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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg: The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Sight

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
To conclude a study of The Great Gatsby, class members create a multimodal project that represents what they feel the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg see about the hidden side of one of the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel....
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Windows To The Soul: A Creative Writing Project

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The eyes have it in a project that combines art with creative writing. Class members list three adjectives or characteristics of a person they admire. Then draw a picture of a pair of eyes that they feel reflects these characteristics....
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Lesson Plan
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K20 LEARN

Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 1: I'm A Survivor

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
What three readily available things would you grab in case of an emergency? That's the question that launches a unit study of William Golding's The Lord of the Flies. After sharing their choices, class members read Golding's rationale...
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Activity
National Endowment for the Humanities

Montaigne “On Cruelty”: A Close Reading of a Classic Essay

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
An excerpt from Michel de Montaigne's essay "On Cruelty" provides advanced readers an opportunity to polish their close reading skills. Scholars read the passage twice and then respond to the provided questions.
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Lesson Plan
Learning for Justice

Cliques in Schools

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Band geeks, jocks, preppies; every school has its groups. Middle and high schoolers identify the various friendship groups and cliques in their school and consider these groups' positive and negative traits. After completing a Clique...
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Lesson Plan
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Learning for Justice

Looking Closely at Ourselves

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
A thoughtful discussion about self-reflecting leads to a conversation about skin color and making a list of words associated with "beauty." Budding artists use a mirror to examine their features and create a self-portrait. Peers critique...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Don't Let Hate Ruin the Fun: Youth and Online Games

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Gamers unite! Take action against bullying and hate speech in online video games! After reading data that reveals the extent to which various age groups experience hate and, or harassment while playing video games online, groups develop...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) is the subject of the instructional activity that asks groups to research the stories of five different women and share their insights in a jigsaw activity....
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Teens, Tech, Connect: How Technology Impacts Teenagers' Friendships

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To understand their time spent online, class members chart their use of technology during early morning hours, during school, after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. They then read several reports about how social media...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Bias, Bullying and Bad Behavior in the NFL

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 2014 case of locker room behavior in the National Football League offers high schoolers an opportunity to get involved in the conversation of bullying and abuse. Class members read about the case and analyze quotes that reveal...
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Lesson Plan
Learning for Justice

Showing Empathy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A short social-emotional learning instructional activity teaches high schoolers how to show empathy toward others. After completing a short survey that has them assess their understanding of empathy, the class learns specific behaviors...
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Lesson Plan
Learning for Justice

Standing Up Against Discrimination

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Expert groups investigate five teens who stood up against discrimination they faced and then report their findings in jigsaw groups. The class drafts proposals for actions the school could take to stop discrimination.
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Lesson Plan
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Anti-Defamation League

Cyberbullying and Online Cruelty: Challenging Social Norms

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Everybody does it!" is often the clarion call to justify cyberbullying. Here's a lesson plan that encourages high schoolers to challenge these behaviors. Participants examine images, watch videos, and engage in discussions designed to...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
A lesson spotlights the poem "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson. Scholars discuss their favorite foods and then examine a lively picture of a family preparing tamales. After listening to the poem twice, learners participate in...
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Lesson Plan
Teaching for Change

Latino/Hispanic Heritage Resource Packet

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Here's a must-have resource for Latino/Hispanic heritage month, September 15 through October 15. The 18-page packet includes suggestions to guide your planning, quizzes to test knowledge of heritage facts and immigration myths, and...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Addressing Hate Online: Countering Cyberhate with Counterspeech

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Cyberbullying is the focus of much discussion. Here's a instructional activity that offers suggestions for addressing cyberhate. After groups examine different examples of cyberhate, the class adds their suggestions to a list of ideas...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

On "El Florida Room" by Richard Blanco

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Scholars of all ages examine Richard Blanco's poem, "El Florida Room." Looking closely at pictures, pupils look for details that stand out to them, then read the poem. A whole-class discussion allows learners to reflect on what they...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "When Giving Is All We Have" by Alberto Ríos

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What makes giving meaningful? Class members discuss this question, then listen to Alberto Rios reading his poem, "When Giving Is All We Have." Finally, the class considers what the poet says about the question.
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Incredible Bridges: “Translation for Mamá” by Richard Blanco

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Who or what do you miss? That's the question that launches an activity that asks writers to craft a paragraph filled with sensory details that shows how they feel. Next, they listen to Richard Blanco reading his poem, "Translation for...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "When There Were Ghosts" by Alberto Ríos

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Before cell phones, tablets, and computers with access to YouTube, before gleaming multiplexes and even before television, there were small theaters with Saturday night black and white movies. Alberto Ríos's poem "When There Were Ghosts"...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Who Was César Chávez?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars complete a KWL chart to indicate what they know about Cesar Chavez and then research what they want to know about this farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. To complete the lesson, scholars research modern civil...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

"Sí, se puede!": Chávez, Huerta, and the UFW

For Teachers 6th - 12th
"Sí, se puede!" Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta believed organizing farm workers and changing their working conditions were possible. Scholars examine provisions of the Bracero Program, videos, and the United Farm Workers' (UFW) work....
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
After sketching an essential person and reading an article, scholars read the poem "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón. They listen to the poem in English and Spanish and record lines that stand out to them. Small...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

School Desegregation Court Cases: Mendez v. Westminster and Brown v. Board

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Separate is not equal! Young historians analyze the petition from the U.S. Supreme Court case Mendez v. Westminster filed in 1945 and examine background material about the case. They then compare it to the more famous Brown v. Board of...