Students collect data within their school about current social issues and create graphs to display and analyze the data. Students simultaneously read and write fables based on the prevalent social issues. Students then make 2D illustrations for their fables and practice reading their stories aloud with fluency. The culminating event is a Meet the Author showcase for parents to hear the stories and get autographs from the new authors.

In this lesson, students will draw and write about a shared experience (e.g. trip, class performace); students will audio record their writing on VoiceThread.

Students will read about Poe and a passage from a newspaper article he wrote. Students will then write their own newspaper hoax. This resource supports English language development for English language learners.

The NC Kids' Exploration Journals are a fun educational tool to help youth explore their communities and natural surroundings! Each journal contains: 18 multidisciplinary activities with guided prompts, 6 lined journal pages for recording observations and reflections, and 4 blank pages for individual creativity.

The digital versions of the journal are designed to be printed out for students either as individual activities or in its entirety so that they can explore their school yard, local park, or own backyard. Though designed for 1st - 5th-graders, older audiences may enjoy them too! They are also available in both English and Spanish languages.

While supplies last, hard copies of the journals are currently available for free to teachers by contacting karen.ipock@ncdcr.gov.

Use the mystery boxes to start a short narrative with an animal as a main character.

In this lesson, students will write a personal narrative about a time they surprised themselves or someone else.

Students will use their previously written narratives to share their stories with others using the Dash Robot.

This teacher's curriculum guide presents strategies for engaging readers before, during, and after reading the book. It also provides extension strategies to further students’ understanding through response to writing prompts.

This teacher's curriculum guide presents strategies for engaging readers before, during, and after reading the book. It also provides extension strategies to further students’ understanding through analysis of verbs and narrative writing tasks.

In this lesson, students will learn what a fable is, explore fables told along the Silk Road, and then create their own.

Students will listen to the teacher read aloud A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman (Scholastic INC.) and be able to discuss character motivation in the story. They will apply their understanding of the story plot and character motivation in  order to complete a creative written response.

Students will read Mama Panya’s Pancakes either with their trade books or the YouTube read aloud provided.  After they have read or listened to the story, students will create a unique pancake recipe and write down the directions using the linking and helping verbs they have learned in this unit.  Once their recipe is completed, they will create a video explaining the directions.