ALEX Lesson Plans

Subject: English Language Arts (4 - 6), or English Language Arts (4 - 6), or Social Studies (4)
Title: Living in the Wild
Description: In this lesson, students will compare and contrast how the Prehistoric Americans lived off the land at Russell Cave and how Sam Gribley from "My Side of the Mountain" lived off the land. This lesson plan is made possible through the ALEX and the U.S. National Park Service Partnership.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Social Studies (5)
Title: Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
Description: Students engage in a discussion of "Manifest Destiny" using a timeline of events from 1830 - 1860, and a biographical sketch of a real person who lived during that time period. During the discussion, students will use the biography to interpret and infer how the real person might have felt. A discussion guide is provided. Students provide a written answer to the final discussion question to summarize their understanding of the issue.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Information Literacy (K - 12), or Science (5 - 6)
Title: River's Path
Description: What determines the path of a river? Rivers follow the path of least resistance changing the landscape by carrying sediment and debris along the way.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5)
Title: Literature Genres: How does your book fit in?
Description: In this lesson, students will be taught the different types of genres. Students will be grouped together and assigned a genre. They must create a poster for that genre describing its characteristics and listing examples. Then, the students will conduct a scavenger hunt around the library looking for an example of each genre. Independently, the students will sort quotes by genres.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Mathematics (3 - 5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Fun with Problem Solving
Description: The object of this lesson is to teach students that problem solving can be interesting and fun. It is important to pay attention to what is asked and information that is in the problem.This lesson plan was created as a result of the Girls Engaged in Math and Science, GEMS Project funded by the Malone Family Foundation.

Subject: Character Education (K - 12), or English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Mathematics (5)
Title: The Greedy Triangle - Intro to Geometric shapes
Description: Students will learn how to identify different polygons.This lesson plan was created as a result of the Girls Engaged in Math and Science, GEMS Project, funded by the Malone Family Foundation.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5)
Title: Literary Genres:What are they and why are they important?
Description: During this lesson, students will be introduced to different literary genres. Once students become familiar with the different genres, they will decide which one they like to read best. They will also use their knowledge of genres to decide the best form to write in.

Subject: English Language Arts (3 - 5), or English Language Arts (3 - 5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Newberry Award
Description: This unit will introduce the history of the Newberry Award to students. The selection process will be discussed. Students will also visit websites and the library to select a Newberry book to read. Finally, students will give book talks to accompany slideshows they have created.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Powerful Book Reports
Description: This lesson allows students to identify the critical components of a story while developing expertise in creating and presenting multimedia presentations.

Subject: English Language Arts (4 - 5), or English Language Arts (4 - 5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Let's Trade
Description: Dr. Seuss has created many classics that students love. During this lesson, students will get the opportunity to share their favorite Dr. Seuss book and favorite character with their class by creating a trading card. Students will use their creativity to develop a trading card on the computer. At the end of the lesson, students will trade their cards with their friends.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (3), or Science (5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Who Sank the Boat?
Description: This lesson teaches the concept of measurement using grams and ounces through a student-created experiment. The students will get to test their own scientific predictions by constructing a boat and trying to sink it. This lesson provides students with an interactive way to learn about weight and buoyancy.

Subject: English Language Arts (5), or English Language Arts (5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: Dialogue with Student-Created Characters
Description: This lesson is designed to help students understand the importance of character development when writing stories of their own. It also helps them understand the process authors use when writing novels and other stories. During this lesson students will develop detailed, realistic dialogue between characters.

Subject: English Language Arts (3 - 5), or English Language Arts (3 - 5)
Title: Who is Little Red Riding Hood Anyway?
Description: This lesson compares and contrasts the traditional Litle Red Riding Hood, by the Brothers Grimm, to Little Red Cowboy Hat, by Susan Lowell.

