Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Maps" by Yesenia Montilla
After examining a physical map of the world, learners conduct a close reading of Yesenia Montilla's poem "Maps." They note the interesting words and phrases, the way the poem is structured, and list questions they might have. After...
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Map Reading in the 21st Century
Students interact with MapPoint tools to view maps of the past and the present in multiple ways. They participate in mini-lessons aimed at locating certain points of interest or famous routes taken in history.
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Map a World of Facts
Learners mark ten places on a world map while they follow fun facts on the included printable sheet. They research using a variety of resources to determine the location of the ten places.
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"History of My Family"
Students explore world geography by participating in a family history project. For this U.S.S.R. lesson, students read assigned text regarding the Stalinist era of Russia and the intolerance that thrived there. Students answer a list of...
Global Oneness Project
Highways and Change
What is the cost of change? Roberto Guerra's photo essay "La Carretera: Life and Change Along Peru's Interoceanic Highway" asks viewers to consider the impacts of the 1,600 mile-long highway through Peru and Brazil that connects Pacific...
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Mapping an Empire
How did the expansion of the Roman Empire during the first century contribute to its downfall? Using a map of the Roman Empire in 44 BC and one of the Roman Empire in 116 AD as references, class member use critical reading skills to...
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She's All Over the Map
Students consider female authors and their literature. Working in partnerships, they research and map the life and work of a Nobel Prize-winning female author of their choice. Students write individual letters expressing their thoughts...
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What's In a Name?
Students explore the relationship between names and certain cultures and locations. In this identity lesson, students create family migration or immigration maps. Students read excerpts from When My Name was Keoko and Lost Names: Scenes...
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The Railroads and Settlement of the Great Plains
Enhance your American literature unit with this resource, in which readers access the Nebraska Studies website and read about "Railroads and Settlement." They search for a photograph of some aspect of the railroad from the Prairie...
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Understanding Growth of the Phoenix Area
Students study the growth of the Phoenix area using geographic images, maps, tables, and graphs. They study the idea of community.
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Robbing the 'Hood?
Young scholars investigate historical figures and how they play a role in tourism by reading and discussing the article "When Robin Hood Supped, Was it Yorkshire Pudding?" In groups, students investigate issues related in the article in...
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Coming of Age During Japanese Occupation: Richard E. Kim's Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood
Explore the implications of the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Learners read Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood, participate in classroom discussions about the novel and keep journals in which they respond to...
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Literature: Mapping the Mockingbird
Students read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, focusing on setting. They list items that create mental images of the novel's setting along with location references to characters and events. Using posterboard, they construct physical...
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Mending the Rift
Learners determine what factors identify a country's political borders. After reading an article, they investigate questions surrounding the Great Rift Valley. On a map, they trace the valley from Asia through Africa and research the...
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The Dip Felt Around the World
Students share their opinions about a story about a sudden decline in China's stock markets. After reading an article, they identify the global impact of China's falling stock markets. They create a cause and effect map about the fall...
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The Dawn of Humanity
Students investigate recent archaeological challenges to theories of human origins. They research the history and geography of various African regions to create proposals for future excavations.
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Dante's Inferno
Students examine Dante's trip through Hell. In this literature lesson, students read The Inferno and then collaborate to discuss moral redemption and create their own maps of Hell based on the poem. Written descriptions are required to...
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Jackie Steals Home
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
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Twain: Steamboat's a-Comin'
Students discover how rivers inspire creative expression. In this Mark Twain lesson plan, students list songs about rivers and discuss common characteristics. They locate the Mississippi River on a map and write a script in which a...
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Chilling Predictions
Learners research and prepare an almanac on the Arctic. They examine the laws that attempt to provide jurisdiction over this area and consider how these laws be affected if geography of the Arctic continues to change due to global warming.
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Earthweek
Young scholars explore the ongoing changes in the relationship between human beings and their physical world. They read articles on environmental changes. Students write a short analysis of the effect of the event on the residents of the...
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Email Around the World
Students send and receive e-mail messages and find the location of each of the messages on a map. Students then write a description and trivia facts about their school to send to others.
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Reaching Across Borders In Southern Africa
Students gain a greater understanding of how political borders impact human and environmental development. Then, either individually or as a class, establish a correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer working in Africa.
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Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...