Missouri Department of Elementary
My Feelings
Encourage self-awareness with a instructional activity that challenges scholars to identify feelings—happy, sad, mad, and scared. Using a feelings thermometer, similar to that of a bar graph, pupils discuss how they would feel in...
Curated OER
Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
Learning to Give
Teaching Playwriting in Schools
The world is a stage, and so is your classroom! Hone the skills of the next generation of Tony® award winners with a set of exercises, reference pages, writing prompts, and excerpts from famous plays.
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What Do Writers Do?
Pupils learn about honing their writing through editing. They write the beginning of a story, paying attention to vocabulary and detail. Then they split into groups of two to peer edit. After discussing ways they can improve their...
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Learning Life Lessons through Fables
Explore a variety of fables to learn life's lessons through engaging stories. Add rigor to the learning process with activities that include matching a a fable to the story's moral, short answer exit slips, and a three-column graphic...
K12 Reader
Evaluating Text: Helen Keller's "My Life"
Readers are asked to evaluate Helen Keller's claim, and the evidence she uses to support her argument, that it is more difficult for hearing impaired children to learn to talk with others.
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Stone Fox Plot Frame
Fifth graders recall the major plot points of a chapter book. After reading the chapter book "Stone Fox," they students describe the plot framework through use of a worksheet. Students are then divided into group to act out selected...
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QUIZ 1A: Using Should
In this grammar quiz worksheet, students respond to 5 questions that require them to complete dialogue by providing answers that include "should" or "shouldn't".
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Accepting Another Culture
Students explore cultural diversity. In this cultural acceptance lesson, students read Molly's Pilgrim and examine the message of the story. Students research other cultures and create culture-grams and complete research worksheets.
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The European Union and the Canadian Federation: Can they be Compared?
Tenth graders compare the European Union to the Canadian Federation. In this governing bodies lesson, 10th graders compare the structures of the 2 political organizations as they complete the provided handouts and graphic organizers.
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Social Studies: What Is Folklife?
Students read an essay about folklife and record their thoughts in journals. After discussing the terms associated with the topic, they complete worksheets on types of folklife, pop, elite, and folk cultures. Depending on the age group,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Emulating Emily Dickinson: Poetry Writing
High schoolers analyze mood and voice in Emily Dickinson's poem, "There's a Certain Slant of Light." After the analysis, students write a poem of their own emulating the Dickinson poem, and then write a one-page essay describing what...
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Symmetry with Shapes
Students analyze a symmetrical stamp design with an equal balance of light and dark to create a pattern in succession. In this shape design lesson, students review concepts of sign, symbol and language across cultures. Students analyze...
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George Winter Lesson Plan 3
Bring language arts and U.S. history together in this lesson, which prompts middle and high schoolers to gather biographical information about Abraham Lincoln. They compare and contrast information written about his childhood and discuss...
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Learning from Photos
Students use photographs to study the Bracero Labor Program. In this analyzing photographs lesson, students are broken up into groups and given a photograph of Bracero laborers. They predict the answers to questions about the photo...
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Introduction to the Holocaust: Appreciating Another Culture
Students explore the concept of cultural diversity. In this cultural diversity lesson, students read Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen and discuss cultural traditions. Students then research countries and cultures and share their findings.
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Bunnicula
Pupils create a dictionary of vocabulary after reading a story. Individually, they create a story web making sure to include all of the basic story elements. They also create a timeline and write a book report of all important events.
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Writing a Fable
Middle schoolers are introduced to the definition of a fable in that it is a story that has a moral for people to apply in their lives. They then read a fable together so they have a better understanding. Next, students write their own...
Curated OER
Career Paths
Students read about and view a presentation on the five major career paths. They explore the vocabulary of the workplace and discuss the difference between jobs, occupations and careers. Then they use a career paths booklet to begin...
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Theatre
Students identify and create flashcards of important key terms as related to theatre. Students observe and write a 1-page summary of events seen at the High School Musical production using at least 8 vocabulary words in your summary....