Autumn Tree Sentence Building
3rd Grade - 4th Grade
Objectives Students will identify the subject and predicate of a sentence. Students will pair subjects with predicates to form sentences. Materials Needed Sentence parts reproducible Construction Paper - 9" x 12" or Fadeless Paper Rolls (brown, red, yellow and orange) Sentence strip Paper Pencils Preparation: Twist brown construction paper and staple it to a bulletin board to make a tree trunk and branches. Attach construction-paper leaves in red, yellow and orange to complete the autumn tree. Label the trunk “Subject” and the branches “Predicate.” Introduction Introduce the concept of subjects and predicates. Explain that the subject of the sentence tells who or what the sentence is about. The predicate of the sentence tells what happens. Write an example sentence on the sentence strip and hold it up for the class to see. For example, you could write, “The hungry horse ate all the hay in the barn.” Ask students, “Which part of this sentence is the subject? Who or what is the sentence about?” (The subject is the hungry horse.) Then ask, “Which part is the predicate? What did the horse do in the sentence?” (He ate all the hay in the barn.) Cut the sentence strip in two between the subject and predicate. Place the subject on the tree trunk and attach the predicate to one of the branches.
View Lesson Plan
Vocabulary Building: Using Context Clues
3rd Grade - 4th Grade
Objectives Language Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. Materials Needed Whiteboard and dry-erase marker (or chalkboard and chalk) Word Detective Activity reproducible Introduction In a low voice, say to students, “If you can hear me, please raise your snooble.” Students will likely giggle or give you a quizzical look, but simply repeat the instruction until one or two students begin raising their hands. Acknowledge their correct responses with a smile or nod. Once other students begin to catch on, confirm that the nonsense word “snooble” meant hand. Ask a volunteer to explain how she guessed the correct meaning of the nonsense word.
View Lesson Plan
Vocabulary Building: Animal Alliteration
3rd Grade - 4th Grade
Objectives Students will identify alliteration as a literary tool. Students will build their vocabulary by listing descriptive words that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Materials Needed Animalia by Graeme Base “Alphabet Alliteration” pre-writing sheet Construction paper Markers or crayons Dictionaries Introduction Introduce students to the concept of alliteration by realing aloud Animalia by Graeme Base. Ask, “What did you notice about the animal names and the words that the author is using to describe them?” (The words begin with the same letter.) Explain that this is called alliteration. Tell students that alliteration is a literary tool that writers use to add emphasis to words or create a certain mood or rhythm in their writing.
View Lesson Plan
First Day Friendship Building
1st Grade
Objectives Introducing themselves to classmates Sharing something unique about themselves and learning something special about their classmates Understanding that they will work together as a community throughout the school year Describing people, places, things and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly Materials Needed First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg Ball of yarn Puzzle piece template Construction paper (white) Scissors Crayons or markers Stickers (optional) Introduction Read aloud First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg to your students. After reading, ask students to raise their hands if the book’s ending surprised them. (The main character in the story was the teacher, not a student!) Invite them to share why they, their classmates, or their teacher may feel nervous about the first day in a new classroom. Encourage them to share ideas of ways to overcome this feeling.
View Lesson Plan
Build a Pyramid
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will explore cultural diversity displayed in buildings.
- Children will develop fine motor skills.
- Children will engage in design and building.
Word Building Cones
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will understand letter- sound correspondence.
- Children will practice spelling.
- Children will develop vocabulary.
Building Vocabulary: Prefixes
3rd Grade - 4th Grade
Objectives Identifying and knowing the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes Determining the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word Using common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word Materials Needed Prefix title cards Index cards Prefix die template Root-word die template Word meanings game mat Marker Tape or glue Scissors Paper Pocket chart or whiteboard Introduction Print and cut apart the prefix title cards. Hold up the cards one at a time for students to read. Tell students the meaning of each prefix: bi- = two im- = not un- = not mis- = wrong pre- = before re- = again Explain that knowing the meaning of the prefix can help them determine the meanings of words that have the prefix.
View Lesson Plan
Dough Building Challenge
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will engage in sensory exploration.
• Toddlers will practice creative design.
• Toddlers will develop fine motor skills.
• Toddlers will explore basic geometric shapes.
Character Building: Bullying
3rd Grade - 5th Grade
Objectives Students will listen and respond to literature read aloud by the teacher. Students will share interpretations of lessons in a story and learn to apply these lessons to their own lives. Materials Needed A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon Chalkboard, sentence strips or interactive whiteboard Notebook paper Introduction Ask students if they have a favorite food that might surprise others, like broccoli, spinach or beets! Invite volunteers to tell the class what this surprising food is. Tell students that you are going to read a story in which the main character has an odd choice for a favorite food. Ask students to pay special attention to what happens to this character, how her classmates react to her, and what she does to solve her problem. Read aloud A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon.
