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A Soldier's View of the American Civil War
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing instructional activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The instructional activity...
9/11 Memorial & Museum
Exploring Afghani Culture through Literature
Hosseini Khaled's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are the anchor texts in a semester-long course that explores Afghani culture and traditions.
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"Some Excellent Dumb Discourse:" Caliban as native American
Explore The Tempest and how language and power are intertwined in the play. Through a series of questions (provided) and an intense activity that has groups translate Caliban's speech into American Sign Language, learners recognize...
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Creation Stories
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...
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Students write a paper in which they analyze a quotation or symbol from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In this American literature activity, students choose a famous quotation or symbol from the novel and analyze the...
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Unit on Henry David Thoreau
Learners investigate the writings of Thoreau in order to better comprehend his impact on American Literature and unique writing style. Working to evaluate the different pieces of writing, they read the essays in order to create their own...
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Native American Culture: The Light in the Forest
Seventh graders read the novel, The Light in the Forest. They work in groups to research and create artifacts for a Native American Living Museum. They complete a Powerpoint presentation of their virtual museum to classmates.
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Cowboys
Young scholars analyze cowboy literature. In this United States history and literacy lesson, students listen to a variety of cowboy songs and poetry, view the video "Rediscovering America: The Real American Cowboy," and view related...
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Literature and Telecommunications
Students read a novel and write short journal entries about the characters, setting and interesting facts. Using email, they share their responses to the novel with other students at a different school. Student also create slide shows...
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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Propaganda of War
Students examine examples of war propaganda. For this historical literature lesson, students research the elements of propaganda in relation to various wars of the past. They discuss different types of propaganda, and the...
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The Perfect Man: Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
Eleventh graders study the characteristics of an autobiography. They read from the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and discuss and write an essay regarding some of his quotes.
Japan Society
Changing Times, Changing Styles: New Japanese Literary Styles of the Late Nineteenth Century
Focusing on Doppo's "Unforgettable People" and late nineteenth century Japanese literature, this resource also leads to discussions of form being dictated by content. Explore the development of new literary styles first-hand by...
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Figuring Somepin 'Bout the Great Depression
Students conduct research from primary and secondary resources in order to help with comprehension of the time period of The Great Depression in American History. The examination of literature is also used in this lesson.
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The Legacy of Emerson and Thoreau
Eleventh graders are introduced to Transcendentalism through the writing of Emerson and Thoreau. They keep a journal in which they respond to quotes and prompts. Students write longer essays on conformity, being alone and a "field...
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Jamestown
Fifth graders read literature that explains several reasons the Virginia Company was established. In this history instructional activity, 5th graders use different learning styles; interpersonal, artistic, logical, visual, and auditory...
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Out of the Dust: Visions of Dust Bowl History Lesson Overview
Learners complete activities with the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. In this literature lesson, students read this story and view the Dust Bowl history from the eyes of a child. They discover the Great Depression and life in...
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The Roaring Twenties
In this Roaring Twenties Era worksheet, students review a chapter as they identify 5 vocabulary terms or individuals quotes, eliminate 4 false statements, and identify 2 themes from the era of great change in the United States.
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Living Thoreau As A Means Of Approaching Walden
High schoolers investigate the essays and life of Thoreau in order to appreciate his point of view and understand his way of thinking. They participate in various activities and writing assignments to gain a similar perspective. Students...
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The Witch of Goingsnake
Students interpret a proverb and read examples of oral histories. In this The Witch of Goingsnake lesson, students read two samples of oral history and discuss quotations from each. Students read "Calf Roper's Bandit Car" and...
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My Secret War: Lesson 12
Fifth graders explore how the war affected American children. In this social studies lesson, 5th graders discuss how quotes made people feel about the war effort. Students write reflections on their reading.
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Personal or Social Tragedy? A Close Reading of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome
Students complete close reading activities to analyze Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. In this literary analysis lesson, students analyze key quotations from Ethan Frome and respond to contemporary reviews of the text. Students use textual...
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Woody Guthrie and The Grapes of Wrath
Students examine American idealism. In this literature and music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of Woody Guthrie songs as well as the themes of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Students examine parallels between the characters in the...
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A View of Yourself Through Famous Writers
Students research famous quotes and discover one that describes themselves. They consider topics such as family and hobbies that will help others understand them. They present their information to the class.