LAFS.5.W.1.1Archived Standard

This lesson is about the importance of self-respect and acceptance of others. A pompous new magistrate from London comes to a fishing village in Newfoundland after the Second World War. He acts as if he is better than everyone. Only John, who has intellectual disabilities, has the courage to stand up to him. In the end, John gains the magistrate's appreciation and respect. This story may be used in conjunction with studies on Canada (Newfoundland). The lesson plan addresses the following literacy skills: quoting accurately from the story when explaining what the story says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the story; determining a theme of a story from details in the text, including how characters in a story respond to challenges; determining the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes; and writing opinion pieces, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson explores two common issues that students face, feeling different and finding acceptance. In Rules, Catherine tells about her brother, David who has autism. She has always taken care of him and uses rules to teach him what to do. She makes up rules for herself, too. Her rules are challenged when she meets new friends, Jason and Kristi. This lesson addresses the following language arts skills: quoting accurately from text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when making inferences; determining a theme of a story from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges in her life; and writing opinion pieces in response to a text-based question, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will observe a speaker and analyze a piece of informational text (an excerpt from Bill Clinton's 1993 Inaugural Address) to further develop their knowledge of summarizing, identifying central ideas and relevant details, and identifying claims and supporting reasons with evidence. Students will then play the role of the speaker and create their own writing on a topic they think would be important to kids, why they would be a good candidate for president, or how they might motivate other kids. At the lesson's end, students will present their speech to the class. A graphic organizer, student handouts, and rubrics are provided for the writing and speaking activities.

Type: Lesson Plan

A fire caused by faulty wiring set off a sprinkler system, which damaged a school. The school must be remodeled and the electrical wiring must be replaced. Students will decide which materials to use to as conductors and which to use as insulators in the new wiring.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Students need to make decisions about the correct bakery box to send cookies through the mail to fill orders. Students need to consider the capacity, dimensions, and volume of the boxes in terms of how many cookies each box will hold.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This MEA is designed so that students will practice knowledge learned from Order of Operations. In the process, students will analyze marketing and advertising data in order to help Fly Runners Running Shoes choose the appropriate magazine to advertise with.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This engaging MEA requires students to help a 5th grade student decide which cell phone she will ask her parents for as her birthday present. Students must use a chart to analyze information and make conclusions based upon their own ranking system within their cooperative group. They then must write a letter to the student justifying their conclusions.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will look over data and rank locations from the most attractive state to the least attractive state and help their friend's grandparents decide what locations would be the best states to move to, based on their needs and wants. Students will consider the following factors: natural disasters, seasons, landforms, bodies of water, climate zones and yearly precipitation.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students' love of technology will hook them on this MEA that also applies their knowledge of multiplication, estimation, and rounding. And that's just the beginning!

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this MEA, students will choose their top choices of field day activities given the cost, number of adult supervisors needed, the area required for event, safety concerns, clean up required, number of students that can play at a time, and peer comments about the activity. Students will need to make trade-offs in cost when the "twist" provides budget restrictions. Students will calculate area and multiply whole numbers and decimal numbers.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this MEA, students will use problem-solving strategies to rank different parking garages based on given factors. Students will need to apply their knowledge of volume to find the total volume of each parking garage and correctly calculate these values.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students in this MEA will team up to select an endangered animal to relocate.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This MEA uses technology and real world problem solving to hook the students.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will apply their knowledge of plant and animal adaptations to create an opinion writing piece. Students will write to convince a fictional nature show producer to film plants and animals in a habitat of the student’s choosing. Students will be assessed on elements of persuasive writing including: strong introduction/conclusion, logical sequencing, strong word choice, and supporting evidence.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read, analyze and determine the lesson learned in the Aesop fable "The Four Oxen and the Lion" to set the focus for two subsequent lessons on the importance of teamwork. Students will discuss their findings in whole-and small-groups using a K-W-L chart, concept of meaning maps, marginal notes, making personal connections to the text, writing in a reading response journal, and illustrating the lesson learned. Close-reading will culminate in a position paper in which students answer the question: "Why didn't the oxen work together and how could they have changed their behavior in order to do so?"

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will determine the main ideas in two informational texts about the work and dreams of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. The culminating activity will require students to show understanding of the information presented and the relationship between the two men's dreams by 1) selecting one of three pieces of art to best represent their civil rights dreams, and 2) writing an opinion piece explaining their choice.

Type: Lesson Plan

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The article describes how, through high-speed video, scientists are able to see how bladderworts (carnivorous plants) trap small animals very quickly.

Type: Text Resource