View Lesson Plan
Word Building Fun
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will understand letter-sound correspondence.
- Children will practice spelling.
- Children will develop vocabulary.
How Tall Can You Build?
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will understand height.
- Children will use nonstandard units of measurement.
- Children will develop balancing skills.
Stack & Build Sight Word Tower
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will recognize and read high-frequency words.
- Children will develop vocabulary.
Build-a-Zoo STEM Kit
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will understand cause and effect.
- Children will make predictions.
- Children will develop balancing skills.
Build-A-Word Shell Game
Kindergarten
Objective
- Children will build and read CVC words.
Sharing Scoops
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will learn about building friendships.
• Toddlers will develop eye/hand coordination.
Sink the Boats
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will make predictions.
- Children will engage in design and building.
Crawl & Find
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will practice crawling, building neck, arm, back, and leg muscles.
Infants will understand object permanence.
Long Vowel Combinations
1st Grade - 2nd Grade
Objectives CCSS Reading: Foundational Skills RF.1.3b: Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words. RF.1.3c: Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds. RF.2.3b: Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams. Materials Needed Chart paper, overhead projector or interactive whiteboard Long Vowel Words building board Long vowel picture cards and letter tiles Word Ladder activity pages Three-In-A-Row game components (game board, spinner and word list) Small scraps of paper or game markers (e.g., coins, chips, etc.) Classroom Pencils Paper clips Introduction Write the following words on chart paper: tap hop fin Ask a volunteer to read each word aloud. Point out that the vowel sound in each word is a short vowel (as in “apple,” “object” and “igloo”). Next, write an “e” at the end of each word to form the words “tape,” “hope” and “fine.” Tell students that this final -e (sometimes called a “magic e”) changes the vowel sound from short to long.
View Lesson Plan
Friendship Fish
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will identify feelings and emotions.
• Toddlers will learn about building friendships.
Cereal Towers
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will make predictions.
- Children will engage in design and building.
- Children will develop fine motor skills.
- Children will make tactile discoveries.
Gumdrop Geometry
4th Grade
Objectives Students will identify geometry terms and correctly match them to corresponding figures. Students will build and identify angles, 2-D shapes and 3-D shapes. Materials Needed Geometry Match-Up Cards Geometric Figure Building Cards Recording sheet reproducible and answer key Toothpicks Gumdrops Paper plates Scissors Tape Pencils Preparation: Print and cut apart the Geometry Match-Up Cards. Put a loop of tape on the back of each card. Display the cards on the classroom board (or use a document camera), grouping the word cards on one side and the picture cards on the other side. Print a copy of the recording sheet reproducible for each student.
View Lesson Plan
Friendship Flower
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will learn about building friendships.
• Toddlers will make connections.
Animal Sounds
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will develop speech.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will identify animals and the sounds they make.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Storytelling Kit
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will show interest in shared reading experiences and looking at books.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will develop memory and listening skills.
Telephone Play
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will engage in pretend play.
• Infants will be introduced to the rhythms of conversation.
Circles, Circles
Infant
Objectives• Infants will develop gross motor skills.
• Infants will build bonds.
Prefix Clip It
3rd Grade
Objective
- Decode and build words with prefixes and suffixes.
Who Works In Our Community?
Pre-K - 1st Grade
Objectives Students will discuss what happens in their community and identify a variety of places there. Students will discuss who works in the various buildings in their neighborhood. Students will sort and classify different items, objects or equipment according to their neighborhood location. Materials Needed Places in My Community by Bobbie Kalman Best-Buy Crayons Lunch-size paper bags Newspaper or scrap paper Lakeshore Glue Sticks Community buildings template Community helpers template My Community Sorting Mat My Community Sorting Cards Safety Scissors Chart paper Stapler Posterboard Introduction Read Places in My Community by Bobbie Kalman.
View Lesson Plan
Magical Multisyllable Words
3rd Grade
Objective
- Decode and build multisyllable words.
Floating Boats
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will explore cause and effect.
• Infants will build critical-thinking skills.
State History
4th Grade
Objectives
- Learn about your state’s history.
- Recall information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources.
- Conduct a short research project that builds knowledge through the investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Learning to Share
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will learn to share and socialize with others.
• Infants will build friendships and other relationships.
Animal Feelings
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will make connections between emotions and scenarios.
• Infants will build social-emotional vocabulary.
Storytelling Baskets
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build oral language and vocabulary skills.
• Toddlers will retell stories.
• Toddlers will be exposed to books and print.
Sentence Skewers
Kindergarten
Objectives
- Children will build complete sentences.
- Children will recognize high-frequency words.
Whom Do You See? Mirror Activity
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will practice visual tracking.
• Infants will begin to recognize their own reflection.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
Songs & Nursery Rhymes
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will listen to songs and nursery rhymes.
What Goes Together?
Kindergarten
Objectives
- Children will sort and classify words.
