What was the Declaration? Why do Americans continue to celebrate its public …
What was the Declaration? Why do Americans continue to celebrate its public announcement as the birthday of the United States, July 4, 1776? While that date might just mean a barbecue and fireworks to some today, what did the Declaration mean when it was written in the summer of 1776?
This is a lesson using Digital Age Skills in Language Arts. The …
This is a lesson using Digital Age Skills in Language Arts. The lesson refers to a documentary about Rosa Parks. This lesson could be taught using any documentary as an anchor text. The outcome of the lesson is for students to produce a documentary of their own based on a hero in their lives.
Hyperdoc playlist of activities for digital literacy lesson. Teacher will need to …
Hyperdoc playlist of activities for digital literacy lesson. Teacher will need to populate the "Guided Practice" section with updated links to current events. Check out The Sift from the News Literacy Project to get ides.
This lesson is the fifth in a series of six in which …
This lesson is the fifth in a series of six in which students engage in a close read aloud of The Invisible Boy. In Session 5, students use a Language Dive to see the cause of and change in Brian's feelings. Additionally, students use Justin's kindness toward Brian as an introduction to compassion, a habit of character.
This lesson is the final one in which students engage in a …
This lesson is the final one in which students engage in a close read-aloud of The Invisible Boy. Students learn that Brian is happier at school because of the new friendship he has built with Justin. This final session allows students to practice recognizing significant events that cause a response in the main character.
This lesson is the first in a series of six in which …
This lesson is the first in a series of six in which students engage in a close read-aloud of The Invisible Boy. This book provides another example of school to help students define and clarify the purpose of school. In this book, students learn that school helps us to appreciate other people's abilities and underscores the importance of treating others kindly. Additionally, students track the main character's change of emotions to better understand the impact of their words and actions on their classmates.
This lesson is the second in a series of six in which …
This lesson is the second in a series of six in which students engage in a close read-aloud of The Invisible Boy. In Session 2, students focus their attention on a smaller chunk of the text that dives deeper into understanding the main character, Brian, and an example of something that makes him feel invisible.
This lesson is the third in a series of six in which …
This lesson is the third in a series of six in which students engage in a close read-aloud of The Invisible Boy. In Session 3, students begin talking about and tracking Brian's feelings on an anchor chart.
This lesson is the fourth in a series of six in which …
This lesson is the fourth in a series of six in which students engage in a close read-aloud of The Invisible Boy. In Session 4, students explore the connection between being "invisible," Brian's feelings, and the drawings of Brian throughout the book. Additionally, students use Justin's appreciation for Brian's drawing abilities as an introduction to the habit of character respect in the closing of the Close Read Aloud
In the ancient Middle East, many great civilizations rose and fell. The …
In the ancient Middle East, many great civilizations rose and fell. The religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each trace their origins back to this part of the world. All of these civilizations arose in the area known as the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent stretches from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Zagros Mountains in the east. It is bordered in the north by the Taurus Mountains and in the south by the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Desert. Its shape resembles a crescent moon.
In this science-based unit, students explore the world of energy. In the …
In this science-based unit, students explore the world of energy. In the first half of the unit students learn what energy is, the different ways that energy is transferred from place to place, and the ways energy can be converted from one type to another. In the second half of the unit students explore the pros and cons of different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy. After learning about the different types of energy, students will grapple with what the world’s energy future will look like if more renewable solutions aren’t found, particularly in their communities. Through a combination of reading and research, it is our hope that students begin to build a deeper understanding of energy and its influence on our lives.
This unit builds on to the informational reading skills and strategies developed in previous units. At this point in the year we assume that students are able to actively read and annotate informational texts in order to build understanding of a topic. Therefore, the focus of this unit is on refining students’ ability to use different strategies to comprehend denser scientific texts. In particular, students will continue working on determining the main idea, summarizing key details, explaining cause and effect, using text features to improve understanding, and explaining how an author uses text features to elaborate on key concepts and ideas.
The central failure of the Congress was related to its limited fiscal …
The central failure of the Congress was related to its limited fiscal power. Because it could not impose taxes on the states, the national government's authority and effectiveness was severely limited. Given this major encumbrance, the accomplishments of the Congress were quite impressive. First of all, it raised the Continental Army, kept it in the field, and managed to finance the war effort.
In this unit students explore immigration by reading a series of narrative …
In this unit students explore immigration by reading a series of narrative nonfiction and fiction texts that highlight the experiences of early and recent immigrants. In the first part of the unit students are pushed to notice and think about the different reasons people choose to leave their homes and settle in a new community or country. Students will then be pushed to think about the different memories, cultural traits, goods, ideas, languages, and skills that individuals and families bring with them when they move to a new place and how these characteristics enrich the community. While students are exposed to a wide variety of immigrant experiences over the course of the unit, not every experience or feeling about immigration is captured in this unit. Because many of our students are first- or second-generation immigrants, it is crucial to be sensitive to and respect the varying experiences and feelings of our students and families. It is our hope that this unit, in connection with others, will help students build sensitivity and empathy for varying cultures and experiences within the United States.
In this unit, students study the rovers Spirit and Opportunity and their …
In this unit, students study the rovers Spirit and Opportunity and their remarkable missions to Mars. Through a combination of reading, analyzing images and photographs, and participating in engineering and design labs, students will begin to understand the complexity, preparation, and diligence involved in space missions. Students will grapple with why the engineering and design process, particularly continually planning, trying, and evaluating, is a crucial part of a successful mission. This unit also allows students to make connections between content learned in math and content learned in previous science units, solidifying the importance and value of STEM. It is our hope that this unit inspires students to explore engineering and STEM not only in space but in the world around them.
In this unit, students build their skills in consuming scientific and technical texts. Students will practice explaining the connection between two or more scientific ideas or concepts in a text. Additionally, students will be challenged to draw on and integrate information from two or more texts in order to describe a scientific idea, concept, or process in depth. This unit also continues the study of point of view and analyzing how the point of view influences what and how information is presented to a reader. The Mighty Mars Rover is written to captivate and engage a reader, while the NASA press releases are written to inform the public of the progress and findings of the Mars rover missions. Students will be challenged to compare and contrast the point of view of each text and the strategies each author uses based on the point of view and desired audience. Since this is the culminating unit of the course, all other informational standards will be spiraled throughout the unit.
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