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ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES: CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students reflect and explore their feelings and reactions to a segregation experiment through poetry. They discuss acceptable behavior during the experiment and the next day write journal entries reflecting their experiences.
Lesson Plan
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Learning through The Duke

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the important contributions made by Duke Ellington to the field of jazz, as well as some of the factors that led to his involvement in the field. As they explore the language of the 1920's, connections will be drawn...
Lesson Plan
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The Last Meow

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the popular culture phenomenon of the musical 'Cats' and the T.S. Eliot poems that were its inspiration. They write original poems about animals, and read them aloud to their peers.
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Painting Portraits with Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine how an exhibition of an author's writings can become a portrait or biography of that author . They work in small groups, analyzing various poems by Yeats.
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Words of Deep Meaning

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars create their own poems to express a deep feeling or transformative experience, then write imaginary letters to people in the article, responding to their poetry and sharing their own creative process.
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Ballads and Communication

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare and contrast different forms of communication.  In this poetry lesson, students focus on the ballad form and read "Timothy Winters". Students draw conclusions from the ballad and divide into groups to research the...
Lesson Plan
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Silhouettes and Interiors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners create a multimedia piece that integrates drawing and collage. Students learn about metacognition and the discovering of self through genres of art and literature by using these steps: inspiration, brainstorm, application,...
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Versed on the Disadvantaged

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students reflect on what it means to help those in need, then read and analyze poetry that illustrates the struggle of poor people. They create collages connecting current issues of poverty with poets' experiences.
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A Walk Through the Past: A Grave Undertaking

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore how historians construct a story out of fragments of the past; a discussion of nineteenth century poetry and art leads students to connect art and literature to their place in time.
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Calling Names

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore how language shapes debate by researching the names and tags both advocates and opponents use when discussing a topical issue. For homework, they create name collages and write prose poems.
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The Gift That Keeps on Giving

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners reflect on the role of DNA in society since its discovery in 1953 by creating works of art and poetry that metaphorically illustrate the importance, influence and concerns of DNA research.
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Japanese-American Internment/Relocation Camps

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students create poetry and verse, using all 5 senses to paint a visual image of life in a Japanese-American internment camp.
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Ice -T's Rap School

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students research the history of rap and gain an understanding of the components of rap music. They experience the correlation between Shakespeare's poetry and rap music of today.
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Mythical Beasts

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students explore literature and art forms containing creatures that are part human and part animal, such as the Greek Sphinx, Neptune, or the Green Centaur. Individually, students write a poem or short story to create a character with...
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Lessons from the Holocaust; Hitler's Germany

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners explore Nazi Germany by completing several worksheets. In this Adolf Hitler lesson, students identify Hitler's role in the holocaust, his role in the German community and his mindset. Learners read the poem "The Hangman" by...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Being Heard

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Examine the work of contemporary authors who use their writing to express opinions about the struggle against prejudice and oppression in our society. A short lesson on the Harlem Renaissance introduces learners to the most prominent...
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A Nation in Mourning

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students reflect on what the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette mean to them. They then work to compose and read aloud found poems from The Times' coverage of the burial and memorial services.
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Poets of Christmas Past

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the meanings of Christmas by reading an op-ed. As a class, they then create a sequel to the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," in which "Mamma" tells a story about the history of Christmas.
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Altered Books

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students transform a discarded book into a creative art work of art that encompasses a theme and utilizes a variety of media and techniques.
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Book Smarts

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify the ideas and themes that are most significant in a work of literature, then propose ways to visually represent these themes through art.
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Rock & Roll through Literary Terms: An Upbeat Lyrical Adventure

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students participate in a variety of activities surrounding Rock & Roll music, lyrics, drama and visual art and how they all help demonstrate examples of literary terms. They use Rock & Roll as an effective aid to stimulate their...
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The Short Story: A Slice of Life

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners are introduced to the characteristics of the short story. Individually, they use their own personal experiences to write a poem about their families to get them used to writing. Next, they practice reading various short...
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Photograph Lesson

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students bring a favorite photograph to class and discuss what they see and don't see in the photos. They brainstorm with the teacher on the overhead and then translate the information into poetic form.
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Lecture 6 - Oral Interpretation - Verse

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss how oral interpretation varies with prose and poetry. They select a piece of prose or poetry to present to the class, and then assess each other on the organization and delivery of their speech as well as on their...