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ALEX Lesson Plan Resources
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ALEX Lesson Plans
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Science (3)
Title:
Can an Animal's Traits be Influenced by the Environment?
Description:
The lesson will begin with the teacher leading a discussion related to animal traits and the environment using a T-chart graphic organizer. The students will have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with a partner, and then the teacher will introduce the essential question of the lesson: “Can an animal's traits be influenced by the environment?” Next, the teacher will show students a video clip and nonfiction text related to the arctic fox, which is an animal that experiences a seasonal change in its fur color, and record information about the fox’s traits and habitat on a T-chart graphic organizer. Then, students will research a different animal to determine how its traits can be influenced by its environment using digital or print sources and take brief notes. Lastly, students will develop an explanatory text in a claim-evidence-reasoning format that includes an illustration to help convey their scientific ideas clearly. This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Sharing Original Nursery Rhymes (Distance Learning)
Description:
Collaboration of creative writing/creative dramatics using Distance Learning. With a partner, students will write an original nursery rhyme and share/present with another class (Distance Learning) through presentations (dramatization, puppet show, illustration/book, PowerPoint, etc.).
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Information Literacy (K - 12), or Social Studies (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
"What do we do? Natural Disasters in the United States"
Description:
During the course of this lesson, the students will research various forms of natural disasters that occur in the United States and what someone should do in the event of that disaster. The teacher and library media specialist will collaborate during the planning, instruction, and research phases of this lesson. The students will take the information they collected and place it on a PowerPoint presentation to be presented to the class. This information should include several pictures that will be located on the Internet. The Library Media Specialist will guide the students through the process of obtaining permission for the use of various images.
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Distance Learning Collaborative Literature Circles: Because of Winn Dixie
Description:
During this lesson, two classes in different locations will participate separately in literature circles using Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. The discussion of the book will be a collaborative project using distance learning.
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Savvy Story Structure
Description:
During this lesson, students learn to actively engage in reading by becoming more familiar with the elements of a story. Students will be required to think at a higher level and will enhance their understanding of selected passages and stories. Students should also begin to relate stories to their own lives.
Subject:
English Language Arts (3), or Social Studies (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Description:
This social studies lesson provides information and safety tips for different natural disasters. It integrates technology, writing, and art activities. The included slideshow may be presented to the whole group, or students may navigate it independently or in small groups.
Subject:
English Language Arts (3 - 5), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Narrative Writing: "A Day in the Life of ..."
Description:
In this lesson, students will use what they have learned about narrative writing in an authentic situation. This is part of a welcome packet for students who are new to the school. Students will work in groups to conduct research and compose narrative essays telling about a typical day in the life of a kindergartner, first grader, etc. The project will culminate in the creation of a brochure and slideshow presentation that can be used by teachers to introduce new students to their class.
Subject:
Arts Education (3 - 4), or English Language Arts (3 - 4), or Science (3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Animal Environment and Adaptation
Description:
In this lesson students will enjoy different activities focusing on how animals adapt to their environments. They will begin by researching two animals, their environment, and the ways the animals adapt to this environment. In small groups students will invent a new animal, including its environment and adaptations. Using presentation software, students will introduce their new animals to the class.
Subject:
English Language Arts (2 - 3), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title:
Wonderful Wolves
Description:
In this lesson students learn about wolves through literature and research. Students learn the truth about wolves by completing a WebQuest examining wolf myths. Then students have the opportunity to locate information about wolves through a variety of print resources and the Internet.
Thinkfinity Lesson Plans
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Peer Edit With Perfection: Effective Strategies
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Description:
Students take a fresh look at the revision process and help one another polish their written work through a peer-editing strategy that is simple, systematic, and constructive.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Alaska Native Stories: Using Narrative to Introduce Expository Text
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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:
Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure
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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:
Color Poems Using the Five Senses to Guide Prewriting
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Description:
Students use their five senses as a prewriting tool to guide their poetry writing as they compose free-form poems using imagery to describe a color.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Cyberspace Explorer: Getting to Know Christopher Columbus
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Description:
Students explore multiple online sources to gather information about the life of Christopher Columbus, complete a cyber scavenger hunt, and use their notes to prepare a timeline and summary report.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Powerful Writing: Description in Creating Monster Trading Cards
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Description:
Students create their own monster trading cards using '' powerful,'' vivid language to describe their creatures.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Find favorite book picks in the Children's Choices.
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Description:
Students create lists of their favorite books and then the class creates a '' Top Picks'' class booklist. Students can use the Book Cover Creator to create a book jacket for their favorite book.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
K,1,2,3,4,5,6
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Technical Reading and Writing Using Board Games
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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:
Celebrate Earth Day!
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Description:
In celebration of Earth Day, students research famous environmentalists and write letters to them asking for their opinions on current issues and turn their letters into a poem.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Creating Classroom Community by Crafting Themed Poetry Collections
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Description:
Students create poetry collections with the theme of '' getting to know each other.'' They study and then write a variety of forms of poetry to include in their collections.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Using Prediction as a Prereading Strategy
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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:
Spelling Cheerleading: Integrating Movement and Spelling Generalizations
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Description:
2-4-6-8, students will be spelling great in this lesson that teaches the y rule for adding suffixes through cheering the spelling of words aloud, word sorts, and writing stories.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
K,1,2,3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Writing a Movie: Summarizing and Rereading a Film Script
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Description:
Lights! Camera! Action! In this lesson, students view a scene with no dialogue from E.T., write a script for that scene, and perform a dramatic reading while the scene plays.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
On this day in 1907, Rachel Carson was born.
