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TITLE	ABSTRACT	GRADE	DATE
A Bad Case of Bullying: Using Literature Response Groups With Students	In this lesson, students make personal connections to a humorous back-to-school story (A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon) by writing in their journals and discussing the story in literature response groups. Students also explore the central theme of bullying in the story.	3-5	11/19/08
A Case for Reading—Examining Challenged and Banned Books	The purpose of this lesson is to inspire students to critically examine a book, which has been selected from the American Library Association Challenged/Banned Books list. The students will analyze the book and document their findings as they read. They will then write a persuasive piece, synthesizing their view about the book and what should be done with the book at their school.	3-5	8/17/09
A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything, and Read!	The teacher shouts, "Drop Everything and Read!" and students settle into their seats to read books they've selected. This independent reading program is much more than a just-sit-there-and-read experience—it's a program that helps students build the habit of lifelong reading for the love of it.	3-5	11/20/08
A Genre Study of Letters With The Jolly Postman	In The Jolly Postman, a postman rides his bicycle delivering letters. To whom? Storybook and nursery rhyme characters! After reading The Jolly Postman, the students will learn the attributes of different types of mail. Then, the students will categorize the letters from the book, and finally their own mail.	3-5	11/19/08
A Musical Prompt: Postcards From the Concert	Using music as a writing prompt, students engage in the sentence-combining strategy to enhance their writing skills while creating postcards to share with family and friends.	3-5	1/4/08
A Race With Grace: Sports Poetry in Motion	Sports are not the only way for students to play! In this lesson, athletics, aesthetics, and poetry writing intersect in new ways as developing literacy learners experiment together with the forms of language.	3-5	7/27/09
A Schema-Building Study With Patricia Polacco	Help second- through fourth-grade students learn vocabulary and comprehension skills with Chicken Sunday and Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco. Students study vocabulary in these books; they then deepen their understanding by making text-to-self and text-to-text connections and by using the vocabulary words to write about the characters and the author.	3-5	4/14/09
Acquiring New Vocabulary Through Book Discussion Groups	This lesson presents a whole-language approach to a social studies topic (i.e., the Civil War) using the trade book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco. The approach combines reading comprehension with vocabulary development. The lesson can be extended, modified, and reused for other topics at the teacher's discretion.	3-5	11/7/08
Alaska Native Stories: Using Narrative to Introduce Expository Text	This lesson introduces students to comparing and contrasting fiction and nonfiction texts, and provides integration of literature into content area instruction. Students listen to a Yu'pik tale told by a Native person living in Alaska, reflect on it, and then use expository text to find facts about an animal in the Arctic.	3-5	6/26/07
All About Alliteration: Responding to Literature Through a Poetry Link	This lesson for third and fourth grade students uses a read-aloud to teach about alliteration. It then has students brainstorm alliterative word lists using a variety or print and online resources. Students create and illustrate a poem using the poetry they have read as a framework for their writing.	3-5	9/17/09
All About Our Town: Using Brochures to Teach Informational Writing	In this lesson, students in grades 2–4 practice information gathering by exploring their town or city through interviews, photographs, and websites. They then write and revise paragraphs about their town and collaborate to create a visitor's brochure aimed at students who are new to the area.	3-5	2/12/09
Alliteration All Around	Beginning with Pamela Duncan Edwards' award-winning picture books, students identify the meaning of alliteration. They then put alliteration into practice by creating acrostic poems, tongue twisters, alphabet books, and number books. ReadWriteThink's Acrostic Poems interactive tool and Bruce Lansky's Giggle Poetry article add a technology component to the lesson.	3-5	2/12/09
Alter Egos and More with Avi’s “Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?”	Today’s elementary students bring many experiences with a variety of texts to the classroom: print, music, online literacies, technical reading and writing, and so on. This lesson plan uses students’ knowledge of these new literacies to introduce them to similar literacies of the past.	3-5	11/20/08
Applying Question–Answer Relationships to Pictures	In this lesson, teacher modeling is provided in applying question-answer relationships (QARs) to pictures, with an opportunity for students to then work independently. The lesson is designed for third- or fourth-grade students who have not previously used the QAR strategy or who have reading difficulties.	3-5	4/14/09
Artistic Elements: Exploring Art Through Descriptive Writing	In this lesson, students become engaged in the studies of both art and written language, as they create descriptive writing pieces in which adjectives are used to describe the artistic elements present within a work.	3-5	9/14/07
Author Study: Improving Reading Comprehension Using Inference and Comparison	Fourth- and fifth-grade students read picture books by an author/illustrator, make inferences about the author based on the works, compare two biographies of the author finding discrepancies between them, study the work of another author/illustrator, and compose their own brief author biography.	3-5	2/12/09
Behind the Scenes With Cinderella	This lesson invites students to explore two different versions of Cinderella and to make connections between story background elements (e.g., setting) and cross-curricular topics (e.g., geography and science). Students use literature and the Internet to research and create a variety of language arts activities to showcase their knowledge.	3-5	10/13/09
BioBags: Linking Literature and Life	In this lesson, which is also appropriate for older students, each student creates a BioBag, a collection of texts that mark special times in his or her life. BioBags provide a unique way for students to share memorable events—and a variety of texts—with one another.	3-5	4/12/07
Biographies: Creating Timelines of a Life	Studying biographies is of interest and value to young learners. This lesson supports students' exploration of sources to create a timeline about the life of a person. The experience requires students work together and research and resolve conflicting information. Extension activities include developing essays from the research.	3-5	7/13/07
Blending Fiction and Nonfiction to Improve Comprehension and Writing Skills	This innovative writing lesson integrates fiction and nonfiction to create a blended genre that improves students' critical comprehension and writing skills. Students learn about a content area topic through a text set and Internet research, then blend elements of fiction and nonfiction to create an original piece that demonstrates new knowledge.	3-5	11/18/08
Book Clubs: Reading for Fun	Students reading on their own and just for fun? Sure! This lesson explores how small groups of students decide to meet every other day to discuss what they've read in a "just for fun" book club they've organized—and that they control.	3-5	11/20/08
Book Report Alternative: Creating a New Book Cover	This lesson plan invites students to critically observe book covers and dust jackets and learn more about what they include. Students are then given the opportunity to recreate a cover or a dust jacket for a book and compose an accompanying rationale for the changes they make.	3-5	6/1/06
Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips	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.	3-5	7/15/08
Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction	This versatile lesson encourages students to read a fiction book of their choice, analyze what they have read, write and illustrate an alternative book report identifying key elements of fiction, and share their stapleless book with other students in either pairs or small groups.	3-5	11/19/08
Book Report Alternative: Writing Resumes for Characters in Historical Fiction	What if a character from historical fiction came to life and asked your students for help writing a resume? What would your students need to know to help that character? This lesson invites students to put themselves in just this situation. Students explore help wanted ads, in print and online, to see what employers want then draft a resume so the character they’ve chosen can apply for a job.	3-5	9/21/04
