Curated OER
Famous Person: Yushiko Uchida
Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's theater, listen to a guest speaker,...
Curated OER
Sor Juana, la monja y la escritora: Las Redondillas y La Respuesta
Sor Juana, considered one of the first feminist writers and a great Latin American poet, is the topic and inspiration for this excellent activity. Use the introduction, guiding questions, and learning objectives to lead your class into a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Poems that Tell a Story: Narrative and Persona in the Poetry of Robert Frost
Dig in deeper with Robert Frost's, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Learners will read and discuss poems by Robert Frost and learn the meaning of terms such as narrative and personal. They journal, collaborate, and present poetry...
Curated OER
The Hobbit
Here’s a series of exercises designed to be used after readers have finished reading The Hobbit. Pairs identify the speaker of a series of quotes, match characters with qualities, and provide evidence from the story to support their...
NPR
This Isn't Right: A History of Women in Industry
Women were in the workplace long before Rosie the Riveter pushed up her sleeve. Learn about the working options available to women during the Industrial Revolution, the Progressive Era, and the Great Depression with a lesson that prompts...
Curated OER
Poetry Through Digital Storytelling
Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...
Curated OER
Information Overload: Looking at News
How do events reported in mainstream newspapers, on television news, blog posts, and social network sites differ? Ask your class to investigate the way the same news item is presented in the many information sources available. Groups...
Curated OER
The Great Debate
Young scholars watch tapes of televised presidential debates dating from 1960. They analyze debates and participate in mock debates.
Curated OER
The Last Great Race
Third graders identify and discover why the Iditarod race is done each year. They explore the historical significance of the Iditarod. Students also use web sites to research related topics, i.e. diseases (diptheria), geography of...
Curated OER
Story of Self
What a great beginning-of-the-year activity! Get your class to identify their values through a three-page worksheet (included). Each speaker will craft a two-minute description that includes their story and how they can help their...
Curated OER
Summarizing Key Information
Imagine the surprise when small groups present their Evidence Charts to the class and discover that each group has studied a different version of the Cinderella story. Irish, Ojibwa, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Mexican, and...
Curated OER
Around the Room Short Story
Collective story writing is a great way to reinforce the concept of story elements and collaborative learning. Young writers discuss story elements such as, setting, character, action, climax, conclusion, foreshadowing, dialogue, and...
Curated OER
Speech! Speech!
Critical thinkers consider how word choice in speeches impacts the meaning and effectiveness of the message being presented. They examine and respond to some of the speeches made at the 2004 Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
North Haven Middle School
Environmental Expert Presentation
Individuals or groups select an environmental issue, then spend time researching and creating a presentation to share in class. By allowing learners to choose the issue that matters most to them, you will motivate them to do excellent...
ProCon
Minimum Wage
The first ever minimum wage in America was set at 25 cents per hour in 1938 and has been steadily, if slowly, increasing ever since. Using the provided website, pupils decide if the United States should further increase the federal...
Curated OER
Radio Broadcasting Before Television
Students compare the radio to other forms of mass communication. In this Radio Broadcasting Before Television lesson, students learn the different types of radio shows in the 1920s and 30s. Students write and perform radio scripts...
Curated OER
Great American Families
Fifth graders wrote essays, interviewed family members, took photos of their activities, and tape recorded narration to accompany the photos.
Curated OER
Chinese Dialect Exercise
Students are exposed to the obstacles in communication created by the presence of dialects, and made aware of the usefulness of a common writing system available to speakers of all dialect forms.
Curated OER
Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speeches
Students brainstorm and agree on a topic that is interesting to both the speaker and the audience and research it with both tradition and non-traditional sources. They write and outline the body of the speech and translate the speech...
Curated OER
Herbert Hoover: Iowa Farm Boy an World Humanitarian
Students research Herbert Hoover's life and how he became known as a "Great Humanitarian." Students use images and historic places in their research.
Curated OER
Rockin' Chair, Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden
Young scholars examine the life and music of Louis Armstrong, the first great jazz musician. The musical techniques of call and response is listened to and then copied in musical conversations in this lesson.
Curated OER
Now's the Time, Charlie Parker Now's the Time, Eddie Jefferson
Students delve into the music of bebop style jazz and the life and talents of some of the great musicians. The styles of Charlie Parker and James Moody are compared and contrasted in this lesson.
Curated OER
Valentine's Day hearts
Pupils use Valentine's Day to use figurative language in English. This is a great instructional activity for ESL students (who may not have much experience with this holiday), to engage in social conversation with their peers.
Curated OER
Slang Ain't the Thang!
Students examine how a speaker uses words and images to express a message. They read a speech written by Sojourner Truth and discuss the purpose and audience, and identify the speaker's tools used in a speech by George W. Bush.