Curated OER
I Am An Author
Analyze and interpret a literary work your class has read during the course. After reading a variety of literary works, middle schoolers alter the ending of a selection by creating an alternate ending. They generate five comprehension...
Curated OER
Responding to Literature: James and the Giant Peach
Fifth grade reader/writers create an alternate ending to an episode in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach in which our protagonist "loses" the chance to magically solve all his problems. Prompts students not only to write creatively...
Curated OER
Fairy Tales Retold
Students use writing processes effectively to adapt and retell stories. They reread a favorite fairy tale, then adapt and retell in a PowerPoint or other multimedia presentation. They present their rewritten and edited presentations to...
Curated OER
The Cow That Went Oink
Learners complete a variety of activities related to the book The Cow That Went Oink. They role-play the various animals from the story, write a letter to a farm animal in the book, identify syllables of story words, and create an...
Curated OER
In Search of Self: Adolescent Themes in the Twentieth Century Short Story
Students read short stories that are related to adolescent issues and behaviors. In groups, they review the elements of a short story and vocabulary they might need while reading. To end the lesson, they read "Sir Tatton Sykes"...
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Write All about It (Cooperative Learning)
Students listen to a read aloud and while working with other students, write alternate ending to the story.
Curated OER
Julian Secret Agent: Commas
Your class participates in a variety of shared reading and writing activities related to the book Julian Secret Agent. They complete a class story chart, examine how to use punctuation for dialogue, write an alternative...
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Retell the "Tail" of the Tale
Students explore story structure. In this multicultural literacy lesson, students discuss common elements of folk tales and then listen to the story Tiger and the Big Wind: A Tale from Africa. Students identify the problem and solution...
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Narrative Literature Response Letters: Original Lesson Plan
Readers write a formal letter to an author offering an alternative ending to a story the author has written. First, the class reads a story or novel. Upon finishing the reading, they are introduced to the format of a formal letter. They...
Curated OER
Novel Creation
Students create an alternate ending with digital animations to illustrate their text. In this novel creation lesson, students read a novel and analyze the plot in small groups. Students collaborate on an alternate ending and create a...
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Heart of Darkness
Students interpret the resolution of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. In this literature lesson, students discuss the ending of the novella and Conrad's intentions in ending it the way he did. Students then write alternative endings...
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?
Curated OER
A Better Class of Journal-ists
Young academics create a current events journal by skimming newspapers for articles that fit defined guidelines for informational texts. After cutting out two articles each week to add to their journals, they write a brief description of...
Student Achievement Partners
You've Been Lied To: The REAL Christopher Columbus
Looking for resources that explore alternative perspectives of the Christopher Columbus story? Check out the images, videos, cartoons, primary source documents, and other texts in a packet designed to spark debate.
Curated OER
Accordion-Book Summary
Students explore summarizing. In this book report lesson, students follow directions to make an accordion book, including illustrating and summarizing important events in the story.
Curated OER
Social Problems
An adult ESL class brainstorm what they believe to be the major problems in Namibia. In groups, they use the list of problems and put them into the order of the most critical and the reasons why. They research possible solutions and...
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Cultural Exchange (Alaska)
Students explore the culture of Alaska. They identify the geographic location of Tlingit Indians. Students compare/contrast the culture of the Europeans and Tlingits. Students complete selected reading worksheets and provide alternative...
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Pathways
Students are introduced to how to use a flow diagram. As a class, they brainstorm all of the steps to a specific task and discuss the importance of completing them in the correct sequence. They read books that have an alternate ending...
Curated OER
The House on Mango Street
Students read The House on Mango Street and analyze why the author chose to tell this story and how the characters are affected by immigration, poverty, and discrimination. Students compare this story to others about immigration to...
Curated OER
Writing Up a Spanish Storm: Using Creative Thinking for Creative Writing
Students in a Spanish class are introduced to the techniques of creative writing. In groups, they focus on the pre-writing section of creative writing and keep a folder of their works throughout the lesson. They end the lessons by...
Curated OER
Opportunity Cost
High schoolers explore the concept of opportunity cost. Classmates discuss, orally and in writing, a time when they had to make a choice when all choices seemed worthwhile. They explore the impact of making decisions when resources are...
Curated OER
Using Comics to teach Habitat and the Balance of Nature
Students visit a specific online comics website to view a comic. They discuss the elements of the food chain that were seen in the story. They choose an inhabitant of the pond habitat that they have been reading about and do a research...
Curated OER
Under the Tongan Sun
Students read the story "Under the Tongan Sun" by Tina Martin. In groups, they use the text of the story to answer comprehension questions. They work together to identify the cultural differences between the United States and Tonga. To...
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"The Selfish Crocodile"
Students participate in various shared reading and writing activities related to the book "The Selfish Crocodile" by Faustin Charles. They identify descriptive words from the story, and write sentences describing how the crocodile...