Thinkfinity Lesson Plans

Subject: Language Arts
Title: A Schema-Building Study With Patricia Polacco Add Bookmark
Description: Students use the Semantic Impressions and Possible Sentences strategies to write about Patricia Polacco's books Chicken Sunday and Rechenka's Egg, complete a character study, and write using a WebQuest.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 2,3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Knowing How Words Work Using Semantic Feature Analysis Add Bookmark
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of knowing how words work.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Report Alternative: Creating a New Book Cover Add Bookmark
Description: Students explore book covers of a variety of books then create a new cover for a book they have read.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Science,Social Studies
Title: Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict Add Bookmark
Description: In this unit of three lessons, from EDSITEment, students study relationships between humans and animals in folktales in order to highlight issues concerning ecology and the environment. They explore the ways in which animals and humans help one another and consider the efforts of humans to protect endangered species.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Press Conference for Bud, Not Buddy Add Bookmark
Description: Students read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, demonstrate comprehension of the story by involving themselves in discussions, and analyze the characters in preparation for a class '' press conference.''
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Making Connections Using a Double-Entry Journal Add Bookmark
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson helps students learn three types of connections (text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world) using a double-entry journal.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Wartime Poetry: Working With Similes Add Bookmark
Description: Students analyze a photograph, brainstorm words to describe the characters' senses and feelings, work in pairs to describe a character's experience, and create a poem using their ideas and similes.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips Add Bookmark
Description: Comic frames are traditionally used to illustrate a story in a short, concise format. In this lesson, students use a six-paneled comic strip frame to create a story map, summarizing a book or story that they've read. Each panel retells a particular detail or explains a literary element (such as setting or character) from the story.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts,Social Studies
Title: What Makes a Hero? Add Bookmark
Description: In this unit of eight lessons, from EDSITEment, students explore heroes and the traits that make them heroic. Students begin by thinking about their own heroes and list the character traits their heroes possess. Students then explore kid heroes, adults heroes, local heroes, and heroes from history, before completing one of several suggested culminating activities.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson uses comic strip frames to define plot and reinforce the structure that underlies a narrative. Students finish by writing their own original narratives.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Readers Theatre Add Bookmark
Description: Students develop scripts, perform, and use their voices to depict characters from texts, giving them the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Literature Circles: Getting Started Add Bookmark
Description: Students practice different ways of collaborating to read a work of literature. They work in different roles as they compose and answer questions, discover new vocabulary, and examine literary elements.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction Add Bookmark
Description: Students identify the elements of fiction in a book they have read and share summaries of them by writing and illustrating their own mini-book.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts,Social Studies
Title: Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Character Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students compare and contrast several versions of Cinderella stories told around the world to find differences and similarities in character traits. They define the essential qualities of a Cinderella tale and cite specific examples for support from at least two variations.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Edward Lear, Limericks, and Nonsense: There Once Was... Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students learn about limerick poetry and practice the strict metrical form that defines the limerick. Students study limericks by the British poet Edward Lear, identify the characteristic rhyme scheme and meter, fill in the blanks on sample limericks, then progress to writing limericks of their own.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Developing Inferential Comprehension Through DL-TA and Discussion Webs Add Bookmark
Description: Students will love unwrapping this lesson about before, during, and after reading activities based on Margaree King Mitchell's book, Grandaddy's Gift.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Dancing Minds and Shouting Smiles: Teaching Personification Through Poetry Add Bookmark
Description: Students learn about personification by reading and discussing poems by Emily Dickinson, William Blake, and Langston Hughes and then brainstorm nouns and verbs to create personification in their own poems.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Monitoring Using the INSERT Technique Add Bookmark
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of monitoring.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Technical Reading and Writing Using Board Games Add Bookmark
Description: Students celebrate a novel they have read and get hands-on experience with technical writing by creating a board game based on the novel and writing the instructions for it.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Using Writing and Role-Play to Engage the Reluctant Writer Add Bookmark
Description: What does the world look like through a javelina's eyes? Students become javelinas in this lesson when they analyze a character and write from his or her perspective.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Multipurpose Poetry: Introducing Science Concepts and Increasing Fluency Add Bookmark
Description: Creepy crawlers, hoppers, and fliers are the focus of this lesson in which students chorally read poems about insects and use the Internet to locate facts about their assigned insects.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Clubs: Reading for Fun Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson describes how small groups of students can plan meetings to discuss what they've read in a '' just for fun'' book club they've organized and that they control.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Summarizing Using the QuIP Strategy Add Bookmark
Description: Students learn to use the QuIP (questions into paragraphs) comprehension strategy to organize information and then synthesize it in writing.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Blending Fiction and Nonfiction to Improve Comprehension and Writing Skills Add Bookmark
Description: Students use a text set to increase understanding of content area material and demonstrate what they have learned by writing an original piece that blends together narrative and expository elements.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Charlotte is Wise, Patient, and Caring: Adjectives and Character Traits Add Bookmark
Description: Students find examples of adjectives in a shared reading. Then students '' become'' major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters, using powerful adjectives.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Acquiring New Vocabulary Through Book Discussion Groups Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson employs direct instruction and small-group discussion to help students learn new vocabulary skills while reading Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything, and Read! Add Bookmark
Description: The teacher shouts, '' Drop Everything and Read!'' and students settle into their seats to read books they've selected. This independent reading program helps students build a lifelong reading habit.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Report Alternative: Writing Resumes for Characters in Historical Fiction Add Bookmark
Description: Students write resumes for historical fiction characters. They first explore help wanted ads to see what employers want, and then draft resumes for the characters they've chosen.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Escaping Slavery: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt Add Bookmark
Description: Students read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson, create a problems/solutions/events chart, and create a map with a key, compass, and landmarks surrounding their home and school.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Voting! What's It All About? Add Bookmark
Description: Students explore a variety of sources for information about voting. They evaluate the information to determine if it is fact or opinion, and then create a graffiti wall about voting.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Visualizing Using the Sketch-to-Stretch Strategy Add Bookmark
Description: Guided comprehension moves your middle-grade students beyond decoding to become successful, independent readers. The sketch-to-stretch strategy encourages students to use '' brain TV'' to help them understand a text through visualization.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Book Report Alternative: Hooking a Reader with a Book Cover Add Bookmark
Description: Students select a book to read based only on its cover art. After reading the book, they use an interactive tool to create a new cover for it.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Social Studies
Title: Helpful Animals and Compassionate Humans in Folklore Add Bookmark
Description: In this three lesson unit, from EDSITEment, students examine several examples of helpful animal tales from around the world and consider the relationship between human beings and the land and sea and the beasts that inhabit them. They recognize the motives for and types of aid the animals provide for humans, as well as discuss what happens if the humans are ungrateful for the aid.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Charting Characters for a More Complete Understanding of the Story Add Bookmark
Description: Character Perspective Charting allows students to compare multiple characters and their points of view to better understand a story.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Previewing Using an Anticipation Guide Add Bookmark
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of previewing.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5,6

