This activity helps students understand that science writing is organized in identifiable patterns called text structures. Understanding and using these different text structures help refine students abilities to both read and write in science.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
This 1-2 hour module provides participants with an introduction to the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA / Literacy.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study
This is an introductory lesson on cells. Student learning begins with the teacher modeling the use of a T-chart graphic organizer while reading an article comparing simple and complex carbohydrates. Students then move to independent practice using the T-chart graphic organizer to compare simple (prokaryotic) cells and complex (eukaryotic) cells.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
Students explore the theme of conflict in literature. They learn the difference between internal and external conflict and various types of conflicts, including self against self, self against other, and self against nature or machine. Stories are used to discuss methods of managing and resolving conflict and interpersonal friction. Note: The literacy activities for the Mechanics unit are based on physical themes that have broad application to our experience in the world â concepts of rhythm, balance, spin, gravity, levity, inertia, momentum, friction, stress and tension.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
This tool allows students to create an online K-W-L chart. Saving capability makes it easy for them to start the chart before reading and then return to it to reflect on what they learned.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Interactive
In this 5-minute video a junior high school teacher discusses “Kick Me” a vocabulary lesson where students locate missing words to complete their analogies taped on their classmates’ backs. Students are given 10 to 15 minutes to find the answers so they move efficiently to complete the project.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
In this lesson, students use blogs to hold discussions about the effect of the factors of culture, history, and environment on Latino poetry.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
Students examine leads in existing texts and create alternative leads for them before revising leads in their own writing.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
Learn Arabic is a website that aims to teach Arabic via games and activities. Members can compete for top spots as they earn badges by completing lessons. The lessons start with the alphabet and all of its variations and move up through simple words and phrases. Plans are in the works to add more complicated lessons for intermediate and advanced learners. Lessons include interactive books, videos, games, vocabulary lists, and more depending on the lesson. Users can sign up for Arabic tips emailed to them. The site includes a blog as well.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Game, Interactive, Lecture, Reading
Students learn about organic gardening by developing their own research questions, conducting research, gardening at their school, creating signs about their plants, and presenting their research to the class.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Unit of Study
The Letter Generator is a useful tool for students to learn the parts of a business or friendly letter and then compose and print letters for both styles of correspondence.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Interactive
Using their prior knowledge of books containing letters, students show their understanding of genre by rewriting a story and reflecting on how traditional stories differs from stories told in letters.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
8th Grade Science teacher Peter Hill from King Middle School in Maine shares a quick strategy tool and strategy he refers to as "word cloud". The "word cloud" is generated by a computer program that takes words from an article and generates a "cloud" with different sizes of words with the size emphasizing the frequency of the word. Mr. Hill uses this as a quick pre-reading activity to increase curiosity and engagement and to have students anticipate what the article or essay is about and what the main idea is. Teachers might also consider a twist to this idea and have student groups create their own word cloud after reading a selected text.11
Material Type: Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy
In this minilesson, students practice identifying and purposefully using vocabulary in persuasive writing that is intended to have an emotional impact on the reader.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
Students reflect on their school year, creating a digital scrapbook consisting of images and text to present to their school community.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
In this lesson students will work in small groups to arrange moon phase cards into the correct sequence. Students will learn to explain patterns of changes in the appearance of the moon as it orbits Earth.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
This lesson teaches students how to use old verbs in a new way, thus creating new and fresh descriptive phrases.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
The Mystery Cube helps students identify and summarize story elements in this popular genre. It can be used as a postreading or prewriting activity.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Interactive
In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, an early astronaut's experiences teach students that Newton's third law of motion—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction—applies both on Earth and in outer space.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
Students will develop their summarizing skills while learning about local history. They will learn to consider audience while selecting topics, conducting research and interviews, and writing historical markers for their town.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