Bridging Literature and Mathematics by Visualizing Mathematical Concepts	By bridging children’s literature and mathematics, this lesson builds students’ reading, writing, mathematical and scientific proficiency. During interactive read-aloud sessions, students identify and analyze elements of author’s craft in conveying mathematical information about the size and abilities of a wide range of animals. Then, by studying and following the examples in the books, students conduct a research project of their own, focusing on the same mathematical concepts.	3-5	11/20/08
Bright Morning: Exploring Character Development in Fiction	"If you were going to introduce the character you're reading about to someone who had never read the text, what words would you use to describe him or her?" With this question, students embark on an exploration of character in their reading, identifying traits and pointing to textual support.	3-5	2/27/09
Building a Learning Community: Crafting Rules for the Classroom	Most classrooms display rules for behavior that are either teacher made or purchased. Why not start the year by having students create a list of the behaviors they want to see practiced? This process builds community and helps students start the year positively well mannered!	3-5	2/25/09
Building Classroom Community Through the Exploration of Acrostic Poetry	This lesson explores the genre of acrostic poetry and reinforces positive community practices in the classroom. After looking at various acrostic poetry websites, students participate in a shared writing experience. Students then write an acrostic poem about one of their peers using online resources such as thesauri and an interactive writing tool.	3-5	2/12/09
Buzz! Whiz! Bang! Using Comic Books to Teach Onomatopoeia	Comic books are one of the tools found in popular culture that can successfully engage children in literacy. This lesson uses comics to teach onomatopoetic vocabulary words and to develop this literary device with students learning to use language.	3-5	2/12/09
Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing	This lesson teaches elementary students to write persuasive arguments. Within the context of a game, students are made aware of their inherent knowledge of how to persuade. The lesson then extends their understanding of oral argument into the written word.	3-5	4/14/09
Characters in Because of Winn-Dixie: Making Lists of Ten	Extend students’ brainstormed lists of characteristics for the characters in the novels they read by asking them to develop a list of ten important things about a specific character. Modeled on similar lists created by characters in Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie, this lesson plan can be used as full class activity or can be tapped as a book report alternative.	3-5	11/20/08
Charlotte is Wise, Patient, and Caring: Adjectives and Character Traits	In this activity, students define the characteristics of adjectives and find examples of the part of speech in a shared reading. Then students "become" one of the major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters, using Internet reference tools to compile lists of accurate, powerful adjectives. In class discussion, students support their lists with details from the reading.	3-5	4/10/06
Charting Characters for a More Complete Understanding of the Story	Character Perspective Charting allows students to compare characters and their goals. Students learn to fully understand a story by noticing how characters' goals differ and how problems arise as a result. Setting, problems, goals, and intentions are explored in this lesson.	3-5	6/26/07
Choosing Clear and Varied Dialogue Tags: A Mini-Lesson	In this mini-lesson, students explore the use of dialogue tags such as “he said” or “she answered” in picture books and novels, discussing their purpose, form, and style. Students identify dialogue tags in stories, collaboratively revise a passage from a novel to add more variety to the tags, and then apply the text structure to stories that they have written.	3-5	8/17/09
Color Poems—Using the Five Senses to Guide Prewriting	As JoAnn Portalupi tells us, “Learning to ‘see’ means stretching to use all five senses.” By asking students to avoid visual metaphors, this activity taps students’ memories for images, sounds, and other sensory perceptions as they compose original color poems. This process not only stretches students’ ability to see but also encourages creative development and intellectual growth.	3-5	11/19/08
Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study	The combination of the simple, yet complex nature of comic strips and comic books make them an excellent source of teaching material, as they explore language in a creative way. In this lesson, students will be examining the genre and subgenres of comics, their uses, and purposes.	3-5	2/13/09
Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure	A strong plot is a basic requirement of any narrative. Students are sometimes confused, however, by the difference between a series of events that happen in a story and the plot elements, or the events that are significant to the story. This lesson uses comic strip frames to define plot and reinforce the structure that underlies a narrative, as students write their own original narratives.	3-5	11/19/08
Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry	Students will explore a variety of poems about familiar topics and themes using poetry collections and anthologies. They will further learn about poetry craft elements. Using this as a model and inspiration, students will then create a poetry collection, using already published poems, and creating their own definitions of poetry.	3-5	2/27/09
Composing Cinquain Poems with Basic Parts of Speech	Cinquain (pronounced "cin-kain") is a five-line form, using a wavelike syllable count of two-four-six-eight-two. In this lesson, students learn about cinquain and write simple cinquain of their own.	3-5	1/26/09
Creating a Classroom Newspaper	Students love to share their writing. What better way for them to share than by creating a classroom newspaper? This lesson focuses on the newspaper genre of writing. Through the use of the interactive Printing Press or Microsoft Publisher (or another similar software package), students will develop a classroom newspaper while incorporating ICT (Information Communication Technology) into their learning.	3-5	11/14/08
Creating Classroom Community by Crafting Themed Poetry Collections	Back to school means new teachers, new classmates and many unanswered questions. In this lesson, students create poetry collections with a back-to-school theme of “getting to know each other.” Students write poetry with the goal of introducing themselves, helping to create a sense of classroom community, while exploring the many and varied types and forms of poetry and constructing and refining their own definitions of poetry.	3-5	2/27/09
Creating Family Timelines: Graphing Family Memories and Significant Events	In this lesson plan, students interview their parents and other family members to gather family stories and event information, using questions from a brainstormed list. They create a family-event timeline based on the information from their interviews and display their information using a graphic map.	3-5	3/31/08
Critical Perspectives: Reading and Writing About Slavery	Through reading fiction and nonfiction children’s literature about the Underground Railroad, students critically explore the moral issues of slavery and the perspectives held by slaves and slave owners. They then use online, interactive tools to extend their understanding through creative writing projects.	3-5	7/1/08
Cultural Connections and Writing for Change	While reading a story set in Palestine, students “meet” an Arab family, analyze book illustrations, and note cultural contrasts. They then collaborate to identify a social issue of concern and take action by writing and mailing a letter to an appropriate official.	3-5	10/30/08
Cyberspace Explorer: Getting to Know Christopher Columbus	Assisting young students in Web research is vital to their literacy development and gives them confidence as they approach digital text. In this lesson, based on the teaching strategies of Sutherland-Smith, teacher modeling and step-by-step handouts guide young explorers through a cyber scavenger hunt.	3-5	8/17/09
Daily Book Boosts	Each day at the end of their independent reading time, students give Book Boosts, one-minute raves about books they’ve read. These Book Boosts are easy ways to suggest a multitude of titles to students, and they act as a way for students to have something to think about as they read.	3-5	6/27/07
Dancing Minds and Shouting Smiles: Teaching Personification Through Poetry	In this lesson, students reflect on the use of personification in three classic poems, comparing and contrasting how each poet uses it. Students then complete a prewriting exercise before writing their own poems using personification.	3-5	2/12/09
Dear Librarian: Writing a Persuasive Letter	Inspire students to write their librarian a persuasive letter, requesting that a specific text be added to the school library collection. As they work on the project, students plan their arguments and outline their reasons and examples. Finally, students write a persuasive letter, which is assessed using a rubric.	3-5	1/12/07
