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Planning and Drafting a Personal Narrative
Bring your learners together to write a class narrative about the first day of school. Start off by teaching them about sequence with a quick oral activity. Then, work together to fill out a story map. Finally, compose the class...
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Reliving History through Slave Narratives
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
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Primary Sources and Protagonists: A Native American Literature Unit
Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...
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The Battle for Derby Bus Station
In this social studies and language arts worksheet, students read a 3 page article about some protesters who camped on top of the Derby, UK bus station to prevent it from being demolished. There are several photographs. Students think...
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Civil War Essay
Upper graders explore equality by writing an essay. They read the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, and discuss the meaning of the story and its relevance to Civil War events. Learners investigate the five writing process steps and...
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Lesson Plan 2: So What's a Novel, Anyway?
What makes a novel a novel? Class members select a favorite novel, record their impressions on a worksheet, and then come together in groups to discuss the elements common to narrative writing. Next, they identify the characters, the...
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Strategies for Organization and Elaboration of Personal Narrative
Personal narrative writing is usually a favorite form of writing for youngsters because they get to write about a personal experience. The lesson here asks pupils to take a piece of narrative writing and improve it by following...
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Taking Action! Educating as a Form of Service
Students read the story Happy Hearts in Manabí by Peace Corps Volunteer Kristen Mallory to consider how educating others can be a form of service. In this health education and service lesson, students read the book and then prioritize...
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What's the Big Idea?
Students choose a paragraph from a book of their choice, identify the main idea, and draw an illustration of the main idea. They write original paragraphs, illustrate them, and trade with a partner, identifying the main idea of the...
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Makes Cents to Me: Penny Drive
St that people have wants and must find ways to get them. In this philanthropy lesson, young scholars understand the ways people get things and arrange a penny drive to help others. Students arrange an artistic project to reflect on...
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Review of a Novel Project
This review of a novel project is a great way to ensure accountability for independent reading. The assignment sheet, templates, samples, and rubrics are all part of the packet materials.
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Teaching Summarization
Learning to differentiate major and minor textual events can help students learn how to summarize.
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Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales
Students gain insight into the unusual, solitary world of Beatrix Potter's Victorian childhood and can compare/contrast it with their own world to explain why Potter wrote such simple stories and why she wrote about animals rather than...
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Election Day
In this Election Day worksheet, students read a short story about a girl who runs for president of her class. Students answer 5 questions about the story.
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Land as a Valuable Resource
Learners investigate why the soil is important to our lives. In this natural resources lesson plan, students have a farmer as a guest speaker. Learners begin to understand how farmers use and protect our natural resource. Students write...
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Cultural Comparison
Students choose from a group of entries about the culture of Peru. In this Peruvian culture lesson, students understand the definition of culture. Students describe the culture of Peru researched in the entry and complete a worksheet.
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A Fish Tale
Pupils brainstorm a list of famous events that took place on the sea. They write a poem or short story from the fish's perspective about the famous event they have chosen. Students share their work with the class.
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From Canterbury to Little Rock: The Struggle for Educational Equality for African Americans
Students explain the magnitude of the struggle involved in securing equal educational opportunities for African Americans. They examine how Prudence Crandall challenged the prevailing attitude toward educating African Americans
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Writing a Book Review - Fiction
Fifth graders write a fiction book review. In this response to literature lesson plan, 5th graders read a story and share their understanding and opinion of the book. They write what the book is about, what they like about the book, and...
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Social Effects of WWII on South Carolina
Students study the history of South Carolina and the impact World War II had on the state. In this WWII history activity, students research the social effects incurred from WWII on the people of South Carolina. Students develop an...
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Creating a Digital Newspaper
Learners create a digital newspaper. In this digital newspaper lesson, students review the sections of a newspaper and brainstorm ideas for their paper. Learners complete a schools news report, student interview, opinion page, sports...
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Harvesting the River Lesson Plan: Taking an Oral History
Students practice researching history through oral traditions. In this U.S. History lesson, students examine an online exhibit titled Harvesting the River, in which students interview someone from the story. Students utilize Internet...
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The LEAGUE: Learning to Give Lesson 3
Students reflect on giving to people in their community. In this philanthropy lesson, students think about an elderly person in their neighborhood or community who has done something to make that community more beautiful. Students...
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Making a Memoir Lesson Memorable
Memoir lessons can give students a format for writing about their experiences, and a way to tap into their inner author.