- Children will build their vocabulary.
Kindness Stones
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will identify feelings and emotions.
- Children will receive emotional support.
- Children will be aware of the feelings of others.
- Children will build friendships.
Potato Roll Race
Pre-K
Introduction
- Here’s a simple game the whole family will enjoy—and a great way to build eye/hand coordination!
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will develop language skills.
• Infants will learn the names of body parts.
• Infants will build bonds.
Make-Your-Own "Spilt Milk"
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build vocabulary through word repetition.
• Toddlers will build oral language skills.
• Toddlers will be exposed to books and print.
Puppet Play
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will communicate feelings through facial expressions.
• Infants will engage in back-and-forth vocal play.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
Send-A-Hug
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will be introduced to friendship and affection.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
Five Little Ducks Prints
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build vocabulary through word repetition.
• Toddlers will build oral language skills.
• Toddlers will be exposed to books and print.
Icy Exploration Bins
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will develop print awareness.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will imitate adults by pointing at pictures.
What's in the Surprise Container?
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build vocabulary.
• Toddlers will name objects.
Addition Strategies: "Make 10"
1st Grade - 2nd Grade
Objective Operations & Algebraic Thinking Using strategies to add and subtract fluently within 20 (e.g., counting on, making ten, decomposing or creating equivalent sums) Materials Needed “Make 10” frame Place Value Blocks Number line “Spin-To-Build” spinner “Build a Sum” record sheet Paper clips Pencils Introduction Pair students with partners, and give each pair 10 ones cubes and 1 tens rod from the Place Value Blocks set. Challenge students to see how many ways they can “make 10” in two minutes (e.g., 2 cubes + 8 cubes, 3 cubes + 7 cubes, etc.). Invite students to share their answers and compare. Provide the “Make 10” frame and have students complete it. Model the problem created in the frame. Ask, “How can I find out how to make 12? 14? 18? Can I start from 10? Is it faster?” Note: Use Place Value Blocks to show visual representations of two-digit numbers. For example, 14 is 1 tens rod and 4 ones cubes.
View Lesson Plan
Peekaboo!
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will understand object permanence.
• Infants will develop social-emotional skills.
• Infants will build bonds.
Fill-In-The-Blank Songs
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build vocabulary.
• Toddlers will sing songs and recite nursery rhymes.
Number Sense Bingo
3rd Grade - 4th Grade
Objectives Students will build number sense. Students will use operations to solve math riddles. Materials Needed Candy hearts (one box per student) Bingo card reproducible Number Sense Bingo Riddles “Valentine Riddle” reproducible Bag or box
View Lesson Plan
Introducing Emotions Through Pictures
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will be exposed to expressions of emotions.
• Infants will build social cognition and process social information.
Identifying Words Through Pictures
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will develop print awareness.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
• Infants will imitate adults by pointing at pictures.
Reading for Details
1st Grade - 2nd Grade
Objectives CCSS Reading/Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details (RI.1.1, RI.1.2, RI.2.1, RI.2.2) Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (RI.1.7, RI.2.7) Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text. Materials Needed “Animal Homes” reading passage Reading for Details graphic organizer Document camera or whiteboard (optional) “Our Closest Star” reading passage Question frames Scissors Highlighters Introduction Explain to students that as they read about the ways animals build their homes, they can be “reading detectives” who discover the main topic and important details! To do this, they must read carefully, examine the text and pay close attention to illustrations that will help them find the answer to the following important questions: Where? When? How? Why?
View Lesson Plan
Nesting & Size Sort
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will explore stacking and nesting.
• Infants will build problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Mealtime Talks
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will build conversation skills.
• Toddlers will build vocabulary.
• Toddlers will name objects.
• Toddlers will develop self-help skills.
What Do You Have?
Infant
Objectives
Infants will point to indicate objects.
• Infants will name objects.
• Infants will build vocabulary.
Exploring Nonfiction Text
1st Grade - 2nd Grade
Objective CCSS Reading: Informational Text RI.4.5: Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts or information in a text or part of a text. Materials Needed “Artful Architecture” nonfiction reading selection Construction Paper - 9" x 12" (cut into 9-inch squares) Safety Scissors Lakeshore Glue Sticks Pencils or markers Introduction Explain to students that they are going to learn about some different types of buildings and architecture by reading a nonfiction selection. Tell students, “Today we are going to see how the author uses the organizational strategy of comparing and contrasting.”
View Lesson Plan
Friendship Tree
Pre-K
Objectives
- Children will build friendships.
- Children will make connections.
Tummy Time Tips
Infant
Objectives
• Infants will develop core muscles of the neck, back, and shoulders.
• Infants will build a foundation toward meeting motor milestones, including rolling, crawling, and sitting.
Positional Word Play
Toddler
Objectives
• Toddlers will be introduced to positional words.
• Toddlers will build vocabulary.
