Lesson Plan
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Cooperative Jigsaw Expert Report of Fables

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research literary elements of fables. In this literature lesson, students analyze literary elements of fables. Students work collaboratively using a jigsaw strategy to analyze literary elements.
Lesson Plan
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I Hear Poetry

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students practice analysis of poetry by analyzing song lyrics using a worksheet to guide the analysis process. They work in small groups to assess the stylistic and literary devices used in the song lyrics then they find a published...
Unit Plan
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Teachers See the Truth but Wait: Teaching Short Stories with Literature Circles

For Teachers 9th
Students use literature circles to analyze four short stories from the Realms of Gold, Volume 3. In this literature circle lesson, students are assigned a role in the literature circle to improve their critical thinking skills for...
Lesson Plan
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Point of View and Mentor Relationships

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders  analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. For this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
Lesson Plan
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Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
Lesson Plan
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Protest Art in Pre-Revolutionary Russia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the social class conflicts that existed during the Russian Revolution by reading the short stories of Anton Chekov and Leo Tolstoy. They analyze the stories to find criticisms of pre-Revolutionary Russia before designing...
Lesson Plan
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Recognizing Similes: Fast as a Whip

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students review basic knowledge of similes and engage with similes on a more abstract level. In this similes instructional activity, students define similes and identify examples. Students read and analyze the similes used in poetry by...
Lesson Plan
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Character's Qualities

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders analyze the a character's qualities and the effects of these qualities on the plot and the resolution of the conflict in the story "The Pigman and Me." They develop a list of the qualities, discuss if these qualities were...
Lesson Plan
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"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read and analyze the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. They take notes while reading the story, select an element to analyze, and write an essay about the characters, theme, or the setting.
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Home Sweet Home

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students complete activities with the books Color Me Dark, The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, and The Great Migration North.  In this literature/History lesson, student read the story and discuss the plot. They analyze photographs taken...
Lesson Plan
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The Allegorical Jonathan Livingston Seagull

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students write and discuss the definition of an allegory. They read the story, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and analyze the style and allegorical elements within the story.
Lesson Plan
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Twelve Angry Men

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students assess their understanding of Twelve Angry Men. They create flashcards for vocabulary terms, summarize one of the acts, construct a diorama and complete character wheels. They choose from other activities including creating...
Lesson Plan
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Gettysburg: The Civil War's Costliest Battle

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. In this Gettysburg lesson, students analyze journals and letters written by the Gettysburg soldiers. Students define Civil War soldier vocabulary words. Students compare and...
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George Orwell's Essay on his Life in Burma: "Shooting an Elephant"

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students read George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" as an analysis for the historical context. In this historical analysis lesson, students analyze the main points in the essay to identify its cultural and historical context....
Lesson Plan
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A Sure Bet!

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders analyze Chekhov's "The Bet". They repsond to a journal quesiton and use examples from the novel. In groups, they take on different roles analyzing the novel and then write one of my prompts to complete the lesson.
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Inquiry Lesson

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the poetry of William Blake and the historical context that he presents. A story is analyzed and evaluated in order to solve a puzzle. The political commentary of the poetic piece is examined in this instructional activity.
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From Seeds to Plants

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders review the process of plant reproduction and the role of seeds in that process. The students dissect a seed, analyze their finds, collect and record data, and make predictions about seed germination and plant growth.
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Life in Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine significant ideas, beliefs and themes in US history. They identify causes and effects of historical events in the American Revolution. Evaluate critical issues and events. Analyze the views and lives of people of...
Lesson Plan
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Social Studies: Devastating Diseases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are able to critically read literature addressing historical data and answer relevant questions. They are able to formulate an opinion and support it using all knowledge documented and learned in this and previous lessons.
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Pair-Share: Constructing Paragraph Order

For Teachers 3rd - 11th
Students write with controlled and/or subtle organization. They identify the main idea and explicit details. Students analyze paragraph and essay structure. They utilize context clues to identify organization.
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Dragonwings

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the literature study of Dragonwings. They write about the story from the perspective of a reader that is well informed towards the last chapters. Students also find target vocabulary and...
Lesson Plan
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Reading the Movies: Another Approach To Teaching Critical Thinking Skills And Writing

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore the elements of film to analyze character, action, and the themes in the movie, "Quiz Show." The lesson encourages students to make personal connections and real life applications as they view the movie, critically.
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What is Manga?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars research graphic novels. For this manga lesson, students work in small groups as the read graphic novels in literature circle format.
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Personal or Social Tragedy? A Close Reading of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
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...