In this lesson, students will read and critically examine a letter from an Alabama farm owner to a U.S. Senator from Alabama regarding exemption status for the 1917 Selective Service Act on behalf of one of her workers. This primary source document will allow the students to practice evaluating a complex text. The students will answer active reading questions in order to participate in a "Philosophical Chairs" class debate regarding the merit of the farm owner's request. The Philosophical Chairs activity will allow the students to verbally articulate an argumentative position while specifically using textual evidence in order to be able to defend his or her position. *Note: Bibliography of resources used can be found at the end of the "Lesson Procedures Section" of this lesson. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

This seminar will introduce three of eight types of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification).  Through song lyrics, poems, videos, interactive activities, and collaboration, you will learn to recognize, determine meanings, and identify comparisons within similes, metaphors, and personification examples.StandardsCC.1.2.5.F  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including interpretation of figurative language.

This seminar will introduce three of eight types of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification).  Through song lyrics, poems, videos, interactive activities, and collaboration, you will learn to recognize, determine meanings, and identify comparisons within similes, metaphors, and personification examples.StandardsCC.1.2.5.F  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including interpretation of figurative language.

This seminar will introduce three of eight types of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification).  Through song lyrics, poems, videos, interactive activities, and collaboration, you will learn to recognize, determine meanings, and identify comparisons within similes, metaphors, and personification examples.StandardsCC.1.2.5.F  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including interpretation of figurative language.

This seminar will introduce two of eight types of figurative language (simile, metaphor).  Through song lyrics, poems, videos, interactive activities, and collaboration, you will learn to recognize, determine meanings, and identify comparisons within similes, metaphors, and personification examples.StandardsCC.1.2.5.F  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including interpretation of figurative language.

TED Video: Leaps and bounds separate that which is ironic and that which many people simply say is ironic. Christopher Warner wants to set the record straight: Something is ironic if and only if it is the exact opposite of what you would expect.

Students will explore two NCSS Notable Trade Books and a newspaper advertisement to develop an understanding of what life was like for slaves in the nineteenth century. Students will use their understanding to write a narrative story about being a slave in the nineteenth century. Students will use the website MyStorybook to create and publish their stories. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn how animals' physical characteristics, such as jaw structure, are directly related to the function they perform when the animal interacts with its environment.

In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students study a disease outbreak and the investigation that followed to understand the role that public health workers play in protecting the communities they serve.

In this lesson, students listen to and analyze the song “Broken” by Xiuhtezcatl, then create their own art project to share their feelings about the future of the planet.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to the song “Broken,” do a close reading of the lyrics, and reflect on the meaning of the song.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video and read a short autobiographical statement to learn more about the artist and activist, Xiuhtezcatl.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own art project to share their emotions about the future of the planet.

Learn about the sounds of the night. Mary and Mike stay up late to explore the magic and music of nighttime. We sing songs about the beauty of the night and a young pianist plays Clair de Lune under the light of the moon. Our friend, Dr. Lerdau, teaches us about nighttime creatures who are making music of their own: owls, crickets, and even plants! Enjoy a lovely evening with us as we discover the simple beauty of our surroundings.

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Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike uses music and story as the joyful pathway to learning for young children while integrating and modeling the state's new EC learning standards for literacy, math, and social-emotional learning as well as the National Standards for Music Education. The show forges connections across the greater community by featuring guest teachers, artists, musicians, authors, and community members. With every music selection, book selection, and guest spotlight, Mary and Mike strive for a rich, diverse, beautiful representation of all people and cultures. The message to beautiful learners is clear: they are loved, they are valued, and they can do amazing things.

The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

In this project, you will explore a real-world problem, and then work through a series of steps to analyze that problem, research ways the problem could be solved, then propose a possible solution to that problem. Often, there are no specific right or wrong solutions, but sometimes one particular solution may be better than others. The key is making sure you fully understand the problem, have researched some possible solutions, and have proposed the solution that you can support with information / evidence.Begin by reading the problem statement in Step 1. Take the time to review all the information provided in the statement, including exploring the websites, videos and / or articles that are linked. Then work on steps 2 through 8 to complete this problem-based learning experience.

In this seminar, you will be learning the difference between retelling and summarizing a fictional story. You will be given questions to ask yourself to help you pick out the most important details in a fictional story. It will introduce the Somebody Wanted But So Then strategy to help you summarize stories you have read. You will be applying past knowledge to new situations. Some activities you will be doing include creating a comic strip summary of story, as well as, creating a project of your choosing to summarize a story you have read.StandardsCC.1.3.4.ADetermine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.

For teachers in K-Grade 5 classrooms, the author of this article reviews the reading comprehension strategies known as Summarizing and Synthesizing. She provides links to web sites and to a book that will provide more background information and lessons. The article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, which focuses on the seven essential principles of climate science.

In this lesson, students learn about the role the sun plays in our daily lives and how solar energy can be used.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen and respond to the text Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students investigate the different roles that the sun plays in our daily lives.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a representation of learning and share the importance of renewable energy.

This book list contains children's books that have been screened for accuracy in depicting scientific concepts. Each book's content is briefly described and its cover pictured. The topics of the books support learning in Grades K-5 about the issue's theme. The list appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, which focuses on the essential principles of climate literacy.

In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn about the varied physical and behavioral adaptations that animals rely on to help them survive changing environmental conditions, such as the arrival of winter.

Instructional expert Jim Knight visits Michael Covarrubias to observe a lesson on context clues, discuss the classroom management techniques he is using already, and share some ideas to increase student engagement. Michael and Jim discuss emphasizing effort, getting students attention before asking questions, using response cards, and planning back-up activities.