Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When I Was Young in Brooklyn

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students identify various techniques used in memoirs. They reflect on similarities and differences betwee two authors. Students define the term memior. They write about various techiques they noticed the authors used. Students write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Bust: Ceramics Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Whether it is a protagonist, antagonist, hero or heroine, characters are a must in any story. Learners analyze a character from a narrative they are reading, then use that character as inspiration. They create a ceramic bust depicting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Night by Elie Weisel

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read "No News from Auschwitz" and answer the study questions as an introduction to the novel. They record reactions to the essay and compare with reactions after reading "Night".
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simile Stories

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders view song lyrics and identify similes in the song text.  In this similes lesson, 4th graders define and identify similes on a worksheet.  Students write their own similes using various adjectives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Video

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore songs that tell stories over various decades and create a Garage band track for their voice.  In this story song lesson, students create a video for their song group.  Students present a proposal to their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's In A Name

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They then discuss where various names come from. They create a individualized biopoem and publish it on word processing software. Their poems are compiled into a class book and presented...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ida Tarbell: Hysterical Woman vs. Historical Facts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine journalism and its different styles.  For this effective communication instructional activity students create an editorial message and articulate an article.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Favorite Things

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify "masterpieces" and mass-produced objects. They explain why they value a given object and determine what physical materials were used to create the objects. They create a class book featuring objects that they value.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Students Information And Interest Survey

For Students 5th - 6th
In this personal information worksheet, students fill out this form to give details about their personal history, prior experiences and preferences. This could be used for information gathering or as an icebreaker activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ugly? Says Who?

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore biology by writing animal poetry in class. For this animal characteristics lesson, students research the Internet for facts about an "ugly" animal such as a bug or small critter. Students complete worksheets about animal...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Art and Personal Adornment: African Folktales

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students write a folktale based on an African adinkra symbol. They research its meaning and relate it as the theme.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Autobiographical Postage Stamp

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students design a postage stamp that communicates to the world who they are, what they hope to be, what they are good at, and factual information. They use, "My Great Aunt Arizona" by Gloria Houston as a model for a biography.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Find a Book

For Teachers 5th
Student receives one book description card and in less than 2 minutes, they walk through the Media Center to find a book matching that description. After a matching book is found, each student evaluates the book.
Graphic
Austin Independent School District

Austin Independent School District: A Taxonomy of Literary Genre [Pdf]

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
A series of graphic organizers shows the progression of learning about literary genre, beginning in kindergarten and building through to fifth grade.
Professional Doc
AdLit

Ad lit.org: Blending Multiple Genres in Theme Baskets

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The theme-basket concept of literature instruction combines several approaches known to work with marginalized readers, students with learning disabilities, and ELLs: 1) a thematic approach to teaching literature, 2) the use of...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Shhh! Bear's Sleeping: Learning About Nonfiction and Fiction

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students explore the distinction between the fiction story Bear Snores On and the nonfiction book Every Autumn Comes the Bear.