MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Utopia/Dystopia: The American Dream
America was founded by dreamers, and the American dream still resonates in our country today. Track the American dream from its Puritan beginnings to its optimistic descendants with a instructional activity that focuses on speeches...
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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...
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African American Poetry
Students write their own dream poems in the style of African American dream poetry. In this African American poetry lesson, students discuss the dreams of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and read...
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Native Americans
Students develop an appreciation of American Indians. They sing "Ten Little Indians," then act out "Brave Little Indian," an action story. They learn the poem "Then and Now."
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The Learning Network: Poetry Pairing July, 21, 2011
Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...
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The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...
Curated OER
Valentine Handprint Poem
Students make a handprint underneath a Valentine poem to give to their parents. In this Valentine poem lesson plan, students also glue conversation hearts around the edge of the page for a border.
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America Poems
Students examine examples of how other Americans have expressed their feelings about America through songs and poetry, and write their own poems to express their relationship with America.
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We Have a Dream
Pupils work as partners to study Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this African American history lesson, students work with their cross-grade partner to study, understand, and memorize the speech. Pupils meet with...
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Poetry through Jazz, Rap, and Hip Hop
Learners explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs with the...
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Visualizing Jazz Scenes From the Harlem Renaissance
Students identify themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz and describe the impact of jazz on African-American literature of the Harlem Renaissance
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The Language of the Civil Rights Movement:
Tenth graders study the poetry of the US Civil Rights movement and the Black Arts movement over a 12 day period. They author a website showing works of poetry that students have chosen to analyze and relate to these movements.
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The Revolving Door: U.S. Immigration
Pupils compare current cultural perceptions of the immigrant experience with ones of the past. They will relate current immigration stories as seen in the PBS documentary "The New Americans" to those of the historical past.
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Finding Math In The World Of Art
Students explore the use of Math in the world of Art. In this mathematics and visual art lesson plan, they design a picture using math digits that are camouflaged into a pictures. Additional cross curriculum activities are embedded in...