Curated OER
Literature and Art Through Our Eyes: African-American Artists
Examine the contributions of African-Americans in the worlds of art and literature. Over the course of a few days, young scholars will read and analyze a poem, a short story, and a piece of art. They complete a range of...
Curated OER
Civil War Literature Circle
Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...
Curated OER
Checkmate: Chess, and the connection to the Middle Ages
Students investigate the different aspects of Medieval Times and the connection to chess. In this world history instructional activity, students complete a chart answering questions about the lifestyles of men and women in the Medieval...
Curated OER
Use The Polar Express to Develop Rich and Detailed Writing
Bring The Polar Express into your middle school classroom to spark the creativity of your emerging writers.
University of Kansas
Feelings - Thematic Unit
Boost language skills with a unit all about feelings. Scholars from all grade levels take part in several lessons that incorporate specific vocabulary terms and adjectives while discussing their feelings with their peers. Reading...
Carnegie Library
Creative Writing: Middle School Lesson Plan
Enhance a unit on historical fiction with an engaging writing lesson. Learners bring the Industrial Era to life as they compose their own historical fiction pieces based on primary source images of Pittsburgh steel workers.
Curated OER
Old Hobbits Are Hard to Break
Explore film adaptation of literature with this lesson, which focuses on the world of film advertisements. Middle schoolers discuss various films (including The Lord of the Rings) and create advertisements for a pretend film based on a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Vengeful Verbs in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
It's time for pupils to read, examine, and contemplate literature to explore the difference between vivid and generic verbs. Pupils distinguish between the two types of verbs as they read the ghost scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet. They...
Curated OER
"Zebra" by Chaim Potok
Combine art and literature to teach greater themes and symbolic meaning. Using the plan outlined in this resource, expose your class to the story "Zebra" by Chaim Potok, conduct discussions about social issues and nicknames, and ask...
Curated OER
The Victorian Era - History Through Literature
Students can learn about the Victorian Era through famous novels, such as "Wuthering Heights" and "Great Expectations".
Curated OER
How Do You Know?
What is the difference between primary and secondary sources? Help your middle schoolers develop a knowledge of appropriate sources to use when doing accurate research. They develop unique ways to incorporate literature in historical...
Curated OER
The Giver
Middle schoolers read the novel The Giver and complete six tasks. They identify vocabulary that they did not recongize, create a different ending for the book, produce character cards and pick important events and objects from the novel.
Curated OER
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
A viewing of Disney’s 1993 film of The Adventures of Huck Finn launches an examination of the events in and themes of Mark Twain’s story. Viewers respond to prompts on a film story worksheet, engage in full-class discussions, and select...
Curated OER
Tangerine: Concept/Vocabulary Analysis
Designed for teachers who use Tangerine in the classroom, this resource provides background information on the novel, issues raised by the story, and literary devices Bloor employs. A good addition to your curriculum library.
Curated OER
Whose Point of View? The Journey of Three Generations
A reading of Whale Journey, a fact-filled picture book by Vivian French, launches a study of the life cycle and migration of three generations of gray whales. The interdisciplinary lesson plan offers opportunities extensions into all...
C.S. Lewis Foundation
Educator’s Guide to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe #2
This chapter-by-chapter guide to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, designed to be used in either a classroom or homeschool setting, contains vocabulary lists, discussion questions, and writing prompts.
C.S. Lewis Foundation
Educator’s Guide to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader guide includes chapter-by-chapter vocabulary lists and quizzes, discussion questions and writing prompts, and an explanation of Narnia expressions. Great for mainstream classrooms and homeschool situations.
Curated OER
American Folklore
Students develop a class definition of folklore. In groups, they read various folklores and discuss the loss of independence and how to survive. They answer discussion questions and compare the folklore tales to art. To end the...
Curated OER
What are the Elements of Poetry
Students read the poem "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes" and analyze the form, figurative language, and mood. They complete a T-chart containing what they have learned about Pablo and the evidence from the poem supporting their conclusions.
Curated OER
Ancient Greece
In this ancient Greece activity, students read a factual story giving the basic history of the Minoans and Mycenaeans. Students answer 8 questions.
Curated OER
Familial Relationships in Great Expectations: The Search for Identity
Learners read the novel "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. In groups, they use the text to identify and describe family relationships in the book. Using this information, they compare and contrast how these relationships are...
Curated OER
Career Exploration
Students investigate possible career paths in forestry they may pursue. In this vocational lesson plan, students discover the many careers possible in the world of science by researching teacher approved career websites on the Internet....
Curated OER
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great American Dreamer
Young scholars explore how F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. In novels such as Tender is the Night, This Side of Paradise, and The Great Gatsby, he captured the mood and manners of his time.
Curated OER
Kindness Fables
Students create a fable that is based on kindness. In this fables lesson plan, students read and discuss different fables. Then they discuss kindness, and write their own fables based on the kindness of others.