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Lesson Plan
4
4
Curated OER

Persuasion as Text: Organizational, Grammatical, and Lexical Moves in Barbara Jordan’s "All Together Now"

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
A thorough instructional activity on persuasive writing takes middle schoolers through several activities, including group discussion, collaborative posters, and independent writing. They compare historical speeches and analyze the...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 8: Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Joseph Bruchac's Code Talker tells the remarkable story of Navajo Marines' role in battles of the Pacific Theater during World War II. As scholars read the novel, they also engage in activities that expand their knowledge of Navajo...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 7: Anne Frank’s Tales from the Secret Annex Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Frequently banned, often challenged, a mainstay of middle school curriculum, Tales from the Secret Annex, is the featured text in the seventh unit in the Teacher Guide Core Knowledge Program. The 134-page guide includes an introduction,...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 6: The Genius of the Harlem Renaissance Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Introduce your seventh graders to the Harlem Renaissance with a unit that explores this dynamic period's music, literature, and ideas. The 160-page guide includes a unit calendar, an introduction to the unit, 10 richly detailed lessons...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 5: Realms of Gold - Vol. 2 Poetry and Short Stories Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Seventh graders have a golden opportunity to learn how to read poems and short stories with a unit that introduces them to the techniques writers use to craft their works. They examine poems by William Carlos Williams and Edgar Allen Poe...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 4: The Time Machine by H. G. Wells Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Lead your readers into the fourth dimension as time travelers with a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Teacher Guide of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine. The 144-page guide includes a unit calendar, introduction, nine lessons, teacher...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 2: The Tempest by William Shakespeare Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Massive storms, shipwrecks, survivors stranded on an island ruled by an aging magician, and strange creatures—Shakespeare's The Tempest appeals to today's middle schoolers. For this unit, seventh graders read selections from an adapted...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 1: Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly Teacher Guide

For Teachers 7th Standards
Erin Entrada Kelly's award-winning novel, Hello, Universe is the anchor text in this 236-page teacher guide. The guide includes introductions to the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program and the unit, a unit calendar, 12 lessons...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment, Part 1 and Excerpt 4 Third Read

For Teachers 7th Standards
I hear you! Scholars work on the mid-unit assessment by listening to a story told orally rather than reading it themselves. After watching a video clip of Thelma Thomas performing Harriet Tubman, they answer questions about what they...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

What Gives Stories Their Power?

For Teachers 7th Standards
Read to me! Scholars get lost in a picture book read aloud of The People Could Fly. They discuss text-dependent questions and talk with partners about the meaning of the story. They then study an image in the book to determine the power...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Understanding Douglass’s Words: An Escape Attempt

For Teachers 7th Standards
Make a match! Scholars play a matching game after looking at excerpt five from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Learners match types of figurative language with example sentences, and add to their powerful language word wall...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Douglass’s Purpose: Excerpt 4

For Teachers 7th Standards
Anchors away! Scholars take a look at the Group Work anchor chart to prepare for the excerpt four, The Fight with Covey, analysis. The Excerpt 4 Analysis note catcher guides the group as they carry out their analyses. The class then...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Powerful Language: Learning to Read

For Teachers 7th Standards
The power of a word. Readers learn the importance of word choice in shaping a text by using a Powerful Language T-chart to separate strong words and phrases from those that are more bland. They then complete a third read and question set...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing the Narrative Arc: The Last Day of Slavery

For Teachers 7th Standards
Fix your mistakes. Scholars look over their end-of-unit assessments while the teacher focuses on common mistakes made among the class. Learners then make predictions about their next text, Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery, by...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Coda: What Gives My Story Power? Celebrating Student Work

For Teachers 7th Standards
It's time for a celebration! Scholars go on a gallery walk around the classroom to view their peers' completed illustrated children's stories. Using sticky notes, pupils provide feedback about the powerful elements they find in their...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Coda: What Gives This Story Power? Re-Examining Powerful Stories

For Teachers 7th Standards
Writers consider what makes a story powerful as they listen to a short story about Frederick Douglass. Once finished, small groups complete a worksheet to analyze what makes the story so enduring.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Symbolism of Castle's Bedroom in Ghost

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To conclude a unit study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, class members examine how Castle's feeling about his bedroom change over the course of the novel. Groups use the provided graphic organizer to identify the plot of the novel and then use...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Symbolism of Sneakers in Ghost

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
As part of a study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, readers take a close look at sneaker culture and how Reynold uses sneakers as a symbol in his award-winning young adult novel. Groups explore links to "Sneakerology 101", a Carnegie Mellon...
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Interactive4:44
PBS

The Symbolism of Sunflower Seeds in Ghost

For Students 5th - 7th Standards
Ghost by Jason Reynolds is a coming-of-age book that resonates with teenagers who have experienced childhood trauma. Explore the novel with an interactive resource that focuses on the author's use of symbolism, particularly with...
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Interactive
PBS

Figuring Out Figurative Language in The Outsiders

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is well known for its relatable characters and plot, but don't forget how effective the book's figurative language can be! Check out an interactive resource that explores how figurative language comes alive...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Symbolism and Personification in The Outsiders

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
A shirt can't really swallow you—right? Readers find examples of symbolism and personification in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders with two straightforward lessons.
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Unit Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

How to Write a Memoir

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Who are we and what shapes our identities? Seventh graders work to answer this question as they learn how to write a memoir. Full of non-print resources and supplemental texts that range from fiction to non-fiction, scholars write their...
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Worksheet
Moore Public Schools

Lyric Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Discover lyric poetry through a reading of Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar and analyze its meaning with three short-answer questions covering symbolism, personification, alliteration, metaphors, and similes. 
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Printables
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1
Curriculum Corner

7th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists

For Teachers 7th Standards
Track your class's progress on all of the ELA Common Core standards with these handy charts. Along the left side, each seventh grade identifier is listed along with the full text of the standard. As you teach, reteach, assess, and...