Delicious, Tasty, Yummy: Enriching Writing with Adjectives and Synonyms	This lesson for students in grades 3 and 4 teaches them about adjectives and synonyms. Students work in small groups using webs and form poems as their primary tools for developing adjectives and synonyms to describe everyday items. Thesauri, webbing tools, alphabet organizers, and picture books are used to help students identify, organize, and modify descriptors.	3-5	2/12/09
Demonstrating Comprehension Through Journal Writing	The use of interesting and appropriate literature can capture and ignite students' interest in a story, thereby increasing overall comprehension. This lesson requires students to respond to journal questions by demonstrating comprehension of and personal connections to the story's plot, characters, setting, and details.	3-5	7/1/08
Descriptive Video: Using Media Technology to Enhance Writing	Grab a pencil, turn on a movie, and introduce your students to a new technology! Descriptive Video can build vocabulary and enhance descriptive writing. During this lesson, students watch a described segment of The Lion King and write an enhanced description.	3-5	3/28/08
Developing a Living Definition of Reading in the Elementary Classroom	Using the guiding question, "What is reading?" this lesson invites students to interact with a variety of different texts as they attempt to uncover the skills necessary to successfully interact with the text. Based upon the discussion that follows, students will create a living definition of reading.	3-5	11/19/08
Developing Inferential Comprehension Through DL-TA and Discussion Webs	This lesson uses the narrative text Granddaddy's Gift by Margaree King Mitchell to promote inferential comprehension and prediction in reading instruction. The Directed Listening-Thinking Activity (DL-TA) and Discussion Web are used to encourage students to form, state, support, discuss, and adjust their individual interpretations of the story before, during, and after reading.	3-5	11/15/07
Developing Students' Critical Thinking Skills Through Whole-Class Dialogue	This lesson uses the book My Freedom Trip to engage students in conversations that promote critical thinking. The lesson uses a technique called the Dialogical-Thinking Reading Lesson, which requires each student to take a position on a story-specific issue, then identify and articulate supporting reasons for his or her position.	3-5	9/14/07
Dynamite Diamante Poetry	This lesson combines grammar and spelling instruction with creative writing. Students review nouns, adjectives, and verbs and are introduced to gerunds. They then write and revise diamante poems using these types of words.	3-5	2/12/09
Earth Verse: Using Science in Poetry	Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's picture book, Science Verse, serves as a model for students to use poetry to improve content area knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension—in this case, for the science curriculum.	3-5	10/15/08
Engaging Students in a Collaborative Exploration of the Gettysburg Address	Working collaboratively, students learn more about the Civil War through the Gettysburg Address. Teams of students explore multiple resources and actively engage in learning more about this historical document, using words from the Gettysburg Address as their inspiration.	3-5	2/8/09
Escaping Slavery: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt	This lesson uses the picture book Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson and an interactive website to enhance third- through fifth-grade students' understanding of the Underground Railroad and slavery, development of reading comprehension skills, and application of mapping skills.	3-5	11/19/08
Examining Plot Conflict through a Comparison/Contrast Essay	This lesson invites students to identify types of plot conflict in literature. Using excerpts from picture books, as well as graphic organizers, students learn to identify plot conflict as well as the ways that the plot develops in relationship to the conflict. The lesson culminates with a comparison/contrast writing activity.	3-5	11/20/08
Exchanging Ideas by Sharing Journals: Interactive Response in the Classroom	Pairs of students alternately respond to literature in literature journals, developing ongoing written dialogues that include making connections and predictions, stating opinions, asking and answering each others’ questions, and enhancing responses with drawings. The lesson works well with independent reading and/or literature group structures.	3-5	3/6/07
Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disasters	Understanding the structure of expository texts is an essential aspect of literacy. Students should therefore be introduced to these texts at an early age. By guiding elementary-age students to discover cause-and-effect relationships in books about natural disasters, this lesson helps improve overall comprehension.	3-5	10/14/09
Exploring Compare and Contrast Structure in Expository Texts	Students explore the concept of compare and contrast using expository texts. They learn clue words that signal a compare and contrast structure and how to use Venn diagrams for note-taking and representing new information learned from texts.	3-5	8/17/09
Exploring Cost and Savings Using Children's Literature	Help students learn the value of saving money. In this lesson students read, discuss, and evaluate A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. They then explore the concept of saving for a self-selected item.	3-5	5/15/08
Exploring Friendship With Bridge to Terabithia	In this lesson, which is also appropriate for sixth-grade students, Bridge to Terabithia is used to explore the value of friendship. Students explore the main characters’ relationship and use this inquiry to help develop an appreciation of the many facets of friendship and relate the work to their own experiences.	3-5	2/25/09
Exploring How Section Headings Support Understanding of Expository Texts	We cannot assume that students understand how section headings can help them organize and understand content-specific information in expository texts. This lesson provides a model, practice, and assessment in the sorting and categorizing of main concepts through the awareness and understanding of section headings. Connections to the outline format are made through extension activities.	3-5	6/25/07
Exploring the Subtext Strategy: Thinking Beyond the Text	This lesson, recommended for grades 2–4, allows students to explore the feelings, motivations, and thoughts of the characters in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Students use the illustrations in the story to interpret the characters' thoughts and then act out their subtext.	3-5	9/14/07
Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales	Providing students with the opportunity to read about different cultures helps increase their global understanding and fosters tolerance of cultural differences. In this lesson, students read folk tales from Japan, Wales, and Kenya and depict the stories visually for purposes of retelling. Students also research the countries and share a brief synopsis with the class.	3-5	8/17/09
Fairy Tales from Life	Students read and analyze fairy tales from several cultural backgrounds, identifying common elements. Choosing common situations and working in small groups, students write original fairy tales, following a process method that includes peer review and encourages using picture books as models. The project concludes with class presentations.	3-5	4/14/09
Females in the Spotlight: Strong Characters in Picture Books	Students read and discuss quality literature featuring strong females as the main characters, then focus on rich vocabulary as they use the online Character Trading Cards tool to describe the traits of one of these characters. A class discussion encourages critical thinking and enhances students’ experiences with the text.	3-5	2/25/09
Figurative Language Awards Ceremony	Figurative language enlivens a text, providing visuals in the minds of readers. This lesson will have students listening to and reading selected texts as they seek out their favorite literary devices.	3-5	11/3/03
Figurative Language: Teaching Idioms	This lesson focuses on introducing idioms to students in the language arts classroom. Through direct instruction of idioms, students gain an in-depth understanding of this form of figurative language. Idioms are presented through read-alouds, literal representations, and the Internet.	3-5	8/2/07
Fishing for Readers: Identifying and Writing Effective Opening “Hooks”	Students collect and categorize effective introductions in a variety of children’s books. They share and rate their favorite “hooks,” compiling a menu of strategies for their own writing. Students write several alternative hooks for a single story topic and use the Flip Book program to publish them.	3-5	2/25/09
Flying to Freedom: Tar Beach and The People Could Fly	Reading with an awareness of intertextuality helps students respond in a dynamic manner to multicultural literature. Students explore themes of liberation and racism as they examine the connections, as well as the disjunctions, between two award-winning children's books.	3-5	6/21/07
Gabbing About Garfield: Conversing About Texts With Comic Creator	While critiquing Garfield comics, students search for conventions specific to the comic strip genre. Using the interactive Comic Creator, they record their own written conversations, incorporating elements of the comic strip genre.	3-5	3/21/07
Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach	Encourage your students to explore elements of common literary genres, not only as a way to appreciate the wealth of literature available to them, but also to expand their models for effective writing. Using a customized bookmark, students will learn and document characteristics of chosen genres.	3-5	11/19/08
Get the Reel Scoop: Comparing Books to Movies	In today’s culture, students have many opportunities to view movies based upon literature. Instead of assuming that students will watch the movie rather than reading the book, take advantage of the phenomenon by asking students to compare and contrast books with their movie counterparts and then work in groups to design a readers theater response to the film version.	3-5	11/16/07
Getting to Know You: Developing Short Biographies to Build Community	Learning thrives when we develop classroom communities in which students feel understood, respected, and free to take risks. In this lesson, designed for the beginning of the school year, students will learn about each other’s lives and interests by conducting interviews and developing simple biographies using the interactive Bio-Cube.	3-5	2/25/09
Graphing Plot and Character in a Novel	In this graphical mapping project, students assign a value to the events, characters, and themes in a novel and think about how the elements of the story are all interconnected. By reading and responding in this deeper fashion, students reach a greater level of comprehension for the novel. This lesson uses The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis as an example, but any text used in class can be substituted.	3-5	8/12/05
Great American Inventors: Using Nonfiction to Learn About Technology Inventions	In this lesson, students read several biographies focusing on American inventors who made significant contributions to the development of technology. They then collaborate, research, and develop presentations that highlight how these inventions from the past impacted the future.	3-5	2/25/09
Guided Comprehension: Evaluating Using the Meeting of the Minds Technique	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of evaluating using the meeting of the minds technique. Students read The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and learn how to evaluate and debate information from texts.	3-5	7/16/09
Guided Comprehension: Knowing How Words Work Using Semantic Feature Analysis	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of knowing how words work using semantic feature analysis. The lesson teaches students how to analyze the characteristics of folktales, myths, and fables to gain a better understanding of these genres.	3-5	7/16/09
Guided Comprehension: Making Connections Using a Double-Entry Journal	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of making connections using a double-entry journal. Students use the book Harvesting Hope by Kathleen Krull to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections.	3-5	7/23/07
Guided Comprehension: Monitoring Using the INSERT Technique	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of monitoring using the INSERT technique. The lesson teaches students how to monitor their understanding and thought processes to gain a better understanding of texts.	3-5	7/23/07
Guided Comprehension: Previewing Using an Anticipation Guide	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of previewing using an anticipation guide. Students use the book Teammates by Peter Golenbock, which describes the friendship between Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese, to preview and anticipate elements of the story.	3-5	7/23/07
Guided Comprehension: Self-Questioning Using Question-Answer Relationships	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of self-questioning using question-answer relationships (QARs). Students use the book The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles to learn the different question types and how to identify the answers.	3-5	7/23/07
Guided Comprehension: Summarizing Using the QuIP Strategy	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of summarizing using the QuIP (questions into paragraphs) strategy. Students have the opportunity to read about the Underground Railroad and summarize information both orally and in writing.	3-5	7/23/07
Guided Comprehension: Visualizing Using the Sketch-to-Stretch Strategy	This lesson uses the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen to introduce the comprehension strategy of visualizing using sketch-to-stretch. While reading the books Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles and The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, students visualize their thoughts and ideas about the texts through drawings.	3-5	10/14/09
Historical Fiction: Using Literature to Learn About the Civil War	In this lesson, fourth and fifth grade students integrate art and writing while developing comprehension of a historical fiction text. Inferential comprehension and visualization are discussed as students use the think-aloud questioning strategy to develop a deeper understanding of the historical time period.	3-5	2/12/09
History Comes Alive: Using Social Studies to Improve Fluency and Comprehension	The goal of this lesson, which is also appropriate for second-grade students, is to integrate social studies with literacy. Students research a topic, write a script for a play, and perform the play before an audience. The lesson consists of several stages, each focusing on different skills.	3-5	2/25/09
How Big Are Martin’s Big Words? Thinking Big about the Future	Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tells of King's childhood determination to use "big words" through biographical information and quotations. In this lesson, students explore information on Dr. King to think about his "big" words, then they write about their own "big" words and dreams.	3-5	9/28/09
How-To Writing: Motivating Students to Write for a Real Purpose	Students are more motivated to write when their writing serves a definite purpose. In this lesson, students write how-to essays about how to succeed in the fourth grade. The essays are then shared with the next year's fourth graders at the beginning of the school year.	3-5	2/12/09
I Used My Own Words! Paraphrasing Informational Texts	Paraphrasing is a powerful strategy to monitor comprehension and integrate new information with old. This lesson demonstrates how to teach students to use this comprehension strategy with informational texts.	3-5	9/16/09
Identifying and Classifying Verbs in Context	This lesson focuses on having students identify and classify the three kinds of verbs—action verbs, state-of-being or linking verbs, and helping verbs.	3-5	2/12/09
Inferring How and Why Characters Change	One way that readers construct meaning from text is by developing a deep understanding of characters. In this lesson, a short narrative text is used to model strategies for inferring how and why characters change. Students read short stories in small groups and independently to apply these strategies.	3-5	2/12/09
Integrating Literacy Into the Study of the Earth's Surface	Move beyond textbooks to encourage simultaneous science and literacy learning. In this lesson third through fifth graders learn about the features of the Earth's bodies of water using a variety of literacy genres, culminating with a Readers Theatre performance.	3-5	2/12/09
Investigating Junk Mail: Negotiating Critical Literacy at the Mailbox	By investigating junk mail, students learn to think about and question texts in ways that develop their analytical capacities and critical reading practices.	3-5	4/14/09
Is Superman Really All That Super? Critically Exploring Superheroes	This lesson teaches fourth- and fifth-grade students how to critically analyze superhero characters portrayed in popular culture texts and children’s books. Students identify, compare, and discuss the character traits of superheroes, looking at how perspective or point of view influences their understanding of these characters.	3-5	2/25/09
Leading to Great Places in the Elementary Classroom	A story’s lead begins the reader’s adventure; yet it can just as likely end that odyssey if those opening words do not immediately entrance the reader. This mini-lesson examines types of leads in prominent children's literature and asks students to try their own hand at writing leads.	3-5	12/12/06
Learning to Learn with Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster	After reading the picture book Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster, students explore vocabulary from a recent unit and create their own vocabulary parade, modeled on the activities in the text. The activity provides a great alternative to testing students on information from a recent unit.	3-5	11/30/07
Learning About Research and Writing Using the American Revolution	In this lesson, students learn note-taking and research skills. They research a figure from the American Revolution, using the Internet, trade books, and encyclopedias to determine the person's significance. They then write an acrostic poem about the person they researched.	3-5	2/12/09
Let's Get Cooking With Words! Creating a Recipe Using Procedural Writing	This lesson focuses on procedural writing, which relies heavily on the effective use of wide-ranging nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Because word choice is vital to the genre, students explore this writing trait before practicing procedural writing.	3-5	2/25/09
Letter Poems Deliver: Experimenting with Line Breaks in Poetry Writing	Letter poems make poetry accessible, meaningful, and fun. Letter poems are also an apt medium for exploring a defining characteristic of poetry—line breaks. Students explore letter poems and experiment with writing letters as poems, using the placement of line breaks to enhance rhythm, sound, meaning, and appearance.	3-5	12/9/08
Literature as a Catalyst for Social Action: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges	Students are invited to confront and discuss issues of injustice and intolerance reading a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts.	3-5	9/28/09
Literature as a Jumping Off Point for Nonfiction Inquiry	Text sets focus on one topic or subject area, yet include texts of many genres. In this lesson, after reading a novel, here Tuck Everlasting, students choose a topic related to a theme in the novel and work cooperatively to learn more about that topic using a text set. Students will have an opportunity to read and explore many genres, while learning through the content areas.	3-5	11/20/08
Literature Circles: Getting Started	Students observe and practice different ways of collaborating to read a work of literature in this student-centered lesson. Students work in four different roles as they compose and answer comprehension questions, discover new vocabulary, and examine elements of literature. This lesson provides a basic introduction to the strategy and can be followed with a more extensive literature circle project.	3-5	8/17/09
Looking at Landmarks: Using a Picture Book to Guide Research	Using the picture book Ben’s Dream as an inspiration, children put their research skills to work. The book illustrates ten landmarks from around the world, without identifying the names of the landmark. In their related inquiry, students learn more about the monuments presented in the book, publish information about them and share that knowledge with others.	3-5	5/2/08
Looking for the History in Historical Fiction: An Epidemic for Reading	Historical fiction can provide a powerful way to introduce your students to the large themes of history because of their human approach to the events they cover. In this lesson, students will be reading and responding to historical fiction. Then, they will be using nonfiction sources to verify the “facts” presented in the novels.	3-5	5/13/09
Make a Splash! Using Dramatic Experience to “Explode the Moment”	In this lesson students learn to elaborate their writing by using descriptive language. They explore models of good writing and engage in shared writing about a surprise dramatic experience. Students complete a graphic organizer to brainstorm sensory details and use the writing process to publish short personal narratives.	3-5	7/1/08
Mapping Characters Across Book Series	How does a character change or stay the same through the course of a book? How also does that character grow and evolve through a book series? In this lesson, students will work on a guided characterization project, mapping the “life” of a character from a book series.	3-5	7/1/09
Moving Toward Acceptance Through Picture Books and Two-Voice Texts	Using provocative picture books, Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, by Weslandia Paul Fleischman, and Insects Are My Life by Megan McDonald, students discuss diversity in literature and in their school. Students then study, create, and perform two-voice texts that try to solve the problem of intolerance and move toward acceptance.	3-5	5/1/09
Multimedia Responses to Content Area Topics Using Fact–“Faction”–Fiction	This lesson focuses on students' development of cooperative learning and inquiry-based skills, as well as the ways that fiction and nonfiction can be blended seamlessly into texts. Students read Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin, and then work in cooperative groups to research and synthesize information about spiders.	3-5	4/14/09
Multipurpose Poetry: Introducing Science Concepts and Increasing Fluency	This lesson introduces the study of insects in science by using poetry. Students work in cooperative groups to prepare choral poetry readings and present factual information on an assigned insect to the class. The choral poetry readings also serve to increase fluency in ESL students.	3-5	6/21/07
My Family Traditions: A Class Book and a Potluck Lunch	Artistic flare, social skills, and self-esteem are integrated into this lesson that builds awareness of Mexican-American culture in the United States. After a read aloud of Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza, students write a class book about their family traditions and have a potluck lunch.	3-5	2/12/09
My World of Words: Building Vocabulary Lists	This lesson uses students' areas of interest both in and out of school to generate personalized vocabulary lists. Working in small groups, students select their own vocabulary words and research their meanings. In a culminating activity that uses text and illustration, each student will create a "My World of Words Journal."	3-5	4/21/05
Myth and Truth: Independence Day	Most Americans think of the Fourth of July as Independence Day—but is it really the day the U.S. declared and celebrated independence? By exploring myths and truths surrounding Independence Day, this lesson asks students to think critically about commonly believed stories regarding the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Independence Day holiday.	3-5	8/17/09
Native Americans Today	Through this lesson, teachers can use children's nonfiction books and the Internet to help their students develop accurate, substantive information about Native American people in the present day.	3-5	3/11/09
Nature Reflections: Interactive Language Practice for English-Language Learners	Designed for English-language learners (ELLs), this lesson allows students to reflect on the wonders of nature by taking a class walk, observing a plant or animal, and writing and illustrating a short book about it. Students then share, tape-record, and listen to their books for rich language practice.	3-5	2/12/09
No Teachers Allowed: Student-Led Book Clubs Using QAR	Watch out Oprah! Teach your students how to write and discuss meaningful questions using the Question–Answer Relationships (QAR) strategy. In this lesson, which is also appropriate for the sixth grade, students learn to categorize questions and have an insightful, peer-led book discussion.	3-5	2/25/09
Once They’re Hooked, Reel Them In: Writing Good Endings	Effective writing requires a beginning, middle, and end. This lesson provides literary models for effective ending lines and encourages students to plan their own writing to include thoughtful, connected endings.	3-5	2/25/09
Once Upon a Link: A PowerPoint Adventure With Fractured Fairy Tales	Fractured fairy tales with hyperlinks offer multiple pathways to happily ever after. Students use the Fractured Fairy Tales tool and a PowerPoint template to create stories that offer alternate plotlines and endings. In composing and editing these tales, students focus on the six traits of writing.	3-5	2/26/09
Once Upon a Time Rethought: Writing Fractured Fairy Tales	Using prior knowledge of the genre, students identify common elements of fairy tales. Next, they read and analyze fairy tales, using a story map. The information from the graphic organizer will assist students as they rewrite one of their favorite fairy tales, changing one of the literary elements.	3-5	11/20/08
Opening the Door for Reading: Sharing Favorite Texts to Build Community	Students focus on reading and creating classroom displays focused on favorite texts in this lesson plan. The class explores environmental print then focuses specifically on a teacher-created display that focuses on a favorite book. After exploring the teacher’s display, students create presentations on their own favorites. By sharing favorite books in this way, teachers and students build community by getting to know one another while simultaneously exploring works of literature.	3-5	8/3/09
Our Classroom: Writing an Owner’s Manual	The first few weeks of school are all about creating rules, establishing routines, and becoming familiar with the classroom. Engaging students in activities that help them get to know their classroom can make the transition easier while at the same time providing students with a sense of ownership. In this lesson, students write an owner’s manual to help them become more familiar with their classroom as well as to let others know about their classroom.	3-5	7/1/09
Paul Revere: American Patriot	In this lesson that allows curricular integration, students explore the life and legend of Paul Revere. Websites that describe Paul Revere’s life, his well-known ride, and his occupation are investigated and discussed. Information from these sources is then used for center activities and projects.	3-5	11/21/08
