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National Endowment for the Humanities

Practical Criticism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As an introduction to literary criticism, class members recreate I.A. Richards' close reading experiment. Individuals select a poem, paraphrase the story, focus on the imagery used, consider what the imagery adds to the tale, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders compare and contrast an informational article with a fictional story. They read the story "The Contest" as a class, and discuss the different types of literature genres. Next, they complete a vocabulary worksheet and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go Free or Die: Figurative Language

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Figures of speech, sensory details, and academic language are all targeted while reading Chapter Two of J. Ferris’ Go Free or Die. First, learners engage in an exercise to practice describing with detail. Then, partners use a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing Prompts: Prose, Pamphlets and Poems

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students practice reading an atlas and writing prompts. They use graphic organizers to construct their writing prompt. They use the Internet to do their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Five Simple Poems

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students listen as the teacher explains what poetry is as well as describes several types of poetry such as haiku, free verse, limerick, cinquain, and an acrostic. Students read examples of each type of poetry. They compose a poem...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anne Carson

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Students read poetry and a biography of poet Anne Carson as part of a creative writing lesson. In this poetry analysis lesson, students read about the poet, read her poetry, and analyze a photograph to then write a poem. Students write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cowboys

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students analyze cowboy literature. In this United States history and literacy lesson, students listen to a variety of cowboy songs and poetry, view the video "Rediscovering America: The Real American Cowboy," and view related websites....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biography of a river

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students compare and contrast facts about the development, history and importance of several rivers in the state. They research the history and development of one particular river and describe the deltas and their formation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recognizing Similes: Fast as a Whip

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Pupils review basic knowledge of similes and engage with similes on a more abstract level. In this similes lesson, students define similes and identify examples. Pupils read and analyze the similes used in poetry by Derricotte, Frost,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Other Voices - Latino and Chicano Literature and Identity in America

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders analyze "Dedication" and "Child of the Americas" using a double-journal format. They compare responses and infer meaning from the connotations of select images in the poems write a paragraph describing the importance of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The Block": Romare Bearden's and Mine

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars study Bearden's style of collage and create their own collage that reflects their neighborhood. They are read "The Block" and poems about neighborhoods and write one about theirs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Dance of the Floreadores, Waltz of the Flowers in the Meter of Duke

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students contrast the meter and style of two different versions of the musical piece, "Waltz of the Flowers." Duke Ellington's meter in the "Dance of the Floreadores" is compared to Tchaikovsky's version in the "Nutcracker."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Country Twice Divided

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day During Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"He Says, She Says"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Stuents compare and contrast male and female views of love and beauty in classic Chinese and Japanese society through the reading and evaluation of prose and poetry. Chinese and Japanese art is also studied.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recognizing Similies: Fast as a Whip

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers review what they have already learned about similies and begin to engage with similies on a deeper and more abstract level as they create their own.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders demonstrate the ability to process and evaluate content from a variety of sources and apply comprehension skills to the material read. They organize information for practical use and design and develop an informational...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Painted Dreams

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the importance of art in Haitian culture by analyzing the cause and effect within the story, "Allie's Basketball Dream." They examine all the aspects of the story and characters including their goals, dreams,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beowulf

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders read the battle scene between Grendel and Beowulf and then work in groups to tell about the battle from Grendel's point of view. They look at the author's use of description in the scene.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biography of a River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the importance of rivers. They conduct research on a select river, and develop a river biography that includes a century report, description, interviews, and an epitaph in the form of a Cinquain.

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