LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

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The Alphabet Tree
After reading The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni to students, the students will retell the events on a flow map. Then using Kid Pix software, each child will choose an event, illustrate it, and write a caption for it. The students will then put their events in order in a Kid Pix Slide Show they can present to the class.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)
By Jody Shaughnessy.
The Birchbark House
This study guide was created by a group of third grade enrichment students. They were planning to read this book but could find no published guide to go with it. They decided to create their own as they read.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)
By Carolyn Ridgway.
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 K–1 English Language Arts)
By Kelly Brandon.
The Great Gilly Hopkins: Characterization and prediction
In the final chapters of the novel, Gilly's grandmother learns she has a granddaughter and decides to take Gilly out of foster care. Many of my classroom readers are often dismayed by this unexpected conflict and its outcome. In this lesson, the classroom becomes a courtroom where students predict the outcome of this conflict.

This activity can be used at the end of the novel, but I like to use it after reading chapters 10 and 11 so students can compare the courtroom decision to the end of the novel.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–6 English Language Arts)
By Emily Vann.
The Greedy Triangle
Students review geometric terms by making predictions about what the Greedy Triangle will become as the teacher reads the book, The Greedy Triangle. Students will create geometric creatures after the review.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)
By Renee Allen.
The Grouchy Ladybug
Students will learn the meaning of illustration, will be introduced to a famous illustrator and will create an illustration based on the style of this particular artist.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Visual Arts Education)
By Jean Caldwell.
The Legend of the Blue Bonnet
Students will create their own version/retelling of The Legend of the Blue Bonnet by Tomie dePaola
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 English Language Arts)
By Shari Peacock.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Students study the symbolism, setting, and characterization in Kafka's work.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)
By Laura Rose.
The Red-eyed Tree Frog and PowerPoint
Students will read The Red-eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley then plan and put together a PowerPoint slideshow which retells the story.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)
By Jody Shaughnessy.
The Sign of the Beaver real estate advertisement
Having read The Sign of the Beaver and the Sunday Real Estate section of the newspaper, create a slide show designed to sell Matt's cabin to buyers in early America.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
By CarrieAnne Blocker.
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
This lesson plan focuses on a English Language Arts objectives: similarity and difference. Students compare the story The Three Little Pigs and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas. Students will work collaboratively in small heterogeneous groups to apply strategies for comprehension and vocabulary.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Betty Coleman-Canty and Michelle Swain.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The learner will be doing curriculum integrated activities using Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science)
By Shannon Zerniak.
The Wish Giver: Cause and effect
Through a discussion of the characters in the novel The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain, the teacher will teach the students to identify and analyze the cause/effect relationship and its importance in reading comprehension.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)
By Becky Ellzey.
To Kill A Mockingbird role-play: A Maycomb pig pickin'
Somewhere near the middle of reading the novel, students start to become confused about characters. This fun role-play activity works especially well just after Chapter 21 and allows students to get to know characters beyond Jem and Scout. It also can be a springboard into further discussions of point of view, theme, and stereotypes.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts)
By David Ansbacher.
Walk Two Moons: An integrated unit
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech is a bittersweet story of a teenager who desperately wants to be reunited with her mother. This unit is an integrated study combining setting, theme, point of view, character, and plot with geography and geometry.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)
By Janet Fore.
Walter the Baker
In this lesson, students will read and discuss Walter the Baker by Eric Carle. They will then create a personal response in words and pictures explaining what they want to be when they grow up.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
By Teresa Bennett.
Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens
Students read, discuss, and write about Who Moved My Cheese? for Teens by Spencer Johnson, M.D., a parable about life's changes, and how best to benefit from them. By reading the parable, students will learn ways to react positively to inevitable change, and gain insight into their personal decision-making processes regarding changes in their lives, now and in the future. This lesson plan is modified for Advanced English Language Learners in the 9th and 10th grades. It is written for 45 minute class periods, but can be modified for 90 minute block classes.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Ann Gerber.
Ya sé lo que hiciste el verano pasado! Using the preterite indicative tense
This lesson focuses on the uses of the preterite indicative tense and vocabulary related to travel. The students will read various selections that demonstrate the use of the preterite tense and draw pictures to illustrate their understanding. Students will demonstrate their understanding by creating a time line of their life history and sharing it with the class. The lesson culminates with students writing a composition entitled “I know what you did last summer” and presenting it to the class in the target language.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Second Languages)
By Carolina Thomson and Ronda Hatcher.
Los adjetivos con el verbo “estar”
Students will learn adjectives of emotion with the verb estar and make a booklet illustrating the new vocabulary.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Second Languages)
By Karen Hayworth.
“ottos mops” by Ernst Jandl
This lesson is designed for students to enjoy a short amusing poem, as well as refine their knowledge of short “o” and long “o” sounds, and use higher order thinking skills to analyze who or what otto and mops are.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Second Languages)
By Helga Fasciano.