Peace Poems and Picasso Doves: Literature, Art, Technology, and Poetry	Students and teachers employ think-aloud strategies as they read literature, compose poems, and create artwork related to the theme of peace. This unit is designed for collaborative teaching among classroom, art, and technology teachers, and school librarians. A single educator can also teach this unit.	3-5	4/14/09
Peer Edit With Perfection: Teaching Effective Peer-Editing Strategies	Peer editing is an effective writing strategy for any classroom. However, students need to be directly taught what it means to peer edit and how to do it effectively. In this lesson, students learn a simple, three-step process for peer editing, then practice their new skills in whole-group, small-group, and individual settings.	3-5	12/13/06
Planning Story Characters Using Interactive Trading Cards	Writers often make plans for their characters' development before writing stories; trading cards are a popular culture text that appeal to students and can have valuable literacy applications. This lesson introduces students to the idea of understanding and planning characters for a story using an online Character Trading Cards tool.	3-5	2/12/09
Playing with Prepositions through Poetry	Students play with and explore prepositions first in a picture book and then applying their knowledge about the part of speech by composing and publishing prepositional poems.	3-5	8/17/09
Poetry from Prose	Working in small groups, Students compose found and parallel poems based on a descriptive passage they have chosen from a piece of literature they are reading.	3-5	12/9/08
Poetry: A Feast to Form Fluent Readers	Students examine elements of fluent reading through oral poetry performance. They use the Internet to identify a poem to prepare and perform for the class. The main objective of this lesson concerns improving fluency.	3-5	10/15/09
Pourquoi Stories: Creating Tales to Tell Why	After listening to, reading, and discussing pourquoi stories, which are stories that explain how or why something in nature is the way it is, students work in cooperative groups to create their own stories and then present them to the class.	3-5	4/14/09
Powerful Writing: Description in Creating Monster Trading Cards	Description can make a piece of writing come alive. This activity combines art and word play, emphasizing writing for an audience while drawing on multiple intelligences. Peer review and feedback reinforces the revision process as students create trading cards by drawing pictures of monsters and describing and categorizing them in detail.	3-5	1/26/09
Promoting Cultural Values Through Alphabet Books	Students embark on a cultural research project by first reading a variety of alphabet books about world cultures. Groups then self-select a culture and conduct research into the history and symbols of that culture. As a final project, students construct their own cultural alphabet books and share them with an audience.	3-5	8/14/08
Prompting Revision through Modeling and Written Conversations	Students create a checklist outlining what effective writers do after watching online videos of authors Kate DiCamillo and Debra Frasier revise their own work. The teacher then models how to revise his or her own writing using this checklist, and the students read their peers’ work and engage in a written conversation to help one another with the revision process.	3-5	9/29/09
Q is for Duck: Using Alphabet Books With Struggling Writers	Think alphabet books are just for kindergarten? Think again! In this lesson, students examine a variety of alphabet books, some with rather complex structures, and are guided through a structured writing lesson using the book Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom.	3-5	2/12/09
QARs + Tables = Successful Comprehension of Math Word Problems	In this lesson, students identify the question-answer relationship (QAR) for word problems that relate to a graphic or table. They then use the QAR strategy to determine the mathematical and cognitive actions required to answer the word problem. This activity is particularly appropriate for fourth- and fifth-grade students.	3-5	12/15/06
Question and Answer Books—From Genre Study to Report Writing	This lesson on genre study explores question and answer books to identify their unique characteristics. Students critically read question and answer books, looking at format and content. Students then compare the format of this genre with other nonfiction texts. After conducting research, students publish their findings in the style of a question and answer book.	3-5	7/1/09
Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading	In this lesson, students observe the teacher modeling the process of questioning and using webs to organize information from reading. Students then experiment with writing thin (factual) and thick (inferential) questions while listening to read-alouds and when reading in small groups. Students further investigate questions at content-related websites.	3-5	2/12/09
Readers Theatre	Readers Theatre gives students the opportunity to develop fluency and enhance comprehension through expressive readings of a text. Students become more enthusiastic in the classroom as they witness how texts can come alive through participatory readings.	3-5	7/12/07
Reading and Writing About Pollution to Understand Cause and Effect	This lesson uses a variety of reading and writing strategies and a hands-on experiment to help third-grade students learn that pollution in our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams is a very serious problem.	3-5	2/25/09
Reading, Writing, Haiku Hiking! A Class Book of Picturesque Poems	Students make reading and writing connections as they record their observations of their environment, learn about haiku, and write original haiku poems. They work collaboratively to plan and publish a class book of their poetry and related factual notes.	3-5	11/7/08
Research Building Blocks: “Cite Those Sources!”	“Cite Those Sources!” is part of a Research Process/Application unit. The focus of this lesson is on creating a bibliography. The unit/activities were created with a School Library Media Specialist about the State of Illinois; however, they can be adapted to any state or other research topic.	3-5	5/13/09
Research Building Blocks: “Organize This!”	“Organize This!” is part of a Research Process/Application unit. This lesson focuses on organizing found research information. The unit/activities were created with a School Library Media Specialist about the State of Illinois; however, they can be adapted to any state or other research topic.	3-5	2/17/04
Research Building Blocks: Examining Electronic Sources	"Examining Electronic Sources," part of a Research Process and Application unit, focuses on selecting electronic resources. The unit and activities, created in conjunction with a School Library Media Specialist, are on the State of Illinois; however, they can be adapted for any state or other research topic.	3-5	5/1/09
Research Building Blocks: Hints about Print	"Hints about Print," part of a Research Process and Application unit, focuses on selecting print resources. The unit and activities, created in conjunction with a School Library Media Specialist, are on the State of Illinois; however, they can be adapted for any state or other research topic.	3-5	9/10/03
Research Building Blocks: Notes, Quotes, and Fact Fragments	"Notes, Quotes, and Fact Fragments," part of a Research Process and Application unit created in conjunction with a School Library Media Specialist, focuses on taking notes, using materials on the State of Illinois. The lessons can be adapted to any state or other research topic.	3-5	9/10/03
Research Building Blocks: Skim, Scan, and Scroll	“Skim, Scan, and Scroll” is part of a Research Process and Application unit created with a School Library Media Specialist. The focus of this lesson is searching for information on the State of Illinois; however, it can be adapted to any state or other research topic.	3-5	9/10/03
Rooting out Meaning: Morpheme Match-Ups in the Primary Grades	By using word-building cards, an online dictionary, and group activities, students determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and increase their understanding of morphemes.	3-5	2/12/09
Searching for Gold: A Collaborative Inquiry Project	In this collaborative inquiry activity, the real gold is the inquiry skills and content area knowledge that students develop. Students study the Gold Rush using a collaborative inquiry strategy: each of several small groups research one aspect of the topic and teach that topic to the rest of the class. Students create a project to aid in their oral presentation of their researched topic.	3-5	3/20/07
Seasonal Haiku: Writing Poems to Celebrate Any Season	Students listen to a sample of haiku read aloud. Then, using seasonal descriptive words, they write their own haiku following the traditional syllable and line format. Finally, they publish their poems by either mounting them on illustrated backgrounds that support the images depicted in the poems or completing the leaf interactive.	3-5	11/13/08
Sequencing: A Strategy to Succeed at Reading Comprehension	Students will strengthen comprehension of the Paul Bunyan tall tale by creating a life-sized timeline. Focusing on the sequence of events in the story, students each write a complete sentence and draw a picture illustrating a certain event and then as a class put these events in sequential order.	3-5	9/14/07
