To begin the lesson, invite students to name various shapes. As they do, write the names of the shapes on the board. Once you have a list, ask the students to describe how to draw each shape, pretending you don’t know what they are. This exercise will likely highlight some difficulties in accurately describing the shapes, and the drawings may turn out quite different from the intended shapes. Use this moment to explain the importance of understanding the attributes of shapes. Introduce the term “attributes” to the students.

Next, gather the students for a read-aloud session of “The Shape of Things” by Dayle Ann Dodds. Please encourage them to identify the shapes they see on each page. As a group, describe these shapes, noting that each shape has specific sides and corners. Additionally, other characteristics, such as size and color, should be discussed.

Defining Attributes Together

Explain and define the term “attribute” in the context of mathematics: “In math, an attribute is a characteristic that helps define a shape.”

Learning Objectives

1. Distinguish Between Attributes: Students will learn to differentiate between defining attributes (such as the number of sides and vertices) and non-defining attributes (such as color and size).
2. Construct and Illustrate Shapes: Students will be able to build and draw shapes based on the defining attributes provided.

For a detailed lesson plan, please download the PDF.

Begin by introducing the concept of character traits to your students. Write “Character Traits” on an anchor chart and explain that a character trait is a descriptive quality that defines a character in a story. These traits use a variety of descriptive words to bring characters to life. Engage the class in brainstorming a list of possible character traits, such as brave, neat, friendly, messy, and more. Next, select a well-known character and have the students identify this character’s traits, recording them on the anchor chart. Encourage the class to categorize these traits into different groups, such as internal/external, positive/negative, personality, physical attributes, and values.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and categorize various character traits.
2. Recognize specific character traits based on a character’s behavior and actions.
3. List character traits from a book and provide textual evidence to support their identifications.

For the complete lesson plan, please download the PDF.

In the United States, schools typically close on holidays like Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. However, not all schools observe Veterans Day; some districts choose to remain open, while others close. This raises the question of fairness and justice in the recognition of this important day. Should Veterans Day be a universally observed holiday in all schools? Students are invited to write a persuasive essay addressing this question, arguing whether or not all schools should recognize Veterans Day as a holiday.

Learning Objectives

Aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1), this exercise aims to help students develop their ability to write arguments that support claims about substantive topics. Students will use valid reasoning and relevant evidence to construct a well-supported persuasive essay.

For more detailed guidelines and instructions, download the full writing prompt in PDF format.