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Description:
Students learn about Rachel Carson, explore different environmental websites, and write a Diamante Poem about a particular habitat.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Unwinding A Circular Plot: Prediction Strategies in Reading and Writing
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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:
Language Arts
Title:
Q is for Duck: Using Alphabet Books With Struggling Writers
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Description:
A is for zoo? Q is for duck? The alphabet as students know it is transformed when students create a class book that contains clever associations for each letter of the alphabet.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Research Building Blocks: Notes, Quotes, and Fact Fragments
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Description:
Students are guided through the process of taking notes while reading factual information, then turning those notes into new sentences and paragraphs written in their own words.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Using Science Texts to Teach the Organizational Features of Nonfiction
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Description:
Students explore organizational features of nonfiction science. Students then work together to create a two-page spread using those features to present information about their local environment.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
David Wiesner's book June 29, 1999 showcases this day.
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Description:
Students explore the delightful illustrations in Wiesner's book and identify elements that make the emotions in the story obvious to someone reading the book.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing
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Description:
Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts,Social Studies
Title:
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Someone a Letter
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Description:
This EDSITEment lesson introduces students to the correspondence of the famous, the infamous, and the ordinary, some of whom lived through extraordinary times. Teachers can use these fascinating letters as a starting point for discussion of and practice in the conventions and purposes of letter writing.
Thinkfinity Partner:
EDSITEment
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Voting! What's It All About?
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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:
Biographies: Creating Timelines of a Life
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Description:
In this lesson students explore a number of sources to create a biographical timeline about a selected person. Students collaboratively research and resolve conflicting information they find during their investigation.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Write letters that make things happen!
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Description:
In a small group or as individuals, students write letters related to a unit of study or particular topic they have studied.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817.
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Description:
Students make mental '' snapshots'' of a natural setting, then capture the details of their setting by writing and then creating a class booklet of the nature walk.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Word Study with Henry and Mudge
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Description:
Henry and Mudge is used in this lesson to build students' word recognition through rereading, high-frequency word banks, word studies, and writing.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
K,1,2,3
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
The prototype for the World Wide Web was created in 1990.
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Description:
Students look at pictures from the past using the WayBack Machine and brainstorm a few websites to explore to think about how they have changed over the years.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
The first woman swam the English Channel in 1926.
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Description:
Students brainstorm a list of famous athletic competitors and establish criteria for what makes an athlete '' famous.'' Students then forecast which of today's athletes will still be remembered in 75 to 100 years.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846.
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Description:
After exploring an exhibit online, students use the information they learned to write '' A Day in the Life'' narratives that tell about a person, animal, or object they saw in the exhibit.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
The first English printer, William Caxton, was born on this day in 1422.
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Description:
Students consider how the printing press affects their world by completing a printing inventory, comparing lists, and developing a '' super'' list of all printed materials that they interact with.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Writing and Assessing an Autobiographical Incident
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Description:
Students build upon their knowledge of biographies to write their own autobiographical incident. After going through a process of revision, they use a rubric to assess their work.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Montgomery Ward published the first mail-order catalog in 1872.
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Description:
Students explore how and why catalogs have changed over the years and compare their findings about printed catalogs with online catalogs.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Wartime Poetry: Working With Similes
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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:
Caldecott Medal-winner Virginia Lee Burton was born on this day in 1909.
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Description:
Students discuss similarities in Burton's illustrations and writing style in her many books, in addition to her use of personification.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Creating a Classroom Newspaper
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Description:
Students write authentic newspaper stories, including learning about various aspects of newspapers, such as writing an article, online articles, newspaper reading habits, and layout and design techniques.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Faith Ringgold was born on October 8, 1930.
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Description:
Students use Ringgold's books as a springboard for a discussion of race, gender, and civil rights, and then write and illustrate original picture books on these topics.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Arts,Language Arts,Science
Title:
'Leap, plashless'': Emily Dickinson and Poetic Imagination
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Description:
In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students read and explore one of Emily Dickinson's nature poems, A Bird came down the Walk--through interaction with other art forms. First, they listen to clips of a hymn to help them hear Dickinson's meter. Then, they view 19th-century bird images and describe what they see, just as a poet would. They observe how a poet plays with language and imagery to create a scene by acting out verse lines. Finally, they write a brief poem of their own, using what they have learned and their own observations.
Thinkfinity Partner:
EDSITEment
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Our Classroom: Writing an Owner's Manual
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Description:
Students write an owner's manual that helps them get to know their classroom, provides them with a sense of ownership, and lets others know about their classroom.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Mickey Mouse appeared in his first animated feature.
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Description:
Students create a short, humorous story with at least one action character, and then use the Comic Creator to make a flipbook.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Opening the Door for Reading: Sharing Favorite Texts to Build Community
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Description:
In this lesson, students build classroom community by exploring environmental print and a teacher-created display that focuses on a favorite book. They then create and share their own presentations.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
Today is the International Day of Peace.
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Description:
Students brainstorm a list of current conflicts and why people fight. Groups discuss and present possible solutions and create posters that promote their particular solution.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Subject:
Language Arts
Title:
November is National American Indian Heritage Month.
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Description:
Students explore Native American heritage through the study of pourquoi tales, write their own original pourquoi tales, and use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to publish them.
Thinkfinity Partner:
ReadWriteThink
Grade Span:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
