ALEX Lesson Plan Resources

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ALEX Lesson Plans  
Subject: English Language Arts (4), or Technology Education (3 - 5)
Title: What's the Theme?
Description: This lesson is a beginning lesson to use to introduce the skill of theme. Students will read two picture books "Ranita, the Frog Princess" and "Frankly, I Never Wanted to Kiss Anybody!", determine the theme for each, and then compare them in a writing assignment.

Subject: English Language Arts (3 - 4)
Title: Is the Big, Bad Wolf Really Big and Bad?
Description: This lesson compares and contrasts the traditional Three Little Pigs, by Golden Books to The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Students will discover how an author’s point of view can influence how a reader feels.

Subject: 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: Find favorite book picks in the Children's Choices.      Add Bookmark
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,Mathematics
Title: A Tale of Two Stories      Add Bookmark
Description: This unit of two lessons, from Illuminations, focuses on on developing the process of classification, especially an awareness of similarities and differences. The activities use The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella to motivate students to think and reason mathematically.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 3,4,5


Subject: Language Arts,Mathematics
Title: If the Shoe Fits...      Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson plan, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, is inspired by children s natural curiosity about fantasy and fairy tales and focuses on the process of classification, especially an awareness of similarities and differences. The activity uses Cinderella to motivate students to think and reason mathematically.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
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: 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: Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing      Add Bookmark
Description: Imagination and application are key to this tall tale lesson in which students take what they know about tall tales to spin a yarn of their own.
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: Language Arts
Title: Q is for Duck: Using Alphabet Books With Struggling Writers      Add Bookmark
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: 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: 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: Vote for Me! Developing, Writing, and Evaluating Persuasive Speeches      Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson encourages students in grades 4 and 5 to think critically and write persuasively by focusing on preparing, presenting, and evaluating mock campaign speeches.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 4,5


Subject: Language Arts
Title: Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing      Add Bookmark
Description: Using Snowflake Bentley as a model, students create a working definition of multigenre text and then use that definition to create their own multigenre piece about winter or another theme.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5


Subject: Language Arts
Title: Using Historical Fiction to Learn About the Civil War      Add Bookmark
Description: Students in grades 4 and 5 discuss inferential comprehension and visualization as they use a think-aloud questioning strategy to develop a deeper understanding of a historical novel.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5


Subject: Language Arts
Title: Montgomery Ward published the first mail-order catalog in 1872.      Add Bookmark
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: Mapping Characters Across Book Series      Add Bookmark
Description: Students work on a guided characterization project, using a graphic map to illustrate the ways a character from a book series grows and evolves over the course of the story.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5


Subject: Language Arts
Title: Talking About Books to Improve Comprehension      Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson is a conversation-starter! In this lesson, students learn about striking up deep-thought conversations and staying on topic in the form of a book talk.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5


Subject: Language Arts
Title: Alter Egos and More with Avis '' Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?''       Add Bookmark
Description: After reading Avi's novel '' Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?'' , students create an alter ego for themselves and use it to write their own radio show, modeled after the book.
Thinkfinity Partner: ReadWriteThink
Grade Span: 3,4,5