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Creative Writing
Students create a story with a beginning, middle and an ending. They also read and analyze another's story.
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Comparing and Contrasting Fiction and Nonfiction Using Graphic Organizers
Students compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction selections. In this writing skills lesson, students use different forms of graphic organizers to compare "The Three Little Pigs," to Wiesel's Night.
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Altoona Horseshoe Curve: A Vital Link
Students explain the significance of the Horseshoe Curve. For this railroad lesson students reconstruct elements of a German plot to destroy the Horseshoe Curve.
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Julius Caesar : Dramatic Reading Project
Learners explore Shakespeare's words. For this literature lesson, students memorize and recite a dramatic interpretation of a passage from Julius Caesar.
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Character, You Say? Prove It!
Students discuss character traits, and complete a character map and a Venn diagram for selected characters in their assigned text.
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Tell Me A Foreign Language Story
Students practice retelling a simple story representative of the country where the target language is spoken: French, German, or Spanish. Given a worksheet with story details, students fill in missing details and rearrange details to...
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Stuff Gods Are Made Of
Students examine different myths of various cultures around the world. Using artwork, they discuss the artistic designs and develop hypothesize about their importance. They use the internet to research myths they are aware of and share...
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Conflict and Debate
Students take a medical issue and explore it, debate it, and convince others of their point of view. They improve research skills and writing skills. Students are able to define a problem, debate it, and identify which is the best...
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Peer Editing
Sudents read and critique three of their fellow classmates' science fiction short stories on three consecutive days for mechanics, short story elements, style, and informational elements.
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W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw" Theme
Pupils identify the theme of "The Monkey's Paw" and relate it to prior knowledge. In this "The Monkey's Paw" lesson, students discuss fate and coincidence and debate which one controls destiny. A test is chosen as the winner...
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Design a Book Cover
Class members take on the role of graphic designer and craft a cover for a book they are reading. Individuals formulate a proposal outlining the images they will use to not only grab the interest of readers, but hint at the mood and...
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Focus On Figurative Language in Prose
Students examine the use of literary prose in the story, "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed." In this literary prose instructional activity, students investigate the use of imagery, metaphor, and simile in the story. They tell how author's...
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Screening the Silver Screen
Students write New York Times Movie Guide Reviews using descriptive and persuasive language.
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Au Revoir Les Enfants Film Comparison/Contrast
In this film analysis worksheet, students compare and contrast one of the themes in "Lord of the Flies" using the film "Au Revoir Les Enfants." Students write a comparison and contrast essay for the activity.
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Teaching a Short Story
Young scholars work in small groups and prepare an analysis of a short story to be presented to their peers. They research the story and create a handout or a visual aid that cites sources of information and summarizes the main points...
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Writing a Children's Book -- Young Authors
High schoolers practice their writing skills by creating a children's book. They integrate five elements of short stories into the narrative. They share their stories with their book buddies.
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Legends and Lore
Students begin the instructional activity by responding in their journals regarding questions about their favorite fairy tales. They listen to a folk tale and answer questions based on the folk tale genre and then brainstorm aphorisms...
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Playing to Learn
Students brainstorm about video games that are designed to teach. They create and perform in small groups a live action "video game" that teaches a concept covered in class this school year.
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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Focus on Figurative Language in Prose and Poetry
Students place emphasis on the use of figurative language when analyzing prose and poetry. In this figurative language lesson, students explore the tone of a story and its imagery. Students read and discuss how the author uses imagery in...
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Making Magic
Students assess the elements of J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series that have made it such a success. They incorporate these elements into a short film, incorporating such concepts as pop culture mythology, urban legend and archetypes.
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Evaluate the Main Characters? Problem-Solving Processes
High schoolers read passages from several sources and evaluate the text for various criteria. In this problem solving lesson, students evaluate character problem solving processes after reading passages. They will use a Venn Diagram to...
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Teachers See the Truth but Wait: Teaching Short Stories with Literature Circles
Students use literature circles to analyze four short stories from the Realms of Gold, Volume 3. In this literature circle lesson, students are assigned a role in the literature circle to improve their critical thinking skills for...
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Acting Like a Bunch of Animals: Fables and Human
The video "The Tales of Aesop" traces for viewers the history of fables and identifies their characteristics. The class then goes to the web site "The Fisherman and the Little Fish" where they examine the classic and a modern version of...