Curated OER
Early Industrialization
Eighth graders analyze primary source documents emphasizing young people in factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860). They study hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. They write a poem or song.
Curated OER
Emily Dickinson Poetry
Students identify a poem by Emily Dickinson for analysis. They apply a set of critical questions to a poem in order to interpret poem and find literary elements used by author. They organize information for a PowerPoint presentation...
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John Lennon’s Imagine and the Vietnam War in the 1970’s
Students analyze the song Imagine. In this Vietnam era lesson plan, students listen to and analyze the intention and meaning of Lennon's song "Imagine." They discuss what they think Lennon meant and how the song interplays with their own...
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Robin Hood
Fourth graders read and analyze the novel, Robin Hood. They create a vocabulary word map, complete a Venn diagram comparing Robin Hood and Little John, act out a chapter, create a wedding announcement, and write a new epitaph for Robin...
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Native American Heritage Month
An exploration of Native American culture can lead to art, literature, and poetry activities.
Curated OER
The Coffee House
Students study and write poetry. In this poetry project, students read, analyze, and produce poetry. Students examine and analyze fifteen poems and at the culmination of the unit, perform one of their poems for an audience.
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“Home on the Range”
Fourth graders analyze the song "Home on the Range" and identify its meaning and setting. In this timeline and retelling lesson, 4th graders use dictionaries to find definitions of unfamiliar words, create a timeline and retell the...
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Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
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Story vs. Plot
Students, after reading and discussing the two texts by Flannery O'Connor, "Good Country People" and "Greenleaf," analyze the plot, tone, characters, themes and setting in each story. They write their own short stories dealing with a...
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PowerPoint Short Story Report
Students make a Microsoft PowerPoint report from a short story read in class. They summarize and paraphrase a short story identifying the six story elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, solution, tone/mood.
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Cluing into Symbols Robert Frost
Students use the Internet and video to discover how find evidence in poetry in order to discover the theme(s) of the poems. They are able to define poetic devices like simile, metaphor and repetition. Students identify themes in...
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Resources for Teaching Women Writers
Twelfth graders explore, discuss and experience a wide variety of texts from around the world written by women. They analyze the different genres covered and view a lot of unique point of views from different female perspectives. Topics...
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Finding Our Bonds: King Day
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students experience literature and participate in a simulation that examines discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes.
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Poetry-The Essence of Life
Students analyze and appreciate various types of poetry. In this poetry unit, students read classic and contemporary works to discover ways in which poetry expresses strong feelings. Students identify key vocabulary used to analyze...
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The Great Gatsby
Students participate in a reader's theater, adapting scenes from The Great Gatsby. In this reading comprehension lesson, students interpret a given scene from The Great Gatsby in a readers' theater. Students analyze the scene...
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Diversity: Origin Myths
Fifth graders analyze origin myths and the diversity of First Nations groups. In this history lesson, 5th graders review the geography of Canada and read various origin myths. Students illustrate one of the myths and research...
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Develop An Individual Career Plan
Students research, investigate and develop an individual career plan. They analyze all their career options and goals. Each student fine tunes their interviewing and written skills as they prepare to seek certain jobs out in the work force.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Folklore in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
Learners define folklore, folk groups, tradition, and oral narrative. They identify traditional elements in Their Eyes Were Watching God Analyze and understand the role of traditional folkways and folk speech in the overall literary...
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How Fast Is Your Car?
Eighth graders discover the relationship between speed, distance, and time. They calculate speed and represent their data graphically. They, in groups, design a ramp for their matchbox car. The goal is to see who's ramp produces the...
Curated OER
Cyrano de Bergerac Nose His Terms
Students use the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" to identify and analyze drama vocabulary, literary terms and elements of fiction. They write an original version of scenes from the play and develop a character analysis for the lead.
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The Notorious Hope Diamond: What Makes an American Legend?
Students view and discuss a video on the legend of the Hope Diamond then compare and contrast other tales such as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed. They analyze basic characteristics of these legends then use descriptive...
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Journeying to Jo'Burg and Beyond
Students read and analyze the novel, "Journey to Jo'burg " by Beverly Naidoo to assess a deeper insight to the history of South Africa and how it has impacted world events today. As they think more on a global level, they begin to...
Curated OER
Using a Mentor Text to Develop a New Style of Writing
Students examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.
Curated OER
Trash or Treasure?
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students pull together to clean up a community park and reflect on the experience through literature.