a Seemingly Singular Country and consider the emotional and social implications of not being able to speak English in Australia. This would be a great lesson for EFL...
Curated OER
Close Reading
Eleventh graders read and study Hamlet. Then they are introduced to close reading as a means of understanding what is being read--not only understanding the printed word, but also the nuances and connotations of language as it is used by...
Curated OER
Having Fun with Dialogues
Students investigate how to gain confidence in speaking through using scripted dialogues. They should remember to use familiar dialogues/dialogues based on language recently studied. Students incorporate nonsense into the mix of...
Curated OER
Report Writing: Creating and Using a Mind Map
Walk your class through the process of creating a mind map. Learners begin with a specific topic and add details. Then, they use their mind maps to write a report. This is a creative approach to teaching writing.
Curated OER
Writing - Direct Speech
The art of writing dialogue is the focus of this language arts resource. After a review of the rules of writing direct speech, youngsters try their hand at creating dialogue used by characters they create in their writing. They focus on...
Curated OER
Word Walls
Students participate in creating a word wall using words important to them and design other organized displays to entice memory and assist in teaching. As a class, they clap out letters of words and solve mystery words from given clues....
Curated OER
Original Children's Books
Bring the fun and creativity of children's stories to your language arts class. Middle schoolers write, revise, and publish an original student book which incorporates the elements of a short story. They put their story in the form of a...
Scholastic
Fabulous Fill-ins #1
Where is the cat? Use a word bank with articles and prepositions to complete six sentences about a cat's location. A picture helps kids visualize where the cat is in relation to other items in the room.
Teach-nology
You Don’t Know How to Drive?
A cloze reading passage about getting a driver's permit at an older age prompts kids to use context clues as they read. They can use the word bank below to fill in eight blank spaces throughout the story.
Curated OER
Acrostic Poetry to Teach Font Changes and Centering
Young scholars engage in a discussion about how to write an acrostic poem. They demonstate the ability to use a word processor by typing an acrostic poem by following instructions. Word processing skills such as, centering text, changing...
Curated OER
Teach Peace Now
Help your learners discover empathy and understanding by investigating two sides of a situation. In this humanities lesson, pupils examine different pairs of shoes and hypothesize about who may have worn them. Discuss real life...
Curated OER
Etymology: A Mini-Lesson on Teaching a Word's History
As you're reading The Hobbit with your class, show them the etymology of the word attercop. This presentation would benefit with some additional examples or with a practice slide that offers a list of words from the book that pupils must...
Curated OER
Awesome Animals
Sixth graders write descriptive narratives about animals. In this descriptive writing lesson, the teacher models how to write a paragraph with interesting sensory words and exciting verbs. Students choose a picture of an animal they want...
Curated OER
Blogging to Create a Community of Writers #1: Setting Up the Blog
Writer's workshop is an idea that's been around for years. Students write, read, and comment on each others writing in an authentic and thoughtful way. Here is a 21st century twist, 6th graders will use the class blog to create a...
Curated OER
Blogging to Create a Community of Writers: Lesson 2 of 6
Using this lesson on blogs, you can lead your class through the process of setting up a blog, writing a blog entry, editing their work, and more. There is a link to the blog site used, and attachments of blog entries.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" Speech
Invite your class to investigate racism and civil rights by analyzing the great Dr. Martin Luther King's speech. Your learners will read the words from the "I Have a Dream" speech and analyze the political and racial overtones. They will...
Curated OER
Create a Music Carnival
This outstanding lesson will encourage your students to combine their knowledge of rhythm, pitch, tone and color with their imaginations to create original compositions about animals. They create a music carnival to "Peter and the Wolf"...
Curated OER
Blogging to Create a Community of Writers #6: Writing a Review
Looking for a good social media lesson for your class? Then, this lesson is for you! They study various written reviews, then must choose an item to review of their choice. They can choose from: a book, restaurant, CD/musical...
New York City Department of Education
What Did I Do to Be so Black and Blue: How Did Jazz Influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
How did jazz influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man? Class members read some of Ellison's non-fiction writings about blues and jazz, listen to records, watch videos, and engage in student-centered discussions. They then produce podcasts...
Curated OER
Study Guide for Where the Red Fern Grows
One of the best fourth grade books of all time is Where the Red Fern Grows. Provide your class with interesting background on the book and the author as well as worksheets for every five chapters of the novel. The first part of the guide...