ALEX Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 3 :

3 ) Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (e.g., animals needing food, water, and air; plants needing nutrients, water, sunlight, and air).

[SC2015] (0) 4 :

4 ) Gather evidence to support how plants and animals provide for their needs by altering their environment (e.g., tree roots breaking a sidewalk to provide space, red fox burrowing to create a den to raise young, humans growing gardens for food and building roads for transportation).

[SC2015] (1) 5 :

5 ) Design a solution to a human problem by using materials to imitate how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs (e.g., outerwear imitating animal furs for insulation, gear mimicking tree bark or shells for protection).*

[SC2015] (2) 7 :

7 ) Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).

[ELA2021] (0) 4 :

4. With guidance and support, ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify information presented orally, through text, or other media.

Example: Use interrogatives who, what, where, when, why, and how to ask questions.

[ELA2021] (1) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (2) 1 :

1. Participate in conversations and discussions with groups and peers utilizing agreed-upon rules.

[ELA2021] (2) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (1) 17 :

17. Use content knowledge built during read-alouds of informational and literary texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through drawing and writing.

[ELA2021] (1) 3 :

3. Ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify information to confirm understanding in response to information presented in audible, text, or digital format.

[ELA2021] (2) 22 :

22. Use content knowledge built during read-alouds and independent reading of informational and literary texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through writing.

This is a multi-session interactive lesson plan about animal adaptations for kindergarten through second-grade students. The goal of this interactive digital lesson plan is to guide students through activities that help them understand how characteristics such as body covering, body parts, and behaviors help animals survive. These lesson plans also build cooperation and communication skills for students. There are additional resources provided for the teacher to use before or after using the HyperDoc. 

This Lesson Plan was created in partnership with the Birmingham Zoo.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 2 :

2 ) Use observations and data from investigations to determine if a design solution (e.g., designing a ramp to increase the speed of an object in order to move a stationary object) solves the problem of using force to change the speed or direction of an object.*

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 1 :

1. Actively listen and speak using agreed-upon rules for discussion, with guidance and support.

a. Use speech that is understandable with only grade-appropriate errors.

b. Use word endings to indicate plurals, possessives, and verb tenses in speech.

Examples: dogs, brother's shirt, jumped

c. Use age-appropriate irregular plurals in conversation.

Examples: foot/feet, tooth/teeth, mouse/mice

d. Listen to others and take turns speaking, carrying on a conversation through multiple exchanges.

In this lesson, students will work in groups to design a ramp to increase the speed of a ball. The teacher will guide students' work through careful questioning. After creating different ramps, students will record and report their findings to the class.

This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (0) 1 :

1. Actively listen and speak using agreed-upon rules for discussion, with guidance and support.

a. Use speech that is understandable with only grade-appropriate errors.

b. Use word endings to indicate plurals, possessives, and verb tenses in speech.

Examples: dogs, brother's shirt, jumped

c. Use age-appropriate irregular plurals in conversation.

Examples: foot/feet, tooth/teeth, mouse/mice

d. Listen to others and take turns speaking, carrying on a conversation through multiple exchanges.

[ELA2021] (0) -3 :

R3. Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.

[SC2015] (0) 5 :

5 ) Construct a model of a natural habitat (e.g., terrarium, ant farm, diorama) conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 39 :

39. Participate in shared research and writing projects to answer a question or describe a topic.

a. Include information recalled from personal experiences in research and writing projects.

b. Gather information from provided sources for research and writing projects.

In this lesson, students will research a variety of animals, plants, and habitats from Alabama. After researching animals, plants, and habitats from Alabama, small groups of students will be assigned a habitat to create.  After creating the habitat in small groups, the small groups of students will share their habitat with their classmates.

This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 6 :

6 ) Identify and plan possible solutions (e.g., reducing, reusing, recycling) to lessen the human impact on the local environment.*

[ELA2021] (0) 37 :

37. Actively participate in shared and independent writing experiences, for varied purposes and audiences, across different genres.

a. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create messages, lists, and labels for a drawing or illustration.

b. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create narratives with the events in chronological order and share feelings about the story, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

c. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create opinion pieces about a topic or text, state the opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide a sense of closure, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

d. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create explanatory texts or provide factual information about a topic, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

e. With prompting and support, compose writing for varied purposes and audiences, across different genres.

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[MA2019] (0) 16 :

16. Identify and describe measurable attributes (length, weight, height) of a single object using vocabulary such as long/short, heavy/light, or tall/short.

[MA2019] (0) 15 :

15. Classify objects into given categories of 10 or fewer; count the number of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

a. Categorize data on Venn diagrams, pictographs, and "yes-no" charts using real objects, symbolic representations, or pictorial representations.

[MA2019] (0) 4 :

4. Connect counting to cardinality using a variety of concrete objects.

a. Say the number names in consecutive order when counting objects.

b. Indicate that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted in a set.

c. Indicate that the number of objects in a set is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.

d. Explain that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.

