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,...

Discover some of the themes of Dr. Seuss's major books. They see that despite being written for young people, Dr. Seuss' books contain powerful messages and important themes.

For Learners wanting to practice verbal/linguistic intelligence, any Dr. Seuss book is an excellent text for examining rhyming words. They explore words that rhyme with bully, mean, snooty, nasty, tease, harass, hurt.

After brainstorming the various aspects of cultural identity, class members interview each other, examine video clips, and read stories to discover how these aspects reveal one's cultural identity. Individuals then craft a quilt square...

Whether you're new to using Nineteen Eighty Four in the classroom or you're an Orwell veteran, the materials in this teacher's guide are a valuable addition to your curriculum. The suggested activities prompt readers to create a newspeak...

Is it hubris that drives the creative process? Is it the desire to be remembered long past death? An interactive asks readers of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" to consider what this wife and...

Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.

Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...

Students analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural attitudes...

Students explore Teaching the American Twenties, noting fashion, life styles, Hollywood, key authors, key people, and key events. They explore the sites and note what they can identify from the time period for this collection. They write...

Seventh graders explore The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. In this The New Colossus instructional activity, 7th graders read the poem and analyze its meaning. Students discuss what the poem means about American culture and why it was...

Students read the story "Night Golf" and respond to questions that enhance their comprehension of the book's message.  In this reading lesson, students participate in a literature circle to explore reading passages. Students ...

The crossroads, and the decisions made and entities met there, are a common theme in literature, pushing readers to examine the choices and encounters that shape life experience. The theme has also been explored in blues music, most...

First graders use literature, maps, and globes to explain how physical environments in various parts of the world are similar to and different from one's own, and that certain areas have common characteristics and can be called regions.

Students analyze various American History topics which concern human rights. They research the topics and analyze the sources for bias or stereotype. They decide and discuss whether or not any human right were violated in each...

Students read excerpts of autobiographies from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. After listening to excerpts of an oral reading of Frederick Douglass' book, they discuss the ways African Americans were treated on plantations. ...

Fifth graders describe the changes in King George III's policy toward the American colonies by sequencing key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. They explain the colonial reactions to command decisions...

Students examine the Declaration of Independence. In this colonial America instructional activity, students read literature regarding the document as well as excerpts of the document itself. Students also perform a Reader's Theatre...

Students examine characterization of African Americans in literature, popular culture, and opera. For this stereotypes lessons, students conduct research that requires them to analyze the origins and content of stereotypes perpetuated...

Students look at three different versions of the Cinderella story. In this comparative literature lesson, students read the Chinese version "Yeh-Shen", the Egyptian version "Rhodopis," and the Native American version "The Hidden One" of...