Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Al Capone Does My Shirts
It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...
Voices of a People's History
Voices in The Classroom
Everyone's perspective of the past is different. A thought-provoking unit gives young academics the opportunity to explore their perspectives on history and their neighborhoods. Based on the work of Howard Zinn, each lesson explores...
Bantam Books
The Tempest: Chalk Talk
Discussion doesn't always need to be spoken. Before you begin The Tempest by William Shakespeare, have kids connect their ideas and experiences to central questions of the play with a silent discussion activity. Once they have...
Curriculum Corner
Inferencing
Inferencing is a necessary reading skill to uncover non-explicit messages in text. Use the set of resources as a way to guide learners toward becoming expert inferrers through reading prompts and literature with text and without text.
K5 Learning
Liza's First Spelling Bee
Learners read about Liza's first spelling bee before answering six reading comprehension questions. Skills include identifying similarities, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and answer questions based on explicit information in...
Social Media Toolbox
Social Media Usage
Is there a difference in the way organizations present news via social media and in print? The third in a series of 16 lessons from The Social Media Toolbox explores news outlets and their delivery methods. Groups follow a story for a...
Scholastic
Developing a Main Character
Asking kids to craft their own stories? Get them starting with a character planning sheet that asks them to identify the character's likes and dislikes, his or her strengths and fears, a goal the character wants to achieve, and...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Seventh Grade
Having a hard time defining bullying with your seventh graders? Discuss the different types of behavior one would see in a bullying situation with a series of lessons, worksheets, and group activities.
Curated OER
Poetic Elements
Poetry is all about sound and rhythm. The sound of the words, the rhythm of the lines, and the emotional atmosphere created by these elements and the literary devices poets use, compress whole stories into a few stanzas. The specialized...
Facing History and Ourselves
Choosing to Participate Posters
"A poster exhibit to encourage dialogue, engagement, respect, and participation in our communities..." This is a set of attractive posters that reference influential historical figures, such as George Washington and Albert Einstein, and...
BBC
Walking with Dinosaurs
Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...
Novelinks
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle: Guided Imagery
Prior to reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, spark engagement, and step into the shoes of Charlotte Doyle through this guided imagery activity focusing on adventure and the emotions that may be felt along...
EngageNY
Graphs of Piecewise Linear Functions
Everybody loves video day! Grab your class's attention with this well-designed and engaging resource about graphing. The video introduces a scenario that will be graphed with a piecewise function, then makes a connection to domain...
Vermilionville
Mardi Gras Elementary
You don't have to visit Vermilionville to experience the Cajun traditions of Mardi Gras. After examining pictures and hearing stories about these colorful traditions, learners create their own Courir de Mardi Gras masks.
PHET
Learning about Space Weather
Is the sun the only celestial body with magnetic fields? A guided discussion on the weather in space is designed with a mix of questions, discussions, explanations, and applications. Additionally, the resouce includes an...
K5 Learning
Clara Barton: Civil War Hero
Gain information about Clara Barton, a Civil War hero, and enhance reading comprehension skills with a worksheet that challenges scholars to read an informational passage and answer five short answer questions.
Scholastic
Hillary Conquers Everest
If a field trip to the summit of Mount Everest isn't in your school budget, make the trek virtually! An interactive instructional activity allows class members to follow Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's trail up the mountain, and...
The Holler
Conflict Resolution
Does your class understand the importance of peaceful conflict resolution? Middle schoolers share conflict stories, then collaborate to resolve simulated conflicts during an engaging lesson. The teacher's guide contains implementation...
Scholastic
Voyage on the Mayflower
After completing an online activity about the Mayflower, scholars draw a picture about what they know of the Thanksgiving holiday, including a one-sentence summary. A reading of If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma is...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Archaeology
Readings of fiction and nonfiction texts followed by a series of activities put scholars in an archaeologist's shoes. Learners read two texts, Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke and The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with...
Curated OER
Story Outline
Students examine the qualities of a piece of writing. For this language arts lesson, students begin writing by following an outline for what goes into a story. Students illustrate their story when it is finished and share their stories...
Curated OER
Writing a Short Story - Weather
Students write a short story based on the weather condition they chose. in this short story lesson plan, students must include a theme, setting, characters, and plot.
Curated OER
Creative Writing Idea Sheet
For this creative writing ideas worksheet, students create their own stories as they use the setting, character, and objects listed on the worksheet to fuel their ideas.
Curated OER
Story Elements: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
In this story elements learning exercise, students respond after reading Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. Students identify the setting, main characters, problem and solution. Students write their notes in purse shapes.