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Comparing and Contrasting: Picturing an Organizational Pattern Add Bookmark
Description: Using picture books as mentor texts, students learn effective strategies for organizing information that compares and contrasts. Students can then apply appropriate organizational strategies to their own papers.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Evaluating Using the Meeting of the Minds Technique Add Bookmark
Description: Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the strategy of evaluating, using the Meeting of the Minds technique.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study Add Bookmark
Description: Multidimensional, challenging, and popular with students, comics provide an excellent way to introduce the concept of genres.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Behind the Scenes With Cinderella Add Bookmark
Description: Cinderella without castles, coaches, or ball gowns? Students use versions of Cinderella to explore how the setting of a story time, place, and culture affects the characters and plot.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Alaska Native Stories: Using Narrative to Introduce Expository Text Add Bookmark
Description: Tradition and technology come together in this lesson in which students learn about Alaskan animals through Native American tales and their own online research.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Using Prediction as a Prereading Strategy Add Bookmark
Description: Students learn about and apply the prediction strategy while reading a trade book. They use response journals to record questions and responses based on prereading predictions.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Flying to Freedom: Tar Beach and The People Could Fly Add Bookmark
Description: Students look to the past and use historical context to compare and contrast two characters from folktales.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Unwinding A Circular Plot: Prediction Strategies in Reading and Writing Add Bookmark
Description: Students use graphic organizers to explore plot in circular stories while focusing on prediction and sequencing. After exploring the features of circular plot stories, students write their own stories.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Arts,Language Arts,Social Studies
Title: It Came from Greek Mythology Add Bookmark
Description: In this unit of six lessons, from EDSITEment, students study basic plots of three Greek myths and discuss three common themes in Greek myths. They also explore contemporary uses of terms from Greek mythology and analyze artistic and literary works based on or inspired by Greek myths.
Thinkfinity Partner: EDSITEment
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Get the Reel Scoop: Comparing Books to Movies Add Bookmark
Description: Students compare a book to its film adaptation, and then perform readers theater of a scene from the book that they feel was not well represented in the movie version.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5

Subject: Language Arts
Title: Guided Comprehension: Self-Questioning Using Question-Answer Relationships Add Bookmark
Description: Guided comprehension moves your students beyond decoding to become independent readers. Generating questions to guide reading helps readers make connections with the text and supports independent comprehension of new texts.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5,6