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Do a Ditty
Fourth graders work in cooperative groups to create a ditty to teach the characteristics that distinguish literary forms to younger students. The ditty is performed before the class.
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Learning About Writers
Learners explore how authors write stories. In this careers lesson, students invite an author into the classroom and ask him/her questions about writing as a career.
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In Conclusion
Fifth graders practice identifying the conclusions they can draw using the "In Conclusion Introduction" story which is attached. They complete a Conclusion worksheet which is attached.
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The Lady or the Tiger
Eighth graders make predictions on the topic of a story based on the title and the preview. After reading the story, they analyze what took place and create a graphic organizer explaining what they think would have happened had the...
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Holiday Writing Prompts
Students experience and practice their writing skills during the holiday season. They express themselves in a variety of ways including writing about a favorite part about the holiday break, what's the best gift you've ever gotten and...
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Spark Students Interest in Fire Safety Week
Young scholars explore and analyze about Fire Safety Week. They assess what a fire is, how is spreads so fast, , that it is hot and dark. Each student becomes aware that fire related incidents is the number three cause of death for...
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Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
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Exciting E's "/e/...what did you say?" Exicing E's!
Students recognize the short /e/ sound in spoken and written words. They say a tongue twister which emphasizes words with the short /e/ sound. They then listen to the story "Red Gets Fed" and identify the words in the story with the...
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The Pink Pig
Students identify the short /i/ sound in spoken words and the letter symbol in this activity. They say a tongue twister emphasizing words with the short /i/ sound. They then read the story "Liz is Six" and identify the words with the...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Dolphin’s First Day
Students explore language arts by reading a story with their class. In this tier two vocabulary lesson, students read the book Dolphin's First Day and discuss the vocabulary used in the story. Students participate in a word play activity...
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Report Writing in Primary Grades
Students learn how to read a short section and parepare a sentence to share with the group. Students listen to the reading of expository text, restate, in sentence format, one fact learned from that text, and produce a report.
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A Listening Walk
First graders listen to "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers. They discuss sounds they heard described in the story and then take a listening walk around their playground. They return to the class and draw what they heard.
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O, Do You Know?
Students identify the short /o/ sound in this instructional activity. They discover that the "o" is shaped like a magnifying glass, and are "detectives" looking for the /o/ sound in words. They listen to "No, David!" and identify the...
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Musical Freeze Improvisions
Students are introduced to the process of creating story from movement through improvisation and invention. When the music is playing, they move. When the music stops, the students freeze. A discussion on the role that music plays in the...
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Formulae One Champion To Take Driving Lessons
Students are asked to call out 5 words or expression to do with 'education' and 5 to do with 'crime.' They make up a story that includes at least 6 of the words and expressions. Students are told that they are going to read a text...
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Story Plot Flow Map
In this story plot flow map worksheet, learners complete the flow chart through short answers writing about the beginning, middle, climax, and conclusion of the story.
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Forming Open-Ended Questions
Help readers learn to create their own open-ended questions for any text you are working with. Using Bloom's Taxonomy, learners begin on the lower levels and work their way up to form questions that focus on synthesis instead of simple...
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Responding to A Sound of Thunder by Writing PowerPoint Presentations
Students, after reading "A Sound of Thunder," create a PowerPoint presentation about time travel. They study and utilize a graphic organizer to assist them in preparing to deliver an oral presentation next and finally they print their...
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Animal Fact or Fiction?
Read and discuss the article "Welcome to Cicadaville (Enter at Your Own Risk)" to gain a better understanding around the confusion regarding cicadas and locust swarms. In groups your young analysts research statements about animals to...
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The Cutting Edge
Young writers examine the writings of Raymond Carver to investigate editing skills. They will develop original sentences. Then read the work of Raymond Carver to edit and analyze the ending. They revise and ending of their original...
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Greed is Good?
From Mr. Merdle to Mr. Madoff? A viewing of the PBS adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Little Dorrit” launches an examination of greedy characters in literature and a study of greed, unfairness, and economic hardship today. The richly...
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How Does Ancestry Affect Folklore?
Young scholars break into groups of 4 or 5 and choose an option to demonstrate a different cultural perspective in a fairy tale or other folklore that they are familiar. Possible choices are: PowerPoint presentation, video, digital...
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Knowledge or Instinct? Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
Students closely read " To Build a Fire," to explore the use of narrative point of view and debate the distinction between knowledge and instinct. The elements of literary naturalism and how they relate to Jack London's work is examined...
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Preparing for Poetry: A Reader's First Steps
Students examine denotation and connotation in language, and paraphrase a poem. They read and analyze a sonnet by iam Shakespeare, analyze the attitude and tone, paraphrase a poem, and create a thesis about a poem based on textual evidence.