English Language Arts — Grade 1

Tacky the Penguin

After reading the story, Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, the students will write their own Tacky story. The students will brainstorm ideas before getting started. Next each student will write a rough draft. After the rough draft, the students will proofread and edit their work. Then the students will type their story and illustrate the pictures.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Information Skills, English Language Arts, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Tonya Williams.

Fairy tales: Another point of view

This lesson is on comparing and contrasting (alike and different) two different versions of The Three Little Pigs. Students will use the original fairy tale The Three Little Pigs previously learned in the lesson Fairy Tales and compare it to the story The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. This story gives the wolf's point of view.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts, Theatre Arts Education, and English Language Development)

By Audra Penrod and Vivian Lages.

The Farm Concert

This lesson teaches basic print awareness along with animal names and sounds through guided reading and the use of a graphic organizer.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

By Kelly Brandon.

Inching Through Oral Language for ESOL Students

This lesson will use the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to help the student use clear and precise language to demonstrate comprehension.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

By Angela Goldberg.

The Little Yellow Chicken

The students will be following an integrated unit on "Helping." They will use reading, math, social studies, science, technology, and other areas of study. Students will read, as a group, the book The Little Yellow Chicken by Joy Cowley. The students will be incorporating prediction, prior knowledge, comprehension skills, and language skills for the word family "-ook", the vowel sound "e", and the exclamation mark. The technology to be utilized by the students consists of use of the HyperStudio for math review, Math Software, Graph Club to create a graph of favorite party foods, Inspiration to guide and create graphic organizers for writing, and the Ultimate Writing Machine to create their own version of The Little Yellow Chicken. They will also incorporate color words to practice the Spanish Language.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts, Computer Technology Skills, Mathematics, and )

By diane williams.

Lucky Ladybug Doubles

This lesson will involve students in using symmetry and doubling of numbers 1 through 7 to make ladybugs.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Information Skills, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Alta Allen.

Mixing colors with Little Blue and Little Yellow

This is an integrated lesson based on a French book entitled Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. Within the lesson, students will experiment with various colors to create new colors and eventually write their own version of this story.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, and Science)

By Lisa Tartaglia.

Odd & Even Exploration

This lesson will involve students in using manipulatives to explore even and odd numbers.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts, Computer Technology Skills, and Mathematics)

By Alta Allen.

Snakes are cool

This lesson begins with a reading of Verdi by Janell Cannon. It integrates science with language arts as the students learn about snakes and write about their findings.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)

By Marcia Reich.

"Three Cool Kids"

After reading "Three Cool Kids", by Rebecca Emberley, students will discuss literary elements: characters, setting, problem and solution. The teacher will record using the Inspiration software what students say, making a web that shows the different elements of the story.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

By Genevieve Kiser.

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

This lesson plan focuses on a English Language Arts objectives: similarity and difference. Students compare the story The Three Little Pigs and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas. Students will work collaboratively in small heterogeneous groups to apply strategies for comprehension and vocabulary.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and English Language Development)

By Betty Coleman-Canty and Michelle Swain.

What's Happening Now?

This comprehension and writing lesson helps the student develop skills in predicting what will happen next and sequencing. It also develops the ability to answer what, where, when, and how questions. It can also include a writing activity that teaches writing in a newspaper format by answering the "W" questions and creating a class newspaper book.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Nancy McGowan.

Lesson plans on the web

Comparing fiction and nonfiction with "Little Red Riding Hood" text sets

In this lesson, students explore similarities and differences among various versions of “Little Red Riding Hood.” (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Comparing Tales through Performance

Students identify the similarities and differences between a traditional and a contemporary version of The Three Little Pigs. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 English Language Arts)

Provider: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Deeper reading response: A template for teachers

Details the five expressive and performative engagements for responding to text, as identified by Lawrence R. Sipe. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Digging up details on worms: Using the language of science in an inquiry study

In this lesson, students explore science vocabulary as they research worms in order to plan and build a classroom worm habitat. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Integrating Language Arts Using "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

This lesson, from ReadWriteThink, uses Laura Joffe Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to combine word-skill work with prediction and sequencing practice. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

It Doesn't Have to End That Way: Using Prediction Strategies with Literature

Enhances story time by encouraging students to reflect on and respond to literature. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

A journal for Corduroy: Responding to literature

This lesson from ReadWriteThink leads first-grade students to reflect on and respond to literature through journal writing. Students read books in the Corduroy record their own adventures with Corduroy, share their stories with the class, and create a class book using the computer. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Junie B. Jones introduces literacy mystery boxes

Students discuss the text Junie B., First Grader (at last!) with a partner, and then individually record key events from the story. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE