Facing History and Ourselves
Confirmation and Other Biases
As the investigation into the reporting of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, continues, class members consider how bias influences perception, how the tendency is to collect evidence that supports preconceived notions. The big idea...
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The Yarn Of Nancy Bell
Students engage in a study of poetry in order to strengthen reading comprehension. They use the guided reading in order to appreciate the act of composing poetry. The teacher reads using the right intonation, pacing, and projection of...
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Under Joni Mitchell's Influence
Students view the AMERICAN MASTERS entitled Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind, examine the concept of influence, and explore how Joni Mitchell and her work have influenced others. Students read, interpret, and analyze her lyrics by...
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Who Are You?
Students explore the concept of self and analyze the Human Organization Theory. Individually, students write poems about themselves. In small groups, they create a poster related to the 14 categories of the Human Organization Theory....
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Deep like Rivers: Four African American Poets of the 1920s and 1930s
Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...
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Exploring the Self
Students examine a variety of songs, poems, and books exploring and analyzing the theme of self reliance and being true to one's self. They write a poem, essay, or letter that captures their true spirit and individuality and then they...
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Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Students evaluate Lincoln's impact on American History. In this Civil War lesson, students view a film clip of writings about Lincoln. Students take notes and compare how the writings define his legacy. Students write their own poem or...
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Publication Project
Ninth graders publish a magazine during a ten week marking period. They make individual contributions to the group project that is based on career choices. They write and publish articles, poems, entertainment pieces, and a play that...
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Through the Lens of Robert Capa
Students use Guided Reading techniques to learn about Capa's style and to discover the techniques that made him a great photographer. Students examine the basics of telling compelling stories through photos and each student creates a...
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Zen and the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright
Young scholars experience Zen philosophies reflected in artwork, poetry, and architecture. Students will explore these connections and expand the discussion to include a professional author of their choice.
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"Dreaming of Success" Unit
High schoolers recognize the importance of planning for the future. They think about and project themselves into the future. Students become aware that everyone encounters challenges in life and that they can be met and obstacles can be...
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Lecture 6 - Oral Interpretation - Verse
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...
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Sculptures of the Seven Ages
Students simulate sculptors and clay to help them explain abstract phrases in a soliloquy.
Brigham Young University
Introducing the Text and Learning the Process of Script Analysis
Where do directors and set designers get their ideas so that the set they build creates the mood and atmosphere the director wants for a production? From the script! Introduce theater high schoolers to the script analysis techniques used...
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Students complete activities for the autobiography of Maya Angelou. In this autobiography instructional activity, students write a journal entry about their life and discuss the morphology of the word autobiography. Students use active...
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LIFE DOESN’T FRIGHTEN ME
Students examine gender bias and stereotypes. In this discrimination instructional activity students participate in class discussions and poetry reading in order to examine the gender stereotypes of fears and develop...
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Comparing Characters Across Two Short Stories
Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.
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To Walt Whitman
Students examine the poem To Walt Whitman by Angela de Hoyos. They divide into groups. Each group creates a poem written from one of two perspectives: to Walt Whitman or to de Hoyos from Whitman.
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The Pied Piper Of Hamelin
Students participate in a lesson that covers the genre of narrative poetry. They examine the elements of a narrative poem while focusing upon the characterization. Students compare and contrast the characters while analyzing their...
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The Civil War in Art and Literature
Students examine art related to the Civil War. They participate in activities that allow them to write poetry and drawings. They create their own journal and collect their work in a binder.
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Night Sounds
In this activity, children will discuss the different sounds they hear at night, sounds that they don't usually hear during the day. Then they will write and record a poem about these night sounds.
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Commemorations Across Cultures
Students explore how different cultures commemorate people and events. They research how commemorations are created through music, painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and poetry. In collaborative, students create a...
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Paul Revere's Ride-Fact or Fiction?
Students discuss Paul Revere's ride. In this social studies lesson, students read Paul Revere's Ride and compare the differences between the poem and the historical event.
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Searching For The American Dream
Ninth graders explore the meaning of the American dream and how it has been explained in various forms. After reading various immigrant accounts, 9th graders use poetry and writing to explain how different cultures view the American...