All Lessons

Produce Rhyming Words
This phonics lesson gives students practice in producing rhyming words with short and long vowel sounds. Teacher instructions are included throughout the lesson.

Decode Words
This phonics lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students will identify and use appropriate words and vocabulary based on subject matter and context. This lesson is the beginning level of decoding words (words containing only the phonetic code the student has already learned) and includes the following digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh, ck, and ng. Non-decodable words are not included because students must be taught the sounds of the different phonic patterns.

Interpret Data
All examples in this lesson should be the completed data charts created in the organizing and representing data lesson.

Describe Characters, Setting, & Plot
This reading literature lesson covers how to use words and illustrations to describe characters, setting, and plot. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students will read the text and look at the illustration. Then, they will review a series of statements about the characters, setting, and plot, identifying whether the details came from the words or the illustration.

Explain How Illustrations Contribute to a Story
This reading literature lesson explains how pictures add information to a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting). In this lesson, students will describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. (Also aligns with 3.RL.3.)

Plan and Write Informative Text
W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.2.AW.3.2.A Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.3.2.BW.3.2.B Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
W.3.2.CW.3.2.C Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.
W.3.2.DW.3.2.D Provide a concluding statement or section.
This writing lesson helps students practice writing informative text. In this lesson, students will read given research notes on a topic, then develop a topic sentence, supporting detail sentences, and a concluding sentence using a graphic organizer. (Also aligns with standard 3.W.7.)

Fraction Word Problems: Addition and Subtraction
Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and having like denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem.

Discern Main Idea (Implied)
This reading comprehension lesson focuses on discerning implied main ideas and supporting evidence in a text. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students read the text and determine which sentences are supporting evidence for a common idea. Then, they choose the implied main idea from four possibilities. In addition to the lesson, there are eight pages of Independent Practice and review with questions modeled after current adaptive testing items.

Describe the Government of the Roman Republic
This world history lesson asks students to describe the government of the Roman Republic. In this lesson, students will read passages about the Roman Republic and their Consuls, Senate, Assembly, and Dictators. Then, they fill out the graphic organizer and answer the appropriate questions.

Analyze the Main Idea
This reading informational text lesson covers how to analyze central ideas in an informational text. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students have to identify the topic sentence and summarize the key details of each paragraph, and then analyze how these facts support the given central idea.

Translate Geometric Figures
8.G.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations:
8.G.1.A8.G.1.A Lines are taken to lines, and line segments to line segments of the same length.
8.G.1.B8.G.1.B Angles are taken to angles of the same measure.
8.G.1.C8.G.1.C Parallel lines are taken to parallel lines.
This geometry lesson teaches students how to translate geometric figures. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students will translate geometric figures. Students will also verify the properties of translated figures. This lesson can be used with rulers and protractors or with geometric software.

Describe the Law of Conservation of Matter
This physical science lesson focuses on describing the Law of Conservation of Matter. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students read a balanced chemical reaction and draw a molecular model for the reactants and the products. Then, students count and write the number of atoms for the reactants and the products. Finally, students read passages and complete a graphic organizer, as well as explaining why a chemical reaction does or does not obey the Laws of Conservation of Matter. In addition to the lesson, there are four pages for Independent Practice and review modeled after current adaptive testing items.

Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words Using Context Clues
This language lesson covers how to determine the meaning of unknown words by using context clues. In this lesson, students will find the meaning of selected words in nearby individual sentences, paragraphs, or the text as a whole. Prior to this lesson,students should already have worked with context clues as definitions, examples, restatements, relationships, and comparisons (as they have been addressed in lower grades).

Interpret Figures of Speech
This language lesson asks students to interpret euphemism and oxymorons. In this lesson, students will read a passage with key words underlined. Then, they will identify whether the word is an euphemism or oxymoron and interpret its meaning. According to The Internet TSEL Journal, speakers of English use euphemisms to express many everyday realities, and have to decode them daily at work and in the media. Fluency in English requires the understanding of euphemisms, yet they are largely untaught. This lesson addresses that need.

Solve Exponential Equations
(C) Write exponential functions in the form f(x) = abx (where b is a rational number) to describe problems arising from mathematical and real-world situations, including growth and decay
A2.5.D(D) Solve exponential equations of the form y = abx where a is a nonzero real number and b is greater than zero and not equal to one and single logarithmic equations having real solutions
PCAL.5.I(I) Generate and solve exponential equations in mathematical and real-world problems
This creating equations lesson teaches students how to solve exponential equations in one variable. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students will create and solve exponential equations to solve problems involving exponential growth or decay.

Predict the Possible Phenotypes of Offspring Using Punnet Squares
This biology lesson focuses on explaining phenotype inheritance using Punnett squares. The lesson includes research-based strategies and strategic questions that prepare students for assessments. In this lesson, students read a genetic cross, identifying the dominant and recessive traits, and determine the genotype of each parent. Then, they label the Punnett square with the alleles of each parent. Next, students combine the alleles of each parent to determine the genotype of each offspring. Finally, they identify the phenotype and answer the questions. In addition to the lesson, there is one page of Independent Practice and review modeled after current adaptive testing items.

Segment Words
This phonics lesson involves segmenting words. Please read page regarding Phonemic Awareness instructions. When Checking for Understanding, make sure to select multiple non-volunteers to orally blend words. Students do not have a handout for this lesson. This lesson should focus on students’ phonological awareness, meaning they should only be listening to the words not reading them. The terms onsets and rimes were purposely not used in this lesson due to the difficulty level for kindergartners. This lesson focuses on students’ phonological awareness, meaning they should only be listening to the words not reading them. Pictures have been animated to appear after students have blended the given sounds. It will be helpful if students are already familiar with blending and segmenting onsets and rimes prior to this lesson. Supplemental materials for Concept Development CFU and Skill Development are available for this lesson.