English Language Arts — Grade 1

Snakes are cool

This lesson begins with a reading of Verdi by Janell Cannon. It integrates science with language arts as the students learn about snakes and write about their findings.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)

By Marcia Reich.

Mixing colors with Little Blue and Little Yellow

This is an integrated lesson based on a French book entitled Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. Within the lesson, students will experiment with various colors to create new colors and eventually write their own version of this story.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Science)

By Lisa Tartaglia.

Fairy tales: Another point of view

This lesson is on comparing and contrasting (alike and different) two different versions of The Three Little Pigs. Students will use the original fairy tale The Three Little Pigs previously learned in the lesson Fairy Tales and compare it to the story The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. This story gives the wolf's point of view.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts, English Language Development, and Theater Arts Education)

By Audra Penrod and Vivian Lages.

The Farm Concert

This lesson teaches basic print awareness along with animal names and sounds through guided reading and the use of a graphic organizer.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Kelly Brandon.

Resources on the web

The wonder of Leo Lionni: Increasing comprehension with prediction statements

This lesson uses picture books by Leo Lionni to engage students in predicting and questioning text. The teacher introduces Swimmy by Leo Lionni and models how to make “I wonder” prediction statements about the text.... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Shhh! Bear's sleeping: learning about nonfiction and fiction using read-alouds

The teacher introduces students to many different genres of literature in this lesson that explores the differences between fiction and nonfiction. After reading “Big Paws,” the teacher engages students in a discussion about bears and creates... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts and Science)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Readers theatre with Jan Brett

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, first- or second-grade students interact with the book Hedgie's Surprise by Jan Brett and create a Readers Theatre experience that is performed for other groups of students. Students make predictions about the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Let's build a snowman

This ReadWriteThink lesson suggests building a snowman as one way to provide food for birds and animals during the winter. Students read fiction and nonfiction books and access the Internet to gain information about how animals survive during the winter.... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

It Doesn't Have to End That Way: Using Prediction Strategies with Literature

This lesson from ReadWriteThink enhances story time by encouraging students to reflect on and respond to literature. They attempt to predict the way in which they think the story will end and create an illustration that reflects their predictions. This... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Integrating Language Arts Using "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

This lesson from ReadWriteThink uses Laura Joffe Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to combine word-skill work with prediction and sequencing practice. Students learn about cause-effect relationships during a shared reading of the book.... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Fact or fiction: Learning about worms using diary of a worm

This ReadWriteThink lesson focuses on the book Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin. During a series of read-aloud sessions students focus attention on different features of the text. In this way, students develop strategies for differentiating... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Deeper reading response: A template for teachers

Interacting with and responding to various texts is an important foundation to build in the primary years of a child's education. This lesson from ReadWriteThink details the five expressive and performative engagements for responding to text, as identified... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Catching the bug for reading through interactive read-alouds

This lesson, from ReadWriteThink, uses an interactive read-aloud of Miss Bindergarten Stays Home From Kindergarten by Joseph Slate to help students learn reading strategies and how to prevent the spread of germs in their classroom. Students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts and Healthful Living)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink