Curated OER
Rhetorical Devices in a Primary Source
Analyze Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous and powerful "I Have a Dream" speech as a primary source document. After reading up on rhetorical devices and working in small groups to define terms, class members identify and explain the use of...
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Understanding Connotation
Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," which is available online, is used in the language lesson presented here. Middle schoolers read through the text for comprehension. Then, they reread the first paragraph and identify all the words with...
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Langston Hughes Was a Dreamer Too
Encourage your pupils to imagine their own dreams for the future. After studying three poems by Langston Hughes and listening to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, young poets craft their own dream stanza.
Curated OER
Violence Prevention
Compare and contrast the ideologies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle schoolers conduct research regarding civil rights and rhetorical strategies used in political speechs. They examine the strategies that both men employed...
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Anti-Vietnam War Movement Lesson
Students examine reasons why many Americans opposed the Vietnam War. In this world history instructional activity, students view a Powerpoint of anti-war images and a timeline of events that led to the war. Students examine speeches made...
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Sojourner Truth
Students research Sojourner Truth. For this African-American history lesson, students read the speech "Ain't I A Woman?" and brainstorm descriptive words that describe Sojourner Truth. Students discuss why her acts were considered...
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I Have a Metaphor
Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, students first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc. Learners...
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The Civil War: A Nation Divided
Students examine the clash between the North and the South. In this Civil War lesson plan, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Civil War: A Nation Divided". Students conduct further research pertaining to the economies...
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Reconstruction to Civil Rights
Eighth graders complete a unit of lessons on the period of time from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights movement. They analyze and interpret political cartoons and editorials, conduct research on famous civil rights places, and complete...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address
Young historians will learn not to fear primary source materials (or fear itself, for that matter) thanks to this resource that uses Franklin D. Roosevelt's March 4, 1933 Inaugural Address to model how to conduct a close reading of such...
Folger Shakespeare Library
Julius Caesar Curriculum Guide
Julius Caesar need not be Greek to kids. The background information and suggestions for teachers, as well as the activities for learners, make this curriculum guide a must-have for your Shakespeare curriculum library.
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Debate on Ratification: Should We Ratify the New Constitution?
Learners determine whether the Constitution should be ratified. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students research the roles of famous Federalists and Antifederalists in order to prepare them to participate in a classroom simulation...
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A Famous Speech
Students explore the rules of direct/indirect narration. They identify and use proper punctuation marks in a given write-up and change the narration according to the rules.
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Using Primary Sources to Study the Holocaust
Engage your middle schoolers with Pastor Martin Niemoller's famous poem that begins, "First they came for the communists." Now that you have their attention, send learners to the various work stations you created to have them explore...
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You're Hired!
Students participate in a simulation of being a speech writer for the President. They listen to and analyze speeches and present one of their own.
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"To Be Or Not To Be" And the VT
Using the online Visual Thesaurus, nascent actors work in groups to analyze and interpret Hamlet's "To Be Or Not To Be" monologue. Individuals then craft a contemporary version of this famous speech and present their adaptation to the...
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The Battle of Lexington
Students discover the Missouri River and its importance during the Civil War. In this U.S. history lesson, students examine a map of the great Battle of Lexington, and discuss why the Missouri River was a key element to the conflict....
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Write with Writers
Write and work with authors on the Scholastic Website to promote the recognition of various genres. Young writers will participate in activities based on the type of writing such as biography, descriptive, folktales, mystery, news, and...
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"I Have a Dream"
Students identify the main points and unique qualities of the "I Have a Dream" speech and write their own speech. In this "I Have a Dream" lesson, students read the speech and discuss why the speech was written and the historical...
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Convince Me!
Students use the Internet to learn the art of persuasive speaking in order to present a speech in a convincing manner. Students analyze the characteristics of a good speech, and then practice giving one.
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Delving Into Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Rhetoric
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can inspire students to explore the world of rhetoric.
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Who Am I?
Young scholars utilize the tools and elements available in a multimedia application to create a 1-page document, presented in comic book form, about a famous person. The document they create may be part of a multi-faceted research...
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Radovan Karadzic
In this famous leaders activity, students read a passage about Radovan Karadzic and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...
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Robert Mugabe
In this famous leaders activity, students read a passage about Robert Mugabe and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...