National Endowment for the Humanities
Mark Twain and American Humor
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is famous, in part, because it established a uniquely American form of humor. For this famous story, Mark Twain combines the tall-tale, the dialect story, and satire. Here is a resource...
Curated OER
Searching for Stars
Positive character traits in literature are explored in this character development and literacy lesson. Learners listen to Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci, followed by a discussion comparing the...
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What Were They Thinking Then, What Are We Thinking Now?
Choosing an issue from a play or novel, researchers find two primary sources from different time periods to compare how people's views have changed. Many questions are listed to guide young writers. In the end, learners produce a...
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Jazz's Beginnings
High schoolers examine jazz's roots and their hybridization in New Orleans in the early 20th century. They listen to ragtime and jazz recordings, then complete worksheets imbedded in this plan.
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Enjoying the Adventure
Middle schoolers watch the video of "The Prince and the Pauper" and analyze, compare and contrast the characters. They write letters to a character from the point of view of another character and create a new ending to the play.
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Hawthorne: Author and Narrator
Young scholars examine the difference between a narrator and author. They read Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, 'The Scarlet Letter,' write a description of the narrator, and research how Hawthorne was impacted by the politics of the time.
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Giants of the Past
Students listen to the book, The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, and create paper sculptures based on ancient Greek and Roman statues in the Getty Museum. They write narrative stories told from the viewpoints of their sculptures.
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The Thrill of Big-Wave Surfing
Learners view a PBS Nature program about big-wave surfing and participate in a class discussion about their experiences with surfing, body boarding, or body surfing. Students create a drawing based on a reading and post their art around...
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In Conclusion
Fifth graders practice identifying the conclusions they can draw using the "In Conclusion Introduction" story which is attached. They complete a Conclusion worksheet which is attached.
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Everyday Heroes
High schoolers research how Ernie Pyle's descriptive narratives and "every man's" perspective of the war allow them to examine personal traits such as courage and heroism. The lesson can be extended to include more examples to teach...
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Zooming In!
Students observe an area of the schoolground, choosing a particular viewpoint or line of vision. At various times, students take photographs and videos of the observed area. Students write a news article based upon their observations.
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Creative Writing/Historical Journals
Students research primary and secondary sources to find information about their ancestors. They write a series of journal entries, from the perspective of one of their ancestors, on what life was like in that given time period.
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The Importance of Scribbling and Doodling
Ninth graders discuss what journaling means to them and discovers that it does not always have to be writing. Using the Internet, they research the different types of journaling and chooses one that meets their own style. They make...
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A Day During Colonial Times
Fifth graders participate in read aloud activities of three books about life in Colonial times. They compare their life to that of children of Colonial times using a Venn diagram. They draw a picture and write about what a day in the...
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Texas in the Mirror
Young scholars research their own and others' perceptions about Texas and become familiar with various symbols from other cultures. In this Texas in the Mirror lesson plan, students write a web page with a picture of a Texan symbol....
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Can We Be Both Conservationists and Consumers?
Students explore their role as consumers and conservationists and what roles they play in today's economic climate. They explore resource allocation issues. Students analyze data and draw comparisons between historical and present-day...
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Technology Blackout Day
Students describe the impact of modern technology inventions on daily life. They create a graph of the class's favorite item of technology and draw a picture of their favorite piece of modern technology.
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Talk About the Passion
Students think critically about artistic freedom and evaluate the aims and effectiveness of censorship and education. They begin an investigation of the ongoing controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" by reading "New...
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Learning About Maps
Students take a "field trip" with the teacher through the school then draw a diagram of what they saw. They bring the maps to the computer lab where they create electronic maps using the software program Neighborhood Map Machine.
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Taking a Stand
Learners make connections with cultures (their own and others'), their identity, heritage, traditions, and symbols and examine the richness that diversity brings to communities.
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Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos
Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, students...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Animals as Pets: Everything You Need to Know
Students complete internet based research on pet care in order to prepare a written and oral presentation for the class. They examine the life span, environment, food and grooming of the pet they chose to research. They complete the...
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What's Civil About War?
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
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Students Press Law and Ethics
Students research the rights and the responsibilities of journalists in dealing with First Amendment issues. In this First Amendment lesson plan, students research the Alien and Sedition Acts and study the five elements of libel....