Shape Poems: Writing Extraordinary Poems About Ordinary Objects	In this lesson, students learn the characteristics and format of shape poems and write their own shape poems using an online interactive activity.	3-5	2/12/09
Sharing Favorite Books Using Interactive Character Trading Cards	Sharing books with friends is a literate behavior we want to encourage. What better way is there to motivate students to make reading recommendations than by using interactive character trading cards? In this lesson, students make and use trading cards to recommend books and make book choices.	3-5	2/25/09
Skimming and Scanning: Using Riddles to Practice Fact Finding Online	Skimming, scanning, and navigating websites are increasingly important media literacy skills. Introduce and demonstrate them using a think-aloud approach. Then ask students to practice using them by solving riddles.	3-5	4/14/09
Solving the Math Curse: Reading and Writing Math Word Problems	This lesson integrates math word problems with paragraph writing using the book Math Curse. Students create math word problems, read their problems to the class, and listen to and solve their classmates’ math word problems.	3-5	6/9/08
Sort, Hunt, Write: A Weekly Spelling Program	This set of lesson plans provides you with ways to make daily spelling instruction appropriate and engaging. Students will engage in a wide range of activities that will help them deepen their understanding of word patterns.	3-5	9/13/07
Spelling Cheerleading: Integrating Movement and Spelling Generalizations	This lesson teaches the y spelling rule for adding suffixes and reinforces the rule using a multi-sensory approach called "spelling cheerleading." Students learn kinesthetic movements based on the formations of letters and "cheer" the new words.	3-5	7/23/07
Spelling in Parts: Learning to Spell, Write, and Read Polysyllabic Words	Spelling in Parts (SIP) is a strategy that helps students learn to spell polysyllabic words from spelling and vocabulary lists or from environmental print. This lesson can be easily adapted for any grade level.	3-5	3/28/08
STAR Search: How Do I Find the Book I Need?	STAR Search provides a set of steps and thinking processes for intermediate students to use in finding a library resource relevant to a specific information need. Modeling and presenting the process will assist students in becoming confident, independent library users.	3-5	7/15/04
Story Elements Alive!	The lesson introduces four story elements—setting, characters, problem/solution, and plot—to students via a purpose-driven read-aloud. The whole class identifies a story element in each book, and then students work independently on a story element activity.	3-5	11/1/07
Storytelling in the Social Studies Classroom	This lesson invites third- to fifth-grade students to explore their personal and cultural histories by becoming super storytellers! Students begin by telling personal stories about themselves and their families before moving on to stories about famous Americans.	3-5	2/12/09
Strategic Reading and Writing: Summarizing Antislavery Biographies	Students discuss the strategy of summarizing and why it is essential for making meaning from text. Using a graphic organizer and the Bio-Cube tool, they read and summarize short biographies about antislavery heroes and then present their heroes in mixed-ability jigsaw groups.	3-5	10/14/09
Talking About Books to Improve Comprehension	Conversation fosters the acquisition of comprehension from text. In this lesson, students in grades 3–5 learn to develop an idea from text and then deepen their understanding of the text though conversation. Students also learn how to stay on topic and keep a conversation going.	3-5	2/12/09
Talking, Writing, and Reasoning: Making Thinking Visible with Math Journals	By talking, writing, and reasoning in math journals, students shift the emphasis of their work from finding the “right” answer to a metacognitive exploration of how their problem-solving works in ways that encourage them to apply, extend, and adapt their strategies to new situations. This lesson, which uses the Magic Triangle puzzle as an example, includes sample journal prompts and FAQs about math journals.	3-5	3/15/05
Teaching Language Skills Using the Phone Book	What literacy skills are needed to use a phone book? Through multiple activities built around an everyday text, students will not only learn how the book is arranged, but what the contents are and also how it is used. In the process, students will be using their research and organizational skills to build their own class phone book.	3-5	6/28/04
Teaching Point of View With Two Bad Ants	In this lesson, students use clues from the illustrations and the text of Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg to compare the point of view of an ant with that of a person.	3-5	2/12/09
Teaching Science Through Picture Books: A Rainforest Lesson	A study of the tropical rainforest is introduced through the picture book Welcome to the Green House by Jane Yolen. This science lesson, which incorporates reading, writing, and technology, is a template that can be used with other books by Jane Yolen to teach about the desert, the polar ice cap, and the Everglades.	3-5	11/18/08
Teaching the Compare and Contrast Essay through Modeling	This lesson uses brainstorming and modeling to encourage young writers to create their own texts. The teacher demonstrates the process of writing a comparison and contrast paper for the class, inviting them to collaborate in the process. Students continue the process of writing the essay on their own.	3-5	6/20/07
Technical Reading and Writing Using Board Games	In small groups students create board games on a novel they have read. They write directions for the games that clearly explain how to play and to create questions and answers based on their novels. They play each other's games (technical reading) and discuss changes and improvements for the directions and the game layout.	3-5	3/20/07
The Connection Between Poetry and Music	Music is a close cousin of poetry. Many poems have a strong rhythm and song lyrics may read like poems. This lesson teaches students the connection between poetry and music and encourages them to hear rhythms in both their own poetry and that written by others.	3-5	2/12/09
The Solution Square: Strategies for Conflict Resolution	This lesson uses literature as a springboard for conversation about friendship and conflict resolution. Students reflect on the strategies that good friends use to resolve conflict and role-play strategies for problem solving.	3-5	1/29/08
The Two Voices of the ow Spelling Pattern	As part of a Directed Spelling Thinking Activity (DSTA), students investigate the many sounds a single vowel can represent. In this lesson, students who have previously learned about short and long /o/ sounds will now learn that the spelling pattern ow has two different sounds, as in the words wow and low.	3-5	11/15/07
This is My Story: Encouraging Students to Use a Unique Voice	Voice is what gives personality to a piece of writing, but it can be difficult to write in a voice that is distinctive. This lesson encourages students to recognize and use their own unique voices by studying the work of other writers before writing on their own.	3-5	2/25/09
Thoughtshots Can Bring Your Characters to Life!	Flashbacks, flash-aheads, and internal dialogue help writers create realistic characters that hold readers' interests. Students learn to recognize these techniques, called thoughtshots, and practice using them in their own writing to create characters with more depth.	3-5	6/26/08
Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing	This lesson uses the Coretta Scott King Award book Thunder Rose to reinforce the common elements, or text structure, of tall tales. Reading this literature selection aloud supports students as they produce original tall tales for a culminating activity.	3-5	9/14/07
To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones	This lesson uses acting and music to reinforce the meanings and spellings of common homophones. Students listen to a song designed to help them remember the spellings and meanings of many homophones. They then work in small groups to write and create short skits depicting homophones, while their peers determine the correct spellings for the homophones. These skits are later made into comic strips.	3-5	4/21/08
Traveling Terrain: Comprehending Nonfiction Text on the Web	This lesson provides strategic teaching lessons to students for comprehending nonfiction text found in website format. Strategies include locating specific information, identifying text features of nonfiction text, and generalizing information read to related topics. The lesson centers on a science-oriented website, but can be adapted to other content area websites.	3-5	11/16/06
Unwinding A Circular Plot: Prediction Strategies in Reading and Writing	This lesson, using circular stories, invites students to use a graphic organizer to explore the plot of the stories while focusing on prediction and sequencing skills. After exploring the features of circular plot stories, students write their own stories individually or in small groups.	3-5	3/20/07
Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing	How can “multigenre” be introduced in the intermediate classroom? Using the Caldecott Medal-winning book Snowflake Bentley as a model, students will create a working definition of multigenre text; then, they will create their own multigenre piece about winter or another pertinent theme.	3-5	1/16/09
Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization in Writing Workshop	Students explore the concept of character development through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.	3-5	11/16/07
Using Picture Books to Teach Plot Development and Conflict Resolution	Students explore the concept of plot development and conflict resolution through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.	3-5	1/29/08
Using Picture Books to Teach Setting Development in Writing Workshop	Students explore the concept of setting through focused experiences with picture books. As they learn about the connections between reading and writing, students find ways to apply the information they learn to revisions of their own writing.	3-5	11/16/07
Using Pictures to Build Schema for Social Studies Content	Student groups analyze images of the Boston Massacre. They study Paul Revere’s engraving of the massacre and compare it to the other images. This activity leads to a discussion on propaganda. Students demonstrate understanding of the Boston Massacre and propaganda through poetry writing, artwork, expository writing, and oral presentations.	3-5	6/26/07
Using Science Texts to Teach the Organizational Features of Nonfiction	Throughout this lesson, students examine several nonfiction science texts and generate a list of organizational features that are used. Students then collaborate to create a two-page spread using the organizational features they have been studying to present information on a science topic.	3-5	2/12/09
Using the Internet to Facilitate Improved Reading Comprehension	This lesson introduces students to Really Simple Syndication (or RSS) feeds and guides them in developing inferential language skills that foster better reading comprehension.	3-5	8/17/09
Using the Prediction Strategy to Set Purposes for Reading	The prediction strategy is modeled, practiced, and used independently as students read a trade book. Response journal forms are used by the students to record questions and responses based on predictions made by students before reading.	3-5	7/12/07
Using Timeline Games and Mexican History to Improve Comprehension	This lesson has students participate in a shared reading and conduct online research to gain an understanding of Mexican history. Students choose events, take notes on them, think about how to order them, and create a timeline. They then play a game to learn from each other's timelines.	3-5	2/12/09
Using Word Storms to Explore Vocabulary and Encourage Critical Thinking	Using an inquiry model called POWER, this lesson has students learn new vocabulary related to a social issue, explore these vocabulary words in discussions and journals, and create projects that use the vocabulary to reflect their critical perspectives. It can be applied to different content areas.	3-5	2/12/09
Using Writing and Role-Play to Engage the Reluctant Writer	In this lesson, students use dramatic role-play to further engage their literacy skills. By exploring the characters in a story and writing in role, students use creative means to support their learning and understanding of the writing process.	3-5	7/19/07
Vote for Me! Developing, Writing, and Evaluating Persuasive Speeches	Effective persuasive speeches require the logical formulation of solid arguments that are backed by examples. They also need good delivery. This lesson encourages fourth- and fifth-grade students to think critically and write persuasively by focusing on preparing, giving, and evaluating mock campaign speeches.	3-5	2/12/09
Voting! What’s It All About?	Students learn about the voting process through read-alouds, partner and independent reading, as well as guided Internet exploration of child-friendly Web sites. Students share information through writing and whole group discussions, explore the difference between fact and opinion, and create a large graffiti wall mural with information they’ve learned.	3-5	3/11/09
Wartime Poetry: Working With Similes	Using photographs, first-hand accounts, drama, and peer-editing, students write poems about the feelings of children evacuated during World War II. Students are introduced to the term simile and make comparisons to develop strong imagery in their poetry. This lesson can be adapted to suit any time period or topic.	3-5	8/2/07
Weather Detectives: Questioning the Fact and Folklore of Weather Sayings	Before there were weather tools, people looked to the sky, plants, and animals for hints about what the weather would do. To remember these indicators, people coined weather sayings. But are these sayings true and reliable? By encouraging students to adopt a skeptical stance, this lesson invites students to become weather detectives who ask “Why?” and “Why not?” as they investigate the history and validity of some of the common weather sayings then share their results with their classmates.	3-5	3/20/09
Webcams in the Classroom: Animal Inquiry and Observation	Can't make it to a zoo? Observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world in this inquiry-based activity that focuses on observation logs, class discussion, questioning, and research.	3-5	9/16/09
Website Planning in a Bilingual Classroom	Students build upon their linguistic and cultural knowledge to develop and plan a website by completing and discussing a family survey and making a flow chart.	3-5	10/7/09
What If We Changed the Book? Problem-Posing with Sixteen Cows	After participating in the reading of Sixteen Cows, children are invited to respond to the story. Their responses are both literary and mathematical in nature. Based on their observations and comments, students work together to create mathematical problems based on the literature. The problem-posing and well as the problem-solving integrates both literacy skills and mathematical knowledge.	3-5	8/5/05
What Makes Poetry? Exploring Line Breaks	Learning poetry's special characteristics helps students understand, appreciate, and compose poetry. One defining characteristic of poetry is use of line breaks. Students explore various poems and why the lines are broken where they are. Then they experiment with varied line breaks and how they affect rhythm, sound, meaning, and appearance.	3-5	11/7/03
What's in a Mystery? Exploring and Identifying Mystery Elements	In this lesson, students read Nate the Great or a similar mystery and use it to help them identify the elements of mysteries. They then complete a mystery graphic organizer and write their own mystery stories.	3-5	2/12/09
Who’s Got Mail? Using Literature to Promote Authentic Letter Writing	This activity teaches and reinforces letter writing through read alouds and shared writing. Students discuss and chart letter elements and write their own letters to adults at school. This can lead to ongoing correspondence between adults and students, reinforcing letter-writing skills beyond the classroom lesson.	3-5	3/11/09
Write-Talks: Students Discovering Real Writers, Real Audiences, Real Purposes	This lesson introduces students to a wide world of writing by inviting people into the classroom to talk about what, why, and how they write in their day-to-day lives. Students then reflect on how these varying purposes and processes can apply to their own lives.	3-5	3/17/08
Writers’ Workshop: The Biographical Sketch	This lesson, which is targeted specifically to fourth grade, gives students the opportunity to practice writing short biographical sketches in a workshop setting. The classroom exercises help students develop critical writing skills and complement their content area learning.	3-5	2/25/09
Writing a Movie: Summarizing and Rereading a Film Script	Writing a Movie is a technique similar to Readers Theatre. In writing a movie, students view a short film segment (5 to 10 minutes) and write a description of the segment. Students read their descriptions expressively as the film's soundtrack plays in the background.	3-5	7/19/07
Writing ABC Books to Enhance Reading Comprehension	In this lesson, students will use an online interactive, the Alphabet Organizer, to think critically about a piece of literature. Using the alphabet as an organizing structure, students will analyze literary elements in the story, such as characters, setting, and themes, organizing their observations in an alphabet book.	3-5	7/12/07
Writing and Assessing an Autobiographical Incident	An autobiographical incident, a story students can tell about an event in their own lives, can be a powerful teaching tool at the beginning of the school year. It is a wonderful way to introduce students to each other because the author shares experiences and feelings about an event.	3-5	3/31/05
Zines for Kids: Multigenre Texts About Media Icons	Using ReadWriteThink.org online tools, students write short pieces in a variety of genres about a favorite media icon. After working with each tool, students print out their work and assemble the documents into their own zines.	3-5	2/25/09