Curated OER
"Space" Investigations
Sixth graders understand the patterns of change observable on Earth as a result of the movement of the different bodies in the solar system. They identify the physical characteristics of the different components of the solar system.
Curated OER
Fairytale Cake
Students recreate characters from the story, "The Fairytale Cake." In this fairy tale characterization lesson, students first listen to fairy tales read aloud. They then use play dough and plastic bowls as pretend "cakes and icing", and...
Curated OER
Books for Teaching Dinosaurs
Students investigate dinosaurs through books. For this lesson about dinosaurs, students read a variety of books about dinosaurs. Students become familiar with dinosaurs through reading about them. Students learn that reading is...
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: The All Purpose Multimedia Poetry Beast
In this activity students explore writing and performing poetry in various forms: writing poetry, choral readings, mime, and preparing a multi-media presentation by designing a web page.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Steps Toward Writing Poetry
This site is actually meant for teachers but young scholars will find much of it useful, too. The writer, a teacher, describes her lesson plan for teaching children to write poetry. While her lessons are meant for elementary students, as...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry
Contains plans for eight lessons in a poetry unit that asks students to write poetry in various forms after reading models. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as...
Other
Rmc Denver: Reflections on Poetry Readings
This site features a lesson plan for how middle school students can learn to reflect on poetry readings. Students and teachers will benefit from this informative resource.
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: Conflict and War
This lesson requires three writing assignments on the topic or war or conflict: 1. Once familiar with the language, types, rhyme and metre used in poetry, students then write their own. They are given a selection of types to write, and...
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: Poems, Poems, Everywhere
Young scholars will read poems for pleasure, read a poem closely for meaning and form, and present a poem as a part of a group to the class. They will write a variety of poems, and choose at least one for re-writing and editing to...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Expressing Yourself With Poetry
Two classes at different schools or across the hall share dramatic poetry presentations as part of a poetry unit. Learners listen to poetry, practice reading poetry, and (if practical) participate in a distance learning program on...
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: Writing for Publication
Tenth graders will compose of a piece of processed poetic writing suitable for publication in a class magazine.
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: The Bell Jar
This lesson discusses Sylvia Plath's works including The Bell Jar. It has students look at biographic information and commentaries about Plath. As students read the novel, they complete response logs and write essays. They debate topics...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: 6th Grade Poetry Unit: Identity
Complete teaching unit for 6th Grade Poetry Unit: "Identity." Students will read 6 poems that speak to the theme of creating an identity. They will revisit the essential question: "How do we forge an identity?", read thematically-paired...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: 5th Grade Author Study: Shel Silverstein
Complete teaching unit for 5th Grade Author Study: Shel Silverstein. Students will read 6 poems by Shel Silverstein that speak to the theme of how we should live our lives. Students will revisit the essential question "According to Shel...
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Poetry for the Elementary Classroom
Site contains a narrative and three lesson plans. These plans are designed to assist students with various aspects of poetry. This site discusses strategies which enable students to effectively, memorize, recite, and correctly pronounce...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: 7th Grade Thematic Unit: Heroes
Complete teaching unit for 7th Grade Thematic Unit: "Heroes." In this unit, 7th graders will read seven texts that explore why people act heroically. Throughout this unit, students will revisit the essential question: "Why do people act...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: Teaching Units
Complete teaching units (12) by grade level. CommonLit units are crafted to be both engaging and rigorous, featuring a variety of literary and informational texts from diverse sources. Reading, writing, and discussion are prioritized in...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Units: 5th Grade Author Study: Gary Soto
Complete teaching unit for 5th Grade Author Study: Gary Soto. Students will read 4 short stories and 2 poems by Gary Soto that examine romantic and family love. Students will analyze these texts while considering the essential question:...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Poet William Blake
As part of a unit on William Blake and his poetry, this classroom activity provides a brief classroom project and includes lesson plan ideas, web links, and additional texts.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: 'Batty' About Bats!! (Writing)
As a part of a week-long unit about bats, the students will identify the characteristics of a bat and write an essay about bats. Student understanding will be enhanced through the use of books, poems, lectures, discussions, individual...
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Literature Unit: The House of Dies Drear
"The House of Dies Drear," is a powerful novel by Virginia Hamilton.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Dead Poets Society: Socratic Seminar Discussion
As a springboard to an eleventh grade poetry unit, young scholars view the movie Dead Poets Society and participate in a Socratic seminar of the themes, symbols, and life questions raised by the film. Student groups research and present...
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Garden Lesson Plans: Japanese Garden Vocabulary: Haiku [Pdf]
A mini-unit on haiku where young scholars learn about and write haiku inspired by Japanese gardens. This activity is intended to be done in conjunction with a visit to a Japanese garden, but this is not essential.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Gossip to Learn: A Juicy Approach to Research
Though teachers might use this student-centered, technology-based, one or two-day research project to introduce any author, English 12 teachers may wish to use the lesson to jump-start a unit on British literature from the Romantic...