Read aloud a hilarious diary written from the perspective of a spider, then use the story to launch your first grade journal writing. Students will love creating their very own writing journals.

Listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean and practicing slowing down can be helpful to feel more calm and ease. Calming tools such as breathwork, mindful movement, and stillness are practiced in this ocean-themed lesson.

Get ready to learn all about animals! In this week, students will learn about animals that live in different habitats. They will connect to literacy through classic stories like the Three Little Pigs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Do your students respect their peers' opinions? This lesson teaches first graders that their opinions matter by encouraging them to write out opinions and back them up with reasons.

Planning for a substitute in the classroom has never been easier than with this daily sub plan! Your substitute can keep your students learning in your absence by using these lessons, worksheets, and activities.

Planning for a substitute teacher has never been easier than with this daily sub plan! Your substitute will appreciate the support in helping your students learn. In your absence the substitute can use these practical lessons, worksheets, and activities.

Plan ahead for when you'll be out of the classroom! Planning for a substitute in the classroom is no problem at all with this daily sub plan. Your substitute can keep your students learning in your absence by using this packet of lessons, worksheets, and activities.

This engaging lesson plan provides first and second grade students with an opportunity to learn all about female inventors.

Ready, set, bingo! Students will use a fun, fast-paced game of word bingo to practice reading and spelling grade-level sight words.

Engage students in reading grade-level texts by making and testing predictions. Your students will be excited to read on to find out if their predictions are correct!

A first grade classic takes center stage in this lesson on comparing and contrasting characters. This lesson can be used alone or with the Compare and Contrast with Wolves lesson plan.

Make reading as fun as A-B-C and 1-2-3! Introduce your first grade students to ending blends such as NK, LK, NT, MP, and ND.

In this fun blending lesson, students will get a chance to read and spell grade level words. This can be used as a stand-alone lesson or support for the Cooking Up Blends lesson plan.

From the compass rose to the map key, first grade students will learn about three characteristics that make up a map. Symbols are used on maps too, as students practice what they can do!

This lesson, perfect for first and second grade learners, will help kids become environmental activists as they think of ways to help the Earth! First, students will brainstorm examples of what it means to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Next, students will partake in a creative art project where they trace their hands and think of way ways they can give the planet a hand. This engaging activity integrates creative writing skills and Earth science.

Use storytelling to teach your first graders about sensory language in this interactive lesson.

Now that your first graders are able to count consecutively, introduce them to the tens and ones place values. Using tens and ones blocks will make math easy and fun for everyone!

Combine the power of poetry and storytelling to teach your first graders about sensory language in this exciting lesson.

Use a playful theater activity to teach your first graders how to change a verb from the present to the past tense.

Help your first graders learn word formation with this lesson that has them create a new word and write a story about it.

This simple review helps first-graders familiarize themselves with common words. By building their vocabulary, they'll simultaneously improve their reading skills.

Use a letter writing activity to teach your first graders about the three different ending sounds of past tense verbs.

Use a silly movie clip and fun activity to teach your second graders how to spell and recognize words with the inflectional ending -ing.

This lesson plan teaches students about Dorothy Pitman Hughes, a black human rights activist, feminist, and child-care advocate. First, students will read a short passage, and then they will answer questions about important details from the text. Created for first graders and second graders, this engaging lesson helps build students' vocabulary and informational writing skills.

Provide students with an opportunity to closely examine the difference between a topic and main idea in a nonfiction text. Use as a stand-alone activity or a support for the Finding the Main Idea and Details in a Nonfiction Text lesson.

This lesson plan teaches students about Jean-Michel Basquiat and his life as a child. First, students will listen to a story and figure out the main topic and details. Next, students will be asked to think deeply about what it means to be an artist and some of the types of art they like to create. Perfect for first graders and second graders, the lesson Black Artists: Basquiat highlights reading informational texts and building vocabulary.

Give first graders a sense of time by introducing them to telling time by the hour. Students who have mastered the numbers 1 to 12 will be eager to keep the class on a time schedule.

Inventors and their novel inventions are always a thrilling topic! In the lesson Researching Black Inventors, first graders and second graders are encouraged to research the rich history of African American inventors. This engaging lesson plan provides students with an opportunity to learn all about inventors they find interesting and the impact those inventors have on the world. Perfect for Black History Month, this learning activity highlights informational writing skills and helps build students' vocabulary.

Wondering how to teach your second graders about inflectional endings? Look no further. After playing with dice and learning through song, your students will be adding -ing and -ed like pros.

Ask an important question this month: What does an activist do? This engaging lesson can be used leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and year-round). It supports students in understanding what it means to be an activist and how Martin Luther King Jr. used collaborative action to change the world and speak out against oppression. Perfect for first graders and second graders, this activity explores word meaning and other reading and writing skills.