Beacon Learning Center
Challenging the Human Spirit
High schoolers select a theme-related essay topic from Night, by Elie Wiesel, or The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, and develop an essay that relates the theme to modern-day personal experiences. The essay follows a preset rubric...
Echoes & Reflections
Studying The Holocaust
While many young scholars are familiar with the Holocaust, they may not understand the specific history that led to the unprecedented atrocity. The first lesson in the unit helps teachers gauge their pupils' background knowledge. A...
Curated OER
Puberty
Students track body changes during puberty by close observation and accurate record keeping. They keeping a growth diary for self-observation and reflection. Artifacts include a personal essay and a notebook.
C.S. Lewis Foundation
Study Guide to Surprised by Joy
This resource makes accessible the text that portrays the occurrences leading to C.S. Lewis’s finding of God. It encourages the reader to personally reflect upon, and examine Surprised by Joy. The document is divided into two sets where...
Curated OER
When I Set My Hat at a Certain Angle: Trying on Zora Neale Hurston's Voice to Dress-up Prose
After reading and evaluating examples of prose nonfiction by Zora Neale Hurston and other authors, high schoolers write a personal reflective essay rich in figurative language. By incorporating this strategy, they utilize voice within...
Japan Society
The “I” Novels in the Context of Early 20th-Century Japan
Although this lesson plan covers the rather obscure topic of the Japanese "I-novel", it also includes a great deal of historical information and material for an in-depth discussion of universal literary concepts. Specifically, young...
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Japanese-American Relocation
Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...
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Defining Character, With Help from History
In a single, soundly-designed class period, high schoolers define good character, think-pair-share about thought-provoking quotes on character (More options would enhance the discussion, worth searching online for other quotes to add.),...
Federal Reserve Bank
Time Inconsistency: Today’s Actions = Tomorrow’s Regrets
Why do we choose instant gratification over maximizing lifetime satisfaction? How is this reflected in government and macroeconomics? Learn how one research analyst proposes individuals and governments can accomplish greater lifetime...
Museum of Tolerance
Making Lemonade: Responding to Oppression in Empowering Ways
An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the anti-Semitism...
Curated OER
Cross-Cultural Dialogue Lesson
Use the Peace Corps to explore a different place and different perspectives. Your class reads the personal narrative "Cross-Cultural Dialogue" by Roz Wollmering, completing an attached story frame sheet in preparation for a class...
National Gallery of Canada
Contemporary Reflections
Combine art and writing in a lesson about legends. After viewing Inuit art, class members examine their own cultural surroundings in order to write and visually represent a legend. Individuals are invited to take the creative reins when...
Curated OER
Charles Darwin Meets John Paul II
If you teach AP English language and composition and are looking for a way to address the differences between written and spoken arguments, consider this lesson. Over the course of three days, class members research Charles Darwin or...
Virginia Department of Education
Writing for Workplace and Postsecondary Correspondence
Create or expand your college essay and career unit with a business and postsecondary writing activity. The exercise works for college-bound or job-hunting junior or senior learners. They bring their research concerning a college or...
Curated OER
The Editing Process
Students in upper-level college-bound English classes review the editing process and terms such as, tone, diction, transition, and conclusion. They read and evaluate a sample essay and identify parts they feel they could improve on. ...
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My Inspiration Project
Pupils explore what is very relevant in their personal lives during this project. They reflect upon past experiences and are encouraged to investigate what their post-high school graduation plans are.
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House on Mango Street
Students complete a guided reading study and autobiographical essay for Sandra Cisneros' House on Mango Street. In this literary analysis lesson, students read the novel, complete novel response activities, book review worksheets, and...
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I Have A Dream
Students create a reader response essay as they react to the I Have A Dream speech made by Martin Luther King. In this Martin Luther King lesson plan, students read the speech, fill out a Civil Rights movement sheet, have discussions,...
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Personally Speaking
Seventh graders read, "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," and write an expository essay discussing choices they have in society today compared with the character Kit.
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Ulysses by James Joyce
In this online interactive reading comprehension activity, learners respond to 18 short answer and essay questions based on Joyce's Ulysses. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the bottom of the page.
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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: Venn Diagram
“When a person knows and can’t make the others understand, what does he do?” Why (s)he collects evidence and writes an essay! Prepare your readers for a compare/contrast or reflective essay on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by giving them...
Curated OER
My Response to Stress
High schoolers search for ways to prevent stress. They conduct self-assessments, plan a stress clinic, research community resources, and write a reflective essay. Students may wear electronic heart rate monitors to demonstrate stress...
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Perspectives on September 11,2001
Fifth graders will learn about various perspectives around events. They will need to take on the perspectives of various key people during the September 11 attack. Then they will write in their journals about the incident. They read...
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Journey Into Self
Eleventh graders examine the concept of the journey into self through a variety of literary genres. They express the personal notion of self by creating a picture poem and writing a personal reflection esssay.