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Media Awareness: the Basics of Advertising
Students explore marketing techniques. In this media awareness lesson, students watch instructor-selected advertising and identify the marketing techniques used in each of them. Students then create advertisements for products.
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Moccasins Are Made for Dancing
Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior to...
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One Story, Many Tales
Learners compare and contrast Cinderella stories. In this folktale lesson, students discuss the attributes of the genre and then read and research different cultural versions of the tale. Learners present their findings to their classmates.
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The Great Migration
Students explore how migration to Harlem created a new life for African Americans. In this cross curricular lesson, students illustrate maps showing the migration, paint murals representing African American life in the South and create a...
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Social Studies: African Banner Boxes
Students write creation stories and design stamps to use on banners accompany them. They discuss the use of stamps in African culture to take the place of words. Students use a handout of stamps and their own creations to create banners...
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Gratitude Journals
Students brainstorm ideas of thankfulness or being grateful for things and use these ideas to create a personal gratitude journal. They build a book using copy paper, twigs and rubber bands then explore different techniques to create a...
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Counting Crows
Students discuss the fable, The Crow and the Pitcher. In this literature lesson, students read the fable and create a crow sock puppet. Students use their puppets to dramatize the fable.
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Life of a Navajo Weaver
Students explore Native American weaving patterns and dance movements. In this Native Americans lesson, students view examples of weaving patterns on the Internet and compare the patterns to a Native American dance. Students demonstrate...
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Oceans: A Sensory Haiku
Learners create an ocean haiku. In this haiku lesson, students use their five senses to write a haiku. Learners watch videos about the ocean, make a sensory portrait, and create a class haiku.
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You Are Smarter Than The Ads
Fourth graders examine advertising techniques and create original designs for advertisements in this three day, 4th grade art/social studies instructional activity. The instructional activity includes assessment ideas, resource...
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Drama and African American Folktales: Addressing the Social Development Needs of My Students
Fifth graders develop cultural awareness of their heritage, therefore building their self-esteem. They discover the link between learning and social skills and recognize that learning is an integral part of their lives. The recognize...
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Making a Rainstick
Learners construct a rainstick. In this music lesson, students investigate the history of the rainstick by reading the book Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema. Learners express their feelings about the rain and create...
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Get Ready, Get Set, PLAN
Students complete the theme activities in the unit for the month of September. In this planning lesson, students complete various themed activities for the month of September. Students complete movement activities, autonomy and social...
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Theatre Lesson Plan- Tableau (part 2)
Students explore tableaux. In this social studies and fine arts cross curriculum instructional activity, students work in groups of four to create "frozen" stage pictures (tableaux) representing vocabulary and concepts from a "From Farm...
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Discovering National Parks
Students work to preserve American National Parks. In this environmental activism lesson, students research the history of the national parks and determine why they were created. Students then focus on protecting the land, using it for...
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A World of Myths
High schoolers read and write myths. In this world mythology lesson, students read and analyze myths from various cultures and then recognize their attributes as they write their own myths to explain natural phenomena.
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Explorers’ Experience
Students investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills lesson, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Students design and create relief maps that feature exploration...
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Immigrating to America
Students study the American immigration experience. In this Ellis Island lesson, students research primary documents from the immigration station, take a tour of the station, and then prepare and perform dramatic presentations based on...
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Lewis and Clark: Prized Possessions
Students consider the role of Sacagawea as part of the Corps of Discovery. In this Lewis and Clark expedition lesson, students discover details about Sacagawea's wampum belt and then create their own wampum belts using their computer and...
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Playing with Puns
Learners examine the wit of characters in two plays. In this drama lesson, students read The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary L. Blackwood and Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Learners analyze the puns used in both plays and write essays that...
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Cinderella Trilogy
Learners look at three different versions of the Cinderella story. In this comparative literature lesson plan, students read the Chinese version "Yeh-Shen", the Egyptian version "Rhodopis," and the Native American version "The Hidden...
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Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period....
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Pioneer America: Pioneer Living
Fourth graders research pioneer life. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders read the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and discuss what life was like for early pioneers. They research pioneers and show what they have...
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Bringing Forestry into the Classroom
Here are ways to incorporate science, math, and language arts while learning more about the forests that sustain us.