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Jewish Folktales
Students write an essay and create illustrations of Jewish culture. In this literature-response lesson plan, students read various Jewish folktales. As they read, students study the geographical, cultural, and historical background of...
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Recycling
Students read or listen to a story, and discuss how it relates to them. In this personal event writing activity, students write about recycling. Students read "The Giving Tree" a Shel Silverstein poem and discuss the poem's meaning....
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Turning Literature into News
Young scholars analyze the format and structure of various newspaper articles. Then, they rewrite events from literature into news stories about acts of kindness.
University of North Carolina
Literature (Fiction)
An informative installment of the Writing for Specific Fields series helps readers learn how to interpret and write about fiction. The website details nine easy steps for writing a literary analysis—a useful method for all readers!
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Irony
What are the three types of irony? High schoolers engage in a lesson about the use of irony while reading O.Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." They'll discuss rising action, climax, and resolution in the text before highlighting the...
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George Washington Carver and Sharing
Young scholars research George Washington Carver. In this science instructional activity, students discuss George Washington Carver's contribution to science. Young scholars explain how peanut butter is produced.
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Truth, Trash and Treasure
Students examine how people can make a difference in the world. They read and analyze excerpts from a novel, discuss song lyrics, clean up a local park, and write an essay.
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How Prophet-able Are You? Ancient Advocates for Change
Students read and analyze classical literature of the ancient Hebrew prophets dealing with societal injustices. They identify present-day prophets, and write an essay about how the common good would be affected if people listened to the...
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1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Students discover philanthropic acts of the Civil War era. In this service learning lesson, students research Underground Railroad literature, Reconstruction Amendments, and acts of philanthropy during the Civil War era.
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Chinese Folktales
Students examine Chinese folktales. In this literature and philanthropy lesson, students read Chinese folktales and analyze their literary elements. Students consider the effects of generosity in the tales and in their own lives.
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What's Cooking
Third graders practice following and writing directions through the use of simple recipes. First they write directions for creating an ice cream sundae. Then they make the sundaes using the recipe written by their classmates.
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What's the News?
Students investigate current events. In this current events lesson, students identify current events from newspaper articles and place them on a timeline.
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Responsibility and Jobs
Students identify community helpers. In this philanthropy lesson, students read Strega Nona and identify different characters' responsibilities in the story. Students use character traits to describe the main characters and make a list...
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Who Will Help?
Students analyze the characters in the book The Little Red Hen. In this character study lesson, students discuss the behavior of the characters and write about positive ways to work together for a common goal.
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Know your Daemons
Students take a closer look at Pullman's The Golden Compass. In this current events instructional activity, students visit the film's interactive website and participate in a discussion about the nature of religion in the book and the...
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Government by the People
Young scholars explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson plan, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Young scholars analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the...
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Literature Soundtracks
Student choose ten songs to create a soundtrack for a novel read in class or as outside reading. In the liner notes, instead of lyrics High schoolers writes a rationale of why or how the song relates to the novel in terms of setting,...
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Guided Reading: Chicken Sunday
Students write about giving a gift. In this writing lesson students read the book Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco. Students read silently and discuss the story with their classmates. Students write about wanting to buy a gift for...
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Swimmy
Students explore the themes of the book Swimmy by Leo Lionni. In this literacy lesson, students dramatize a character from Swimmy and identify common themes such as cooperation and caring. Students create a new ending to the story.
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Old Hobbits Are Hard to Break
Explore film adaptation of literature with this lesson, which focuses on the world of film advertisements. Middle schoolers discuss various films (including The Lord of the Rings) and create advertisements for a pretend film based on a...
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Different! Diverse! Dynamic! What Do Stories Share?
Students compare and contrast the stories, "Leo, the Late Bloomer," and "Thank You, Mr. Falker." They develop a Venn diagram, and write and illustrate the central theme of the stories.
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Create a Playbill!
Seventh graders explore the various elements found in the advertisement of a dramatic experience. Playbills are created that reflect the plot without revealing the climax of the play. Costumes, set construction, and character description...
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Sondheim: Voice of Cultural Change
Students explore Stephen Sondheim's contributions to musical theatre in the context of the dramatic cultural shift that occurred in American life in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
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Personal Experience Narratives
Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...