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The Power of Mental Images: Visualizing Literature
Looking for a powerful reading comprehension method? Try visualization! Learners use this strategy to increase comprehension of a chapter book selected by the teacher. As an assessment, individuals or small groups draw pictures of the...
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School Yard Waste
Fourth graders examine the types of garbage that they collect on the playground. They collect the information in a spreadsheet and create a graph that displays the number of types of trash found. They design and monitor a playground...
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Breaking up a Poem
Seventh graders break down the barriers in reading, speaking, listening, writing and understanding poetry. As a whole group, they establish their own criteria for line breaks by discussing questions and taking notes on a PowerPoint...
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Balance Activities
Students, through group and individual activities, study and experiment with the concept of balance. They attempt balancing tasks at different levels of difficulty and in different body positions. They work to improve their balance.
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Aquatic Exotics
Learners identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...
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Effective Writing is More Than a Five Paragraph Essay
Groups become experts in one aspect of the six traits of writing, prepare a PowerPoint presentation, jigsaw, and teach others about their trait. Writers then focus on these traits as they compose a persuasive essay about a person they...
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Shapes
Fifth graders explore shapes. They recognize and name two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Pupils discuss the properties and criteria for each shape they find in real life and construct a Kid Pix project using pictures of the...
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Perfect Numbers
Sixth graders classify numbers as abundant, deficient, or perfect based on the relationship between the number and its factors. They review factor game using the completed lab sheet. When playing the factor game which type of numbers...
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How's The Weather?
Students make a box and whiskers plot using the TI-73 graphing calculator. Each student would have their own calculator but they would work in small groups of two or three to help each other enter the data and make the plots.
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Food and Dialect
The dialect words for types of food from across the British Isles get pupils thinking about native dialects and how they differ from Standard English. Class members create a dialect dictionary and discuss the difference between accent...
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Irony
What are the three types of irony? High schoolers engage in a lesson about the use of irony while reading O.Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." They'll discuss rising action, climax, and resolution in the text before highlighting the...
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How I Act Is Who I Am
Students discuss the roles people have and how the people they know act after watching a puppet show. Puppets and teacher lead discussion with class and ask them to provide examples of being responsible , cooperative, respectful, and...
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Shakespeare 2000
Comparing the more modern film Ten Things I Hate About You to The Taming of the Shrew leads to an understanding of how Shakespearean plots can be applied to modern-day situations and characters. As a culminating activity, groups select a...
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Protect the Primates
Pupils make posters about saving the primates. In this primates lesson plan, students discuss primates and environmental changes and make posters with pictures about saving primates.
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Past and Present
Providing an interesting way to discuss the U.S. presidency, this lesson has learners compare George Washington to the current president. They listen to books about George Washington, discuss the current president, and complete worksheets.
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What's in a Name? Considering the Shakespeare Authorship Question
Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff? After viewing a trailer for the film, Anonymous and reading Stephen Marche’s article “Wouldn’t It Be Cool If Shakespeare Wasn’t Shakespeare?” class groups read articles about the Shakespeare...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
The intent of this resource is to explore Latin American accomplishments in baseball, recognizing the changes in demographics of players over the last century. Social studies classes begin with a discussion and brainstorm surrounding...
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Vocabulary Strategy: Call of the Wild
Here is a strategy for groups to contribute to whole class vocabulary development. Teams (based on seating rows) work together to look up dictionary definitions of words from upcoming sections of the book (though previous sections seem...
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What's in the Bag?
Practice interpersonal communication with your young learners with autism. They play a game to practice asking appropriate questions. They each take turns asking, "What's in the bag?" Additionally, they discuss reasons for asking...
What the Teacher Wants
The United States Constitution
Help young historians explore the US Constitution with this graphic organizer learning exercise. Including a section for identifying the meaning of the preamble as well as the first three articles of the Constitution, this resource...
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Library Skills Review
Middle schoolers review library skills by rotating through teacher-created learning stations covering various topics. They discuss plagiarism, work on Almanac practice as a team, complete practice using indexes, and an abstracts handout...
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Algebra 1: Simplifying Radicals
After discussing the difference between rational and irrational numbers, the class pratices simplifying, adding, and subtracting radical expressions. They play a game which involves passing around cards until they have matching hands of...
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When Something's Missing: Diagnosing Vitamin Deficiencies
The New York Times "Education" section posts an extensive lesson on vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It involves class discussion, examination of food packaging labels, and the reading of a blog post about Vitamin D. The highlight of...
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Body Decorations
Body decoration has been practiced for years and years, and it is often associated with a culturally significant event. To celebrate Harmony Day, children discuss the Hindu custom of henna or hand painting. They brainstorm ways people...