This lesson may be taught as part of the Unit Plan - Solutions to Lessen Human Impact on the Environment. In this lesson, students will participate in creating a recycle drive for a classroom project. Students will create the notification for parents for the recycle drive to help collect items to be recycled. Students will decide by voting on which items they will recycle. Students will bring recyclable items to the classroom for the project. Recyclable materials will be sorted, weighed, and graphed to compare the different items.

This unit was created as part of the ALEX Interdisciplinary Resource Development Summit.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 6 :

6 ) Identify and plan possible solutions (e.g., reducing, reusing, recycling) to lessen the human impact on the local environment.*

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 2 :

2. Actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge needed to be successful as they learn to read and, later, read to learn.

This lesson may be taught as part of the Unit Plan - Solutions to Lessen Human Impact on the Environment.  In this lesson, students will explore solutions that would lessen the human impact on the environment. After reading, The Lorax by Dr. Suess, students will discuss ways they can help their environment through the 3R's (reduce, reuse, recycle). Students will create a reduce, reuse, recycle chart from their discussion.  

This unit was created as part of the ALEX Interdisciplinary Resource Development.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (0) 5 :

5 ) Construct a model of a natural habitat (e.g., terrarium, ant farm, diorama) conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.

[ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 2 :

2. Actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge needed to be successful as they learn to read and, later, read to learn.

[ELA2021] (0) 30 :

30. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

[ELA2021] (1) 16 :

16. Use grade-appropriate academic vocabulary in speaking and writing.

[ELA2021] (2) 4 :

4. Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.

[ELA2021] (2) 25 :

25. Identify and use various text features to locate ideas, facts, or supporting details in both written and digital formats.

a. Identify and locate captions, bold print, subheadings, indexes, graphs, maps, glossaries, and illustrations.

b. Explain how specific features can clarify a text or enhance comprehension.

[ELA2021] (2) 46 :

46. Gather and use research to answer questions to complete a research product.

a. Create topics of interest for a research project.

b. Create questions to gather information for a research project.

c. Find information from a variety of sources.

Examples: books, magazines, newspapers, digital media

d. Define plagiarism and explain the importance of using their own words.

Foregrounding scientific vocabulary, these integrated lesson plans invite students to research worms in order to create a classroom habitat. Students are first introduced to inquiry notebooks and then use them to record what they already know about worms. Next, students observe the cover of a fiction book about worms and make a hypothesis on whether the book is fact or fiction, and then check their hypotheses after the book is read aloud. Next, after an introduction to related scientific words such as hypothesis, habitat, attribute, predator, and prey, students conduct and record research and findings in their inquiry notebooks. Once they have gathered the necessary information, students plan and build a worm habitat, which becomes the springboard for further scientific exploration, observation, and experimentation.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 1 :

1. Actively listen and speak using agreed-upon rules for discussion, with guidance and support.

a. Use speech that is understandable with only grade-appropriate errors.

b. Use word endings to indicate plurals, possessives, and verb tenses in speech.

Examples: dogs, brother's shirt, jumped

c. Use age-appropriate irregular plurals in conversation.

Examples: foot/feet, tooth/teeth, mouse/mice

d. Listen to others and take turns speaking, carrying on a conversation through multiple exchanges.

[ELA2021] (0) 37 :

37. Actively participate in shared and independent writing experiences, for varied purposes and audiences, across different genres.

a. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create messages, lists, and labels for a drawing or illustration.

b. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create narratives with the events in chronological order and share feelings about the story, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

c. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create opinion pieces about a topic or text, state the opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide a sense of closure, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

d. Actively participate in shared writing experiences to create explanatory texts or provide factual information about a topic, using drawing, dictating, and/or writing.

e. With prompting and support, compose writing for varied purposes and audiences, across different genres.

[ELA2021] (0) 39 :

39. Participate in shared research and writing projects to answer a question or describe a topic.

a. Include information recalled from personal experiences in research and writing projects.

b. Gather information from provided sources for research and writing projects.

[ELA2021] (1) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (1) 1 :

1. Engage in collaborative discussions about topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups, utilizing agreed-upon rules.

[ELA2021] (1) 42 :

42. Participate in shared research and writing projects to answer a question or describe a topic.

a. Recall information from experiences to contribute to shared research and writing projects.

b. Gather information from provided sources.

[ELA2021] (2) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (2) 1 :

1. Participate in conversations and discussions with groups and peers utilizing agreed-upon rules.

[ELA2021] (2) 46 :

46. Gather and use research to answer questions to complete a research product.

a. Create topics of interest for a research project.

b. Create questions to gather information for a research project.

c. Find information from a variety of sources.

Examples: books, magazines, newspapers, digital media

d. Define plagiarism and explain the importance of using their own words.

