Curated OER
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Students explore the 5 themes of geography. In this cross curriculum literacy and geography lesson, students listen to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, and make a list of the needs of the people in Chewandswallow....
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Young scholars explore the issue of endangered species. They read a summary sheet and case history handout, complete a summary form, define key vocabulary terms, and participate in a class discussion.
Curated OER
Show And Tell
Have you ever saved your money to buy something you really wanted? Elementary schoolers share how they saved their money for things they wanted, and they bring in one or two items that they bought with their personal savings.
Curated OER
Sound
Third graders explore sound. They describe sounds in terms of their properties and explain how sounds are made. Students discuss how various sounds sound to their ears and how sound travels in waves.
Curated OER
The Ozone Layer
Young scholars examine the issue of ozone depletion. They define key vocabulary terms, take a pre-quiz, discuss the quiz questions and answers, read an article, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
Finding Synonyms
Student identify synonyms in poetry. For this grammar lesson, young scholars define what a synonym is and view several examples on the board. Students read a selected poem on an overhead transparency and circle the synonyms.
Curated OER
Sorrow in Sudan
Students explore the various groups and organizations involved in the Darfur conflict. Through investigative research, students gain insight into this complex issue.
Curated OER
Chew On This!
Learners develop pamphlets for a dental health mentoring program that educates younger students about caring for their teeth. They recall experiences at visits to dentists and consider why some students may have poor dental health.
Curated OER
Reaching Students through Literacy Centers
Continue the celebration of literacy this month by integrating reading centers into the classroom.
Curated OER
New York City Delights: The Taxi Cab
You set the rate! Step into the shoes of a taxi driver in New York City, and also pretend to be a person who uses taxis to get around town. The class will conduct collaborative research to learn about the history of taxis. Then, they...
Curated OER
Justice Is Blind, Colorblind That Is
It's so interesting to see kids respond to articles about education. To start the day, prompt learners to discuss the words colorblindness and diversity. Then, split your class in two and have one side read an article from 2007 and...
Curated OER
Lost Names: Scenes From a Korean Boyhood,
What a great resource to share! Based on the book Lost Names by Richard Kim, this valuable lesson focuses on the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII. Additionally, it employs first-person journaling as a mode of understanding themes...
Curated OER
Famous Person: Yushiko Uchida
Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's...
Curated OER
Cite Your Sites!
The New York Times article “Lessons in Internet Plagiarism,” launches a look at how the Internet has increased the prevalence of plagiarism. The richly detailed activity includes warm-up and wrap-up activities, discussion questions,...
Curated OER
Math On Your Lap Quilt
Get creative juices flowing when you allow groups to figure out a procedure for how to find the area of squares and rectangles. They may use the individual patchwork blocks, or they may design one using the Design Template.
Achievement Strategies
Unit/Chapter Design Template
A thorough lesson plan template allows teachers to design balanced and standards-based lessons for any grade. The template includes spaces for unit vocabulary and concepts, objectives, and additional resources.
Virginia Department of Education
Distance and Midpoint Formulas
Small groups work through two guided activities to derive the distance and midpoint formulas for the coordinate plane. The activities begin with concrete examples and move to abstract.
Curated OER
Learning to Survive
Using the article "Escaping Afghanistan: Children Pay Price," discuss the lives of Afghan refugees and the impact of Taliban rule. A detailed list of questions is provided, but you will have to search for the article. Extension...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle (Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation)
The 3 steps of the water cycle, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, are the focus of this lesson. After a neat demonstration of rain using hot water, a pie tin, and ice cubes, young scientists observe and discuss the elements...
Curated OER
Taking Age into Account
Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson to emphasize the rules and individual roles...
Virginia Department of Education
Analyzing and Interpreting Statistics
Use measures of variance to compare and analyze data sets. Pupils match histograms of data sets to their respective statistical measures. They then use calculated statistics to further analyze groups of data and use the results to make...
Virginia Department of Education
Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
Future mathematicians learn about arithmetic and geometric sequences, as well as common ratios and differences as they complete a worksheet matching sequences with the algebraic expressions that represent them.
Virginia Department of Education
Multiplying Polynomials Using Algebra Tiles
Tiles are not just for algebra—see how they can help with multiplication too. Young mathematicians learn to use algebra tiles to model the multiplication of polynomials. A follow-up worksheet provides practice with the skill.
Virginia Department of Education
Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Using Algebra Tiles
Scholars learn how using algebra tiles to add and subtract polynomials can model how to combine polynomials. They use their newfound knowledge to complete a worksheet of problems.