ALEX Resources

Narrow Results:

Lesson Plans (3)

Classroom Resources (6)

ALEX Lesson Plans

Subject: English Language Arts (K), or Science (K)
Title: Animal Habitats
Description:

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.

Subject: English Language Arts (K), or Science (K)
Title: Lesson 4: Recycling Product Lesson
Description:

This lesson may be taught as part of the Unit Plan - Solutions to Lessen Human Impact on the Environment. This lesson will culminate the lessons on recycling that have been previously taught. Students will work collaboratively in groups to discuss texts and factual information they have learned from previous lessons taught on recycling. The students will make a poster or brochure to share with the class. The shared portion of the lesson will be videoed so that the students can share with parents, other family members, and the local city council members.

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

Subject: English Language Arts (K), or Science (K)
Title: The Needs of Living Things: Constructing a Model Habitat
Description:

Students will begin by brainstorming a list of needs that must be met for an animal to survive in its habitat. Next, the students will observe an ant farm, created by the teacher prior to the lesson, and determine how the ants' needs are being met through their environment. Then, students will create a list of needs that must be met for a plant to survive in its habitat and compare this list to animals' survival needs. Lastly, the teacher will assist students in developing a plan to build a natural habitat conducive to meeting the needs of a plant. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students will construct a plant terrarium.

This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

ALEX Classroom Resources

Subject: English Language Arts (K - 2)
Title: Predicting and Gathering Information With Nonfiction Texts
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/predicting-gathering-information-with-316.html
Description:

The reading community recognizes nonfiction as vital to early learners. This concept is relatively new, and most primary teachers have little experience with how to introduce nonfiction to their students and use it as part of the reading curriculum. This lesson supports second-grade teachers in introducing nonfiction to their students and using it for informational purposes. Students develop an understanding of nonfiction through peer interaction and hands-on experiences with books. They use graphic organizers to record their thinking and new learning.

Subject: English Language Arts (K - 2)
Title: I Wonder: Writing Scientific Explanations With Students
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/wonder-writing-scientific-explanations-872.html
Description:

If you have ever had your class interrupted by a thunderstorm or by a bug crawling across the carpet, you know that students naturally question the world around them. This lesson encourages students to ask questions about a specific topic, choose a particular question to explore in detail, and research the question using a variety of resources. Students organize their information on a "What we think we know," "What we have confirmed we know," and "New facts we have learned through research" (TCF) chart. They then collaborate to write a class scientific explanation.

Subject: English Language Arts (K - 2)
Title: Animal Study: From Fiction to Facts
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/animal-study-from-fiction-286.html?tab=1#tabs
Description:

This lesson describes how to use selected fiction and nonfiction literature and careful questioning techniques to help students identify factual information about animals. Children first identify possible factual information from works of fiction which are read aloud, then they listen to read-alouds of nonfiction texts to identify and confirm factual information. This information is then recorded on charts and graphic organizers. Finally, students use the Internet to gather additional information about the animal and then share their findings with the class. The lesson can be used as presented to find information about ants or can be easily adapted to focus on any animal of interest to students. Resources are included for ants, black bears, fish, frogs and toads, penguins, and polar bears.

Subject: English Language Arts (K - 2)
Title: Our Community: Creating ABC Books as Assessment
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/community-creating-books-assessment-844.html
Description:

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.

Subject: English Language Arts (K)
Title: Writing Reports in Kindergarten? Yes!
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/writing-reports-kindergarten-73.html
Description:

This unit provides three types of reports that can be written and shared by kindergarten students. These reports allow young students to see themselves as writers with important information to share with others. In the first report, students report what they've learned about an apple using all five senses by completing a simple report form. In the second activity, they explore a variety of nonfiction media about animals of their choice. After they write journal pages recording simple information about the animals, completed pages are stapled together, and students create clay representations of their selected animals. In the final report, students use facts they have researched to create and share original riddles about selected animals.

Subject: English Language Arts (K - 2)
Title: Investigating Animals: Using Nonfiction for Inquiry-Based Research
URL: http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/investigating-animals-using-nonfiction-187.html
Description:

Young children are fascinated with the world around them, showing intense interest and curiosity about animals and their lives. Through the use of nonfiction, students can be encouraged and challenged to learn more about their favorite animals and to document their findings with graphic organizers. Students begin their inquiry by comparing fiction and nonfiction books about animals, using a Venn diagram. They list things they want to know about animals on a chart. As a class, students vote on an animal to research. They revise their question list and then research the animal using prompts from an online graphic organizer. After several sessions of research, students revisit their original questions and evaluate the information they have gathered. Finally, students revise and edit their work and prepare to present their findings to an authentic audience.

ALEX Classroom Resources: 6