Lee & Low Books
First Come the Zebra Teacher’s Guide
Accompany a reading of First Come the Zebra written and illustrated by Lynne Barasch with a teacher's guide equipped with before reading, vocabulary, and after reading activities. Additional social studies, science, music, art, math, and...
Curated OER
Grandparents Are Grand
Students to interview their grandparents. It uses the book, "Just Grandma and Me." students brainstorm and select the questions they each ask their grandparents.
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Latin American Colonial Diary
Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
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Magic, Sass, and Rage
Students are introduced to the characteristics of autobiographies. In groups, they read Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and develop their own rules for survival in the classroom. They bring in family photos in an...
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Picturing Family History
Tenth graders interview their parents for a sense of place. They use the information received to write a poem.
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Animal Farm
Students work together in small groups to share their knowledge about apartheid in South Africa. They research the role of women in both traditional and contemporary African societies. They focus on such topics as employment, family, and...
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Arts of Asia in Reach
Young scholars explore the traditions and celebrations of another culture and research a city or community in Japan. They then examine traditional Japanese music as well as practice several dance steps and discover their significance in...
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Street/Urban Games
Students research and appreciate non-traditional games and activities that were played (and are still played) in our inner cities. They give presentations on stick ball, handball, off the wall, and stoop ball and invent their own game...
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Posting Personal Testimonies on the Web
Students read literature based on family heroes. They discuss the concepts of friendship, loyalty and death. They write their own stories of courage and post them to a webpage.
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Author Study
Sixth graders complete a research paper on an author of their choice. After selecting an author of interest, 6th graders use internet and traditional resources to gather information from at various sources. They use their information to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: Burying Addie's Voice
High schoolers explore the use of voice and title in William Faulkner's, "As I Lay Dying". They identify and discuss the use of image, symbols and narrative voice in the story.
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Elizabeti's Series--Classroom Guide
Second graders explore the books in the Elizabeti Series. In this reading comprehension activity, young readers discuss pre-reading focus questions about their feelings on the first day of school. They investigate the book and describe...
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Literature and Art Through Our Eyes: African-American Artists
Examine the contributions of African-Americans in the worlds of art and literature. Over the course of a few days, young scholars will read and analyze a poem, a short story, and a piece of art. They complete a range of...
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The Clay Marble
Students probe the story, "The Clay Marble" by Minfong Ho to identify examples of courage, quick thinking, and perseverance. The lesson creatively extends the plot of the story by celebrating the heroin's birthday many years after the...
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Don't Miss The Boat
Fourth graders study immigration and what it is like to be an immigrant. They choose immigrant identities, dress appropriately, and role play during an International Fair where each student displays some aspect of his/her "home country."
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What would you do if faced with this problem?
Learners determine how and why an individual from each of four disciplines - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism - might respond to the same problem.
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Classroom Guide for The Birthday Swap
Students complete activities with the book The Birthday Swap by Loretta Lopez. In this literature lesson, students answer pre-reading questions, locate new vocabulary, and read the story. They answer comprehension questions, complete...
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Splendid China: Chinese Folktales
Students investigate Chinese culture by reading their folk tales. In this creative writing lesson, students practice identifying the different elements in a folk tale and examine the related vocabulary. Students organize thoughts for a...
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Winter Holiday Activities Extravaganza
Young scholars define culture and explore elements that are part of the custom or culture of a place. In this holiday lesson, students identify the cultures they participate in. Young scholars identify the differences in people's...
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Brutal British
Students read and predict the outcome of a story set during the Civil War, then map the story. To prepare for the activity, students determine why it is important to look at historical events from all angles by using primary and...
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What is an American?
Students create a collage in groups that illustrates what it means to be an American. In this being American lesson plan, students compare different kinds of families and present their collage and describe what it means to be an American.
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At the Crossroads
Third graders explore where South Africa is and then research details about the country to fully assess the background to the book, "At the Crossroads." They receive a map of Africa and color in the country of South Africa and list five...
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Examining the Ties Between Abolitionism and the Women's Rights Movement
Students examine the historical link between the abolition and women's movements. After a brief introduction and mini-lecture, students work in pairs or small groups to complete a web quest to answer instructor provided questions...
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Four Contemporary Mexican and Chicano Plays-An Analysis
Students read use their five senses to discover Chicano plays.