As students study the theme of community, they collect vocabulary words and key concepts. Students first talk about their community and then craft a definition of community. Students then examine several examples of the alphabet book genre and a variety of print and online texts. With the information they've found, students create alphabet books—individually, in small groups, or as a whole class—using an online tool. Their books relate each letter of the alphabet with a fact, keyword or phrase from their research, providing both an artifact that can be used to teach others about the subject and a demonstration of the knowledge gained in the unit that can be used for assessment. This unit focuses on the theme of community, but the idea can be adapted for any unit of study.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) 33 :

33. Express ideas orally and connect these ideas through drawing and emergent writing.

[ELA2021] (1) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (1) 12 :

12. Ask and answer questions about unfamiliar words and phrases in discussions and/or text.

a. Identify possessives and plurals and use them as clues to the meaning of text.

Example: Jack's coat, mom's car; pigs, pig's, pigs'

b. Identify meaningful parts of words (morphemes) and use them as clues to the meaning of unknown words, including frequently occurring affixes and inflections -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, and -est.

Examples: Explain that adding suffix -s changes a singular noun to a plural noun and adding suffix -ed changes a verb to past tense.

c. Describe word relationships and nuances in word meanings, including relating them to their opposites and distinguishing shades of meaning in similar or related words.

Examples: look, peek, glance, stare, glare; big, large, gigantic, monstrous
Act out tiptoe, creep, and march to distinguish shades of meaning in words related to walk.
Discuss synonyms and antonyms.

[ELA2021] (1) 30 :

30. Write legibly, using proper pencil grip.

a. Print upper and lowercase letters fluently, using proper approach strokes, letter formation, and line placement.

b. Print first and last names using proper letter formation, capitalization, and punctuation.

Examples: De'Andre McGill, Kim Mi-Sun, Juan de Jesus, Janie Parker

c. Use lower case letters in the majority of written work, using capitals only when appropriate.

d. Write letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order from memory.

[ELA2021] (1) 32 :

32. Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.

a. Identify the required features of a sentence, including capitalization of the first word and end punctuation.

b. Transcribe spoken words to demonstrate that print represents oral language.

c. Compose a simple sentence, including a subject and a predicate, that expresses a complete thought.

d. With prompting and support, identify the role or purpose of a noun, verb, and adjective within a sentence and describe the type of the information it conveys.

e. Write the correct number of words, with proper spacing, for a spoken phrase or sentence.

f. Begin each sentence with a capital letter.

g. Capitalize the pronoun I and names of individuals.

h. Use commas in dates and words in a series.

i. With prompting and support, recognize, name, and correctly use end punctuation, utilizing appropriate academic vocabulary.

Example: period for declarative sentences, question mark for interrogative sentences, exclamation mark for exclamatory sentences

[ELA2021] (2) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (2) -1 :

R5. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

[ELA2021] (2) 7 :

7. Demonstrate standard English usage when speaking.

a. Use collective nouns.

b. Form and use frequently-occurring irregular plural nouns.

c. Use reflexive pronouns.

d. Form and use past tense forms of frequently-occurring irregular verbs.

e. Use adjectives and adverbs.

f. Produce and expand complete simple and compound sentences when speaking.

Students are likely to know many more words than they use in their writing. This lesson is designed to help students better use their vocabulary by teaching (or reviewing) what verbs are and to help them access verbs they already know and use them in sentences. Students work together to brainstorm and create lists of verbs for each of the letters of the alphabet. Then, choosing one verb for each letter, they create pages for an Action Alphabet book. Each page includes an illustration and a sentence using the verb in context. The project can be adapted according to age level and language ability. Students in kindergarten may work together on a class book, while older students may work in small groups or individually. Similarly, the complexity of the example sentences will vary depending on students' writing levels.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (0) -5 :

R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

[ELA2021] (0) -4 :

R2. Use knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and word analysis skills to decode and encode words accurately.

[ELA2021] (0) 8 :

8. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of printed materials.

a. Recognize and demonstrate that print conveys meaning.

Examples: Share a favorite book with peers. Share a list of birthday gifts received.

b. With prompting and support, explain the roles of the author and illustrator of a text.

c. Track print, moving left to right and top to bottom on the printed page, returning to the beginning of the next line.

d. Identify the beginning and end of a sentence by locating the capital letter and end punctuation.

e. Point to words using one-to-one correspondence, noting that words are separated by spaces.

f. Distinguish letters from words within sentences.

g. Compare and contrast letters based upon similarities and differences, including name, shape, sound, and approach strokes for writing.

[ELA2021] (1) -4 :

R2. Use knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and word analysis skills to decode and encode words accurately.

[ELA2021] (1) 5 :

5. Locate a book's title, table of contents, glossary, and the names of author(s) and illustrator(s).

a. Explain the roles of author(s) and illustrator(s).

[ELA2021] (2) -4 :

R2. Use knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and word analysis skills to decode and encode words accurately.

Learning to recognize letters is an integral part of most kindergarten programs. The challenge is to keep students' interest while practicing until they are fluent. These lessons meet that challenge using a variety of activities. Students will apply their knowledge of letters and letter sounds as they play games and interact with letters online, using what they see and learn to create their own ABC book.