Curated OER
Vivid Verbs
Spice up your writing! Your amateur writers will benefit from concentrating on understanding and improving verb use in writing. An introductory activity addresses weak verbs. A second exercise helps them see the importance of strong...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Photograph Art
Take a trip down Pearblossom Highway with this activity about comparing and contrasting. Using David Hockney's Pearblossom Hwy and another image of the same highway (photograph or other image), students compare and contrast the two...
Curated OER
Conejito
Third graders read the story "Conejito" and write a descriptive story about the rainforest in Panama. They answer story comprehension questions, complete worksheet questions about a map of Panama, and rewrite a paragraph changing the...
Curated OER
Sun and Shadows
Why do shadows look different in the summer than in the winter? What causes day and night? How can a sundial be used to tell time? Answer these questions and more through two engaging lessons about light and shadows. Fourth and fifth...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Water Words
Water is an interesting substance that all living things need to survive. Learners focus on the characteristics of water as they create a list of words related to water and then incorporate them into descriptive paragraphs. They then use...
Curated OER
Great Gatsby's Jazz
As Nick wanders the grounds of Gatsby's mansion, he observes the behaviors of the rowdy guests and listens to the music pouring over the lawn. Bring the music of the jazz age into the classroom with Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues,"...
Penguin Books
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Young Readers Edition
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. A useful set of lesson plans encourage young readers to take a second look at their eating habits. Pre- and post-reading questions bring in reflective writing and discussion while extension...
Curated OER
Solving the Puzzle
Students create a map showing the United States borders at a specific period in history and produce three questions to be answered by examining the map. They also write a productive paragraph explaining who, what, when, where, how/why a...
Student Handouts
Ten Things I Learned This Year
As you approach the end of the school year or New Years Eve, encourage reflection amongst your class members and gain a quick glimpse into the content and ideas that they remember the most.
Bantam Books
The Tempest: Four Corners
Forgiveness can be a difficult step to take in any circumstance, but is it more difficult if the offense is more egregious? High schoolers consider the concept of forgiveness before reading William Shakespeare's The Tempest. As...
US Department of State
Reader's Theater: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The opening chapters of Mark Twain's masterpiece, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, can be daunting for some readers. A reader's theater assignment divides the second chapter of the novel into a seven-role script, allowing...
Charleston School District
Contextualizing Function Qualities
Let the graph tell the story! Adding context to graphs allows learners to analyze the key features of the function. They make conclusions about the situation based on the areas the graph is increasing, decreasing, or has a maximum...
Curated OER
Fluency Passages, 3rd Grade
What would it be like to travel in a covered wagon? Learn about the life of a pioneer with a short informational reading passage. Kids read four paragraphs about traveling in a covered wagon and how it is different than traveling today,...
Have Fun Teaching
Making Inferences Something Special (13)
Work on making inferences with a reading passage and comprehension questions. After kids read a short paragraph about Jalisa's birthday, they infer why she would be excited about receiving gifts from her brother.
ESL Holiday Lessons
Mardi Gras
Take a trip to Mardi Gras with a festive reading packet! After class members read an informational article about the history and celebration of Mardi Gras, they think about the structure of the passage...
Curated OER
All Aboard! All Aboard! The Essay Train
Third graders enjoy a train ride with The Little Engine That Could and discover how to create a five-paragraph essay train. This clever instructional activity has students use each boxcar of the train as a template for a paragraph.
Curated OER
Our Special Keepsake
Third graders observe the procedure for writing a single paragraph. They listen to a story and write a single paragraph response including a topic sentence, with supporting sentences.
Curated OER
Create a Pet/Monster Creative Writing Activity
Students are instructed to create a monster in a paragraph or even a short story. This activity allows students to work with new vocabulary. It is also a good way to practice using verbs and adjectives in Spanish.
Curated OER
Writing: Stay High and Dry
Students write an effective conclusion for their essay. In this conclusion lesson students restate the thesis of their paper and summarize three important points. Students then write a final statement to wrap up their...
Curated OER
Pumpkin Patch Fun!
Students research a website to find out about pumpkins. In this pumpkins lesson plan, students research the site, make a review sheet for another group to complete, draw a pumpkin, and write a summary about their learnings.
Curated OER
Real Estate Agent
In this occupation worksheet, students read a paragraph about a real estate agent named Margaret. They then answer 5 true or false questions about the paragraph. Finally, students write a paragraph explaining what Margaret should do if a...
Curated OER
What a Difference a Year Makes: Billy's Letter
Seventh graders read, "Where the Red Fern Grows" and write a RAFT letter from the point of view of the character Billy to his grandpa reflecting on the death of his dog and his adjustment to life in town.
Curated OER
Dream Bed
Students design and write descriptions of imaginary beds. In this interior design instructional activity, students use various art materials such as paint, fabric, boxes, and string to create a model of a bed. Students use descriptive...
Curated OER
Writing: A Friendly Letter
Students practice writing career oriented letters and filling out job applications. As a class, they review the proper ways to make citations and identify the difference between the various types of letter formats. They use peer editing...