Students investigate the linguistic devices used by writers to create meaning. In this writing lesson, students discover why writers write in different ways showing examples of different types of text. After reading each type students...

Learners identify the key features of printed non-fiction texts.  In this deciphering texts lesson, students watch a video clip of a news program and a children's program to compare presentations. Learners also identify...

Fourth graders investigate two types of water vessels that were used by Lewis and Clark during the exploration of the Louisiana Territory. They interpret data to determine which vessel was more efficient.

Students investigate the purposes of state and local government. They categorize newspaper articles into state and local issues. Pupils summarize nonfiction text. Students given an oral presentation on a news report to the class.

Young scholars read different types of literature in a group setting. They discuss the related themes and research them. They create a PowerPoint presentation on the information they have collected.

Students create a model bridge using steel. In this bridges lesson plan, students study John Augustus Roebling and how he created bridges out of steel and the impact it had on society. Then students build their own bridge model.

Third graders listen to the teacher read "The Sneetches" prior to creating charts about their individual characteristics. After numerous examples of individuality, they compile them on chart paper. As an extension, 3rd graders write...

Second graders use a double bubble thinking map to compare newspapers and magazines. They browse through magazines and newspapers to identify characteristics of each type of text and find 5 features for each type of text. They share...

Students enhance their understanding of parts of speech by writing a cinquain poem about Louisiana. In this cinquain poem lesson plan, students read example cinquain poems and study the format for a cinquain poem. Students create a class...

Students work in groups to research and prepare a report on cloud types. They present their findings to the class and take a group quiz competing for points. Students go outside and determine which type of clouds are visible on that day.

Students discover the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque. They use those descriptions to classify clouds. They create a presentation in which they show the different types of clouds with their descriptions.

Students connect their lives to a story or nonfiction text. In this reading connections lesson plan, students make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections as they complete connections stems based on a story.

Learners practice relating non-fiction to knowledge they already have on the subject. They evaluate differences in the types of text structrures in non-fiction. They employ a review strategy that allows them to understand their reading.

Use Mattie Stepanek’s Heartsongs book of poetry to inspire young poets to write about their own lives, experiences, and feelings. After reading the introduction to Mattie’s book, in which he talks about himself and his reasons for...

Learners explore the concept of bituminous coal and the role it plays within our world.  In this economic and earth science lesson plan, students discover and model the extraction methods with hands-on activities.  Learners...

Students evaluate whether certain physical actions constitute a "good touch" or a "bad touch". In this sensitive health instructional activity, students are read a book about types of touches, and then compare and contrast between good...

Students create story webs to aid comprehension of ecosystems. In this reading strategies lesson, students discover the importance of organizing information while reading a nonfiction text. Students produce story webs to communicate...

What information would you find in an almanac that you would not find in an atlas? What is the difference between a dictionary and a thesaurus? Using a Cite Your Sites worksheet on which they record their observations, groups participate...

Fifth graders apply information about Deborah Sampson to create a Jeopardy type game. In this Deborah Sampson activity, 5th graders read information text about the Revolutionary War Patriot before using the information to develop...

Students, while reading a novel together in class, jot in their journals any connections to their own lives they can make between the text and self, text to text or text to the world. Various themes are connected to open more doors to...

As part of a unit on Arizona's biotic communities, young ecology learners create a map. They describe how humans and animals adapt in their habitat. They take notes and create graphic organizers from articles they read. Beautiful maps,...

Bring language arts and U.S. history together in this instructional activity, which prompts middle and high schoolers to gather biographical information about Abraham Lincoln. They compare and contrast information written about his...

Students examine Seventeen Magazine's America's Sweetheart contest and one of their finalists by reading about Sunia Arif and what made Seventeen choose her. Students then write a 300-word essay about what would make them or someone they...

To do this engaging and pleasurable activity, your learners should have already read a graphic novel, and produced a piece of writing that can be reproduced into the format of a graphic novel. This exercise provides a script that...