Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts
Students explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. In this fiction writing instructional activity, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with...
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Starlight, Star Bright
First graders read books and use the Internet to identify several constellations and stars in the night sky. They make star pictures and write a class report about the night sky including a title, complete sentences and a cited reference.
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Arctic Animals of Alaska
Pupils explore the natural history of arctic Alaska through lecture and discussion. They write poems and complete research papers about Arctic animals.
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Greetings from Maya Angelou
Students investigate the life and works of Maya Angelou. They complete a Webquest, read poems, listen to a reading by Maya Angelou, answer discussion questions, and write a poem, short story, or essay based on a newspaper article.
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Brillant, Beautiful Bats!
Students use the internet to gather information on bats. They write their own bat poem and describe the differences between the parts of a bat's body. They identify how bats are important to humans and how they control the insect...
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What Do You Know About Oceans?
Students brainstorm and discuss what they know about oceans and seas, read poem My Ocean Speaks by Olga Cossi, discuss narrator's feelings about ocean, write reflective journal entries about their experience or inexperience with the...
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Statue of Liberty: Liberty Enlightening the World
Students explore reasons that people immigrate to the United States. In this Statue of Liberty activity, students read a handout regarding immigration, analyze the poem, "The New Colossus," and complete the provided worksheet activities.
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Dictionary Skills
Students use a dictionary to review their spelling words. They discover how to use guide words in the dicotionary to find the words. They must write their spelling word and the page and guide words found on the page where the word is found.
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Understanding Cloud Formation
Students view a demonstration that simulates cloud formation. They read a poem about clouds, participate in a class demonstration using warm water and ice and write a paragraph summarizing their observations.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
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Flames of the Tiger
Students use the differentiated instructional model based on Dr. Kathie Nunley's three layered curriculum outline. The unit is designed to individualize instruction, appeal to different learning styles, encourage critical and higher...
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Waterfalls
Third graders practice identifying the main idea and supporting details when reading informational text. They read text related to waterfalls and practice note taking skills to identify critical details. Students use their notes to...
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Mesearch: A Reason for Research
Students complete a research activity about themselves. They access an article on brainstorming and identifying personality traits. Students brainstorm about their personality traits and view a related PowerPoint. Students create their...
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A Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her By
Learners create a water transportation device powered by wind. In this wind power lesson, students research transportation concepts after reading the poem "Sea Fever" by John Masefield. Learners design the fastest sailboat they can...
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Lesson One: How Change Affects Our Lives
Sixth graders discuss fears and how their lives change as they grow up. In this change lesson, 6th graders read the poem "Whatif" by Shel Silverstein. They discuss things they are afraid of or what they used to be afraid of.
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Inside Information
Students research and write reports about inventions and inventors. They develop graphic organizers to organize their information, and create reports on the impact of inventors and inventions.
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The Four Seasons
Students examine four paintings by Robert Harris and identify the season portrayed. Using the characteristics for each season, they write a poem and create a drawing of their own. In groups, they describe the different types of...
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Symbols of Freedom
Students display knowledge of historical facts regarding the American Flag as they use creative writing skills.
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Personalized Postcards
Students create and send postcards to friends and family members. Using actual photographs, they write a rough draft and final draft of a paragraph and print it out to glue onto a postcard template to mail to their friend or family member.
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Haydn's Surprise
Students listen to Haydn's "Surprise" and use the score to create themes and variations with other rhythms. They create poems using Haydn's rhythm in the symphony and research his life. They also use "body percussion" to play parts of...
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Fall Similes and Metaphors
Young scholars interpret what a similies and metaphors are. They give examples of similies and metaphors. Pupils write different similies and metaphors using fall or autumn descriptive words. Students base their comparisons on facts,...
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Spice Up the Basal
Fifth graders study English reading and writing skills as they participate in exciting interdisciplinary hands-on activities using a basal reading series.
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Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
Fifth graders read a rewritten version of the Declaration of Independence, create a set of pictures illustrating the Preamble of the Constitution and create a version of the Declaration of Independence in the form of a song, a poem,...
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The Titanic
Middle schoolers use various sources to compare and contrast information about the Titanic. In groups, they create a list of questions and use the internet to find the answers. They write a report with the new information and use their...