English Language Arts — Grade 1

The very hungry teacher

After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle students will use the writing process to write their own version of a Very Hungry story. They will use a flow map for pre-writing. Students will write a rough draft that will be revised and edited with a partner and a teacher.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Kelly Zumwalt.

Using different versions of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

This lesson allows the teacher to read different versions of this classic in accents indigenous to certain cultures and then provides a writing lesson for students to write their own version of "'Twas the Night" for their school!

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Dirk Robertson.

Getting in order: "Jack and the Beanstalk"

The students will read "Jack and the Beanstalk" as a group and create flip books to illustrate and sequence the main events.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

By Leslie Robinson1.

Bugs, bugs, bugs

This lesson integrates writing and the study of insects by creating an innovation to the text of the book How Many Bugs in a Box? by David A. Carter

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science)

By Vicki Rivenbark.

Resources on the web

Writing workshop: Helping writers choose and focus on a topic

This lesson from ReadWriteThink helps young writers bring greater focus to their writing. Students use a timeline to break a larger topic into several events or moments. They then select an event to write about from the timeline. Students first work with... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

When I was young

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about how history has been preserved through oral storytelling. Students interview a family or community member to find out what life was like when they were young, and share this person's story with the class. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 English Language Arts and Theater Arts Education)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

What's the difference? Beginning writers compare e-mail with letter writing

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students explore the differences between e-mail and letter writing by contrasting and identifying different forms, and experimenting with their own e-mail and letter compositions. This lesson incorporates an “E-Mail... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using children's natural curiosity to lead to descriptive writing

Inspired by the book It Starts with an A, this ReadWriteThink lesson invites kindergarten students to turn their curiosity and guesswork into a class book, complete with illustrated objects and descriptive language. Students can share this... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using a predictable text to teach high-frequency words

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students develop fluency as they participate in a choral reading of the predictable text. After reading the story, students construct sentences using the words found in the predictable text. Students then have the opportunity... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Under the deep blue sea

In this lesson, students have the opportunity to explore oceans and ocean life. Through creative writing and research projects, students will learn about the ocean and the creatures that live there. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

Telling a story about me: Young children write autobiographies

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students learn to develop ideas collaboratively, plan writing projects before executing them, and compose sentences related to a specific topic. The lesson teaches these skills while drawing from the lives of first- and second-grade... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Teaching audience through interactive writing

This ReadWriteThink lesson supports young writers in learning about audience. Through interactive writing, students work together to create an invitation letter for a group of their peers. In addition, students work independently to create invitation letters... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Stop signs, McDonald's, and Cheerios: Writing with environmental print

Students read words found on everyday objects and use them to identify individual letters in this lesson that teaches alphabet recognition and initial reading skills. First, the teacher uses packaging and logos from common products to encourage students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Reading everywhere with Dr. Seuss

The purpose of this ReadWriteThink lesson is to help students see places where they can read and enjoy books, such as on a trip to Grandma's, at the pool, or at the doctor's office. As they create a book modeled on the rhythm and rhyme of Green Eggs... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Reading and writing about whales using fiction and nonfiction texts

This lesson from ReadWriteThink teaches students how to formulate research questions and write letters. The lesson uses the nonfiction picture book Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies to present factual information about blue whales and the fiction... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Our community: Creating ABC books as assessment

Students study the theme of community and collect vocabulary words and key concepts from areas they study in class. Using this information, they create alphabet books that relate each letter of the alphabet with a fact, keyword, or phrase from the unit... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Note writing in the primary classroom

This lesson from ReadWriteThink invites students to write short everyday notes, to remind, plan, request, or compliment, providing many natural opportunities for meaningful writing and lots of practice in encoding/decoding written text. Note writing is... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

New takes on old tales

In this Xpeditions activity, students revamp a classic fairy tale so that it takes place in today's world. Related activities for parents to do with their children are also found on this page. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–7 English Language Arts)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Making a rainstick

In this lesson from ARTSEDGE, students learn about the history of the musical instrument called a rainstick. They experience rain and create a poem about their feelings and thoughts in the rain. Next, they read a story involving rainsticks, derived from... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Visual Arts Education and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Mail time! An integrated postcard and geography study

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students write to friends and family asking them to send picture postcards. This activity provides motivation for writing and reading and provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about maps as students discover where... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink