Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The Hobbit
From dragons to dwarves, from riddles to rings, the great adventure story of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has captivated generations of readers of all ages. An educator's guide explores the novel's literary elements, including the...
Portland Public Schools
Teaching Tone to Teenagers
Tone is a tough topic to teach to teenagers. But never, fear, help is here in the form of a unit plan that takes advantage of their interest in music to set the stage for a series of activities that lead them to understand how setting,...
University of Virginia
The Songs in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Experience Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in an innovative, musical way. A list of audio links leads class members to spirituals from the novel, such as "Die in the Field," "The Wings in the Morning," and "Blow Ye the Trumpet."
Macmillan Education
David Copperfield: A Before, While, and After Reading Worksheet
Keeping readers on track while reading the 64 chapters in Charles Dickens's David Copperfield can be a challenge. If readers are punctual and diligent, and respond to the instructional activity questions in order with determination, they...
Great Books Foundation
Rattlesnakes
John Muir may be a friend to the natural world, but as a short reading passage confirms, he is no friend to rattlesnakes. As young readers learn about Muir's encounters with the dangerous creatures, they answer four comprehension...
Macmillan Education
White Fang
Jack London's adventurous novel White Fang may seem removed from students' everyday lives, but with an engaging set of reading activities, learners can relate to the story's themes. A three-page assignment delves into the novel before,...
Council for Economic Education
Federal Budget Lesson Plan and Fiscal Ship Student Game
The federal budget has never been so fun! Using an interactive game, high schoolers choose from a variety of policy options after identifying goals and try to balance these changes in policy with a federal budget.
Reading Through History
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Why was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 so important? The reading in the resource discusses how the act affected Southerners, Northerners, and the slaves themselves. Scholars complete the reading as a form of direct instruction while...
Reed Novel Studies
Tuck Everlasting: Novel Study
Would you want to live forever? That is a question that Winnie, in Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting, must answer. Scholars read to find out what Winnie chooses and reinforce their knowledge with vocabulary activities, comprehension...
West Virginia Department of Education
An Act Worthy of Reward
John Brown is considered by many to be a martyr for abolition and civil rights. The resource covers an important event in West Virginian history, the raid by John Brown, as a standalone that discusses Brown's last words and his reaction...
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, considered by many to be a seminal piece of American literature, contains many complex literary themes that carry through United States history. Use a series of discussion questions and classroom...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Social Studies Research
Fourth graders listen to nonfiction stories, read fact sheets about historical characters and events, and record facts in groups. They write a paper based on six facts from their research.
Curated OER
Disease Lesson Plan
Students research the bubonic plague including disease facts, the time frame of outbreaks and the impact it had on society. They examine the work of Edgar Allen Poe and write an essay explaining why the plague was a subject of interest...
Curated OER
Common Good in Colonial America
Students research the historical foundation of philanthropic organizations. In this values and history instructional activity, students brainstorm paid and unpaid jobs available today, and work in groups to research the types of...
Curated OER
Children's Rights/Child Labor -- A Photographic Essay
Students continue to examine the conditions students work in throughout the world. Using photographs, they discover the similarities and differences in regions throughout the world. They relate their own experiences to the child laborers.
Curated OER
Essay Exchange Unit: Thesis Development
Students identify areas of interest and conduct preliminary research using on-line and library resources to develop their thesis statements.
Curated OER
Olympic records through time
Young scholars compare the records of gold medal Olympic winners for the last 100 years and decide if we are faster, stronger than in the past.
Curated OER
Pioneer Women of Florida's Frontier
Fourth graders read the passage, "Florida's Fabulous Frontier Females" and write two narrative essays, one expository, using examples of differences in life in Florida during frontier times and today. They then complete one descriptive...
Curated OER
Romanticism
High schoolers engage in a study of Romanticism in an attempt to build a context for how it was used. They write a 5 paragraph essay using literary devices they are familiar with. They should go back and edit their work before accepting...
Curated OER
Timeline
Young scholars develop a timeline that depicts geologic development and the history of life. They write an interpretive analysis essay that discusses and reflects on their observations.
Curated OER
Book: Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity
Learners, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity," write an essay that compares the cultural as well as the historical factors (experiences with jobs, discrimination, education, etc.)...
Curated OER
Iowa - Here We Come
Students practice their geography skills. In this geography lesson, students plan a trip in their state that includes calculating mileage, time, and other costs. Students also submit a written trip itinerary.
Curated OER
Inherit the Wind
Young scholars explore the theory of evolution and read the play Inherit The Wind and a series of articles and essays about the famous Scopes trial that centered around the right to teach evolution. They incorporate technology as they...