LEARN NC

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

From the education reference

graphic organizer
Visual illustrations to help students establish and learn connections between concepts. Useful at any stage of learning, graphic organizers can be used to organize new material or to review information already discussed.
advance organizer
Content that is presented prior to learning and that can be used by students to organize and clarify new incoming information. The purpose is to build a bridge from prior knowledge to the new information that encourages the understanding, learning, and retention of the new concept.

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Problem-solving careers
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 1.7
In this lesson for grade seven, students analyze information about various careers to determine how people in those occupations use problem-solving skills.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Guidance)
By Jen Presley.Adapted by Kenyatta Bennett and Sonya Rexrode.
Career areas of science: Vocabulary
In CareerStart lessons: Grade eight, page 5.1
In this lesson for grade eight, students discuss different scientific disciplines and gain an understanding of the suffix -ology.
Format: lesson plan
By Tammy Johnson and Martha Tedrow.
Details and sequencing
In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.7
This lesson for grade six will introduce students to careers in environmental protection as it teaches them to identify details and sequence in a non-fiction reading passage.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Guidance)
By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.
Solving workplace problems: Refining the use of argument
In CareerStart lessons: Grade eight, page 1.8
In this lesson plan, students are presented with two writing prompts that describe workplace problems. Students complete a graphic organizer to help them map out the problem-solving process.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)
By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger.
A “defining moment” in editorial writing
Students will be introduced to the definition mode of writing. Students will learn to define a particular subject by responding in an editorial format. Students will first compose an editorial graphic organizer, which will aid in composing a completed editorial using the writing process. This lesson includes modifications for a Novice Low Limited English student.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Susan Brooks and Carrie Mabry.
Animals on the move
Students will choose an animal, draw the animal, write a sentence naming their animal and write a sentence about what their animal can do using inventive as well as conventional spelling.
Format: lesson plan (grade K Computer/Technology Skills and English Language Arts)
By Anita Baldwin, Ann Loftis, and Genevieve Kiser.
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 5 English Language Arts)
By Becky Ellzey.
Comparing resumés
In CareerStart lessons: Grade eight, page 1.1
In this lesson plan, students will work in groups, acting as hiring committees for a college newspaper staff. Students will use two candidates' resumés to determine which applicant is the best fit for the job.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)
By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger.
Graphically organize a biography
This lesson is a good ending to a unit on biographies. The students will work together in small groups to create a poster that displays the information from a biography in a graphic organizer.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Information Skills and Social Studies)
By Ellen Benton.
Weathering the water cycle: Conclusion
This lesson concludes the unit "Weathering the Water Cycle." As a result of this unit, students will understand that the water cycle is a continuous cycle made up of the three stages; evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Computer/Technology Skills)
By Cathie Hill, Jackie Parker, and Karen Neilson.
Using RAFT to determine how to write an informational essay
Students will use RAFT as a tool to determine how to write an informational essay. They will also design a graphic organizer for the assignment as well as compose a rough draft. This is the second lesson in a series of three based on the LEARN NC 9th grade writing exemplars.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)
By Kim Bowen.
Elements of a fable
In this lesson students will examine the elements of a fable. Students will use their understanding of fable elements to create an original fable and present it in dramatic form. This lesson includes modifications and alternative assessments for Advanced Limited English Proficient students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Kate Boyce.
Posing a scenario and "looping" to provide focus in a cause/effect essay
Most of us are familiar with the idea that in narratives a writer chooses a “hot spot” or critical incident to serve as the focus of the work. Teachers of expository writing also must assist students in finding the “hot spot” or focus of their essays. Use this exercise to help student focus on one aspect of the essay.
Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)
By Margaret Ryan.
Mountain cultures graphic organizer
In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 2.4
As students read the article "Peoples of the Mountains," this graphic organizer will help them develop an understanding of the cultures that existed in North Carolina's mountains hundreds of years ago.
Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Pauline S. Johnson.
Coastal Plain cultures graphic organizer
In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 2.5
As students read the article "Peoples of the Coastal Plain," this graphic organizer will help them develop an understanding of the cultures that existed in North Carolina's Coastal Plain hundreds of years ago.
Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Pauline S. Johnson.
Concept maps: an introduction
Using concept maps can help students make connections among subject areas. This article explains how teachers can use concept maps effectively and provides links to tools for creating them online.
By Bobby Hobgood.
Pre-writing planning guide
A graphic organizer to help students plan narrative writing. Includes space for author, audience, purpose, title, genre, time and place, narrator, point of view, plot, an illustrating image, comments, and questions.
Format: document/worksheet
Learn about your county
This activity will allow fourth grade students in North Carolina to learn more about the counties that surround their home county. Using online images, students will create a multimedia presentation to share with others.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)
By Clarice Poovey.
Customer service jobs: Building skills for the future
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 1.9
In this lesson for grade seven, students will research customer service jobs and determine what skills translate to good customer service. The lesson will conclude with a discussion of how these skills might apply in future careers.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts)
By Jen Presley.Adapted by Kenyatta Bennett and Sonya Rexrode.
Super sportswriters' camp
Students will identify the parts of a newspaper sports article in order to plan and write their own sports article.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts)