Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz Scenes of the Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and connect themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. They compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Railroads and Settlement of the Great Plains

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Enhance your American literature unit with this resource, in which readers access the Nebraska Studies website and read about "Railroads and Settlement." They search for a photograph of some aspect of the railroad from the Prairie...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creation Stories

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and research American Indian creation stories as a way to understand the origins of American Literature. They conduct Internet research utilizing Internet search engines. They create an online report page as well as write...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The First Great Awakening

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Connecting social studies and American literature, learners study the Great Awakening and draw comparisons between its impact on England and on parts of Colonial America. They research the lives and experiences of people who lived during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under the Blood-Red Sun

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore U.S. history by reading an award winning book about World War II. In this Japanese internment camp lesson, 5th graders read the book Under the Blood-Red Sun and discuss the entrapment of Japanese-Americans on our...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese Internment--How Point of View Influences Attitude

For Teachers 11th
How does background and experience influence one's point of view? Dwight Okita's famous poem about the Japanese internment is the text used to explore this essential question. Class members study primary documents to gain the necessary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modern Minstrelsy: Exploring Racist Stereotypes in Literature and Life

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Satires may be designed to expose a bias to ridicule but if misunderstood can they reinforce that bias? Langston Hughes poem, “Minstrel Man” opens a discussion of racist stereotypes, the minstrel tradition, and the musical, “The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Dream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students define the American dream. For this primary research lesson, students search the Library of Congress digital collections for primary sources regarding the ideal of the American dream.  Students create presentation to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Voice of Dreams

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore, analyze and study novel reflections on the American dream that the United States has held the promise of unlimited possibilities. They describe the concept of the American dream, listen to and record real stories of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Willie and Friends: Overcomers in the Land Stories by Faith Ringgold

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students use puppets and plays to examine the role of African Americans throughout history. After being read a story by a puppet, they respond to each one in writing. Individually, they write a story about a place they have wanted to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latin Culture Through Art and Literature

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders participate in a lecture on the history of Latin Americans and the role of Latin-American women writers. As a class, they read a story together and identify what lessons the narrator gained throughout the story. In...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American and Colonial Literature Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare the tone, purpose, point of view, etc. of traditional Native American poems and creation myths to traditional Colonial American literature. they debate which is the right way of thinking/living.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Post- Modernism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners participate in a lesson that investigates post-modernism in American literature. They conduct the lesson with the help of reading "America" by Ginsberg to create context. Then students define the genre and the culture that has...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Literature: An Oblique Introduction

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research journals and periodicals of different accounts of Columbus and Latin America. They examine indigenous civilizations and design their own curriculum based on the information they have gathered.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Struggle for Equality

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read and discuss a selection of news clippings, sermons, and narratives that depict the continued struggle for equality and mistreatment of African American citizens. They present a "60 Minutes"-style news program with the...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Mood and Tone at Owl Creek Bridge: Mood and Tone

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Two versions of movie trailers for the film Mary Poppins launch a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious lesson about how mood and tone impact a reader's experience of work. Using the provided list, readers identify the words that create the...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Character vs. Society in The Invisible Man

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is difficult to read and difficult to teach. The novel is so highly regarded that it is one of most often listed as an option for the AP Literature and Composition exam. The materials in this packet from PBS...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements of African Oral Literature

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the importance of family history.  In this Language Arts instructional activity, 9th graders read and discuss African oral literature with a focus on the roles of griots.  Students compare /contrast the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Russian Literature: Leo Tolstoy

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders research the life and literature of Leo Tolstoy. Through reading and research, 10th graders identify key events in the author's life. They explore the major themes of his writing and complete a research project. Reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twain: An American Humorist

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine American humor and character through analysis of works by Mark Twain. For this cross curricular lesson, students develop a definition of American humor and determine how and why some consider Twain the 'first truly...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organizaton of American States Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners discover the Organization of American States by researching currents issues in those countries. They create a PowerPoint presentation and share with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Plains Native Americans

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students read The Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble and explore several aspects of Plains Indians cultures. They view historical photos of items from Plains cultures, reference maps and complete worksheets in small groups.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II: Japanese-American Internment

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read "The Bracelet" by Yoshiko Uchida and use it as a catalyst to discuss the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. They debate the morality of the internment, create Venn diagrams and chart important events...

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