Curated OER
Community Gardens and Propaganda Posters
Students research community gardens. In this community garden lesson, students discover the history of community gardens and assess the benefits of locally grown food. Students create propaganda posters aimed at inviting discussions...
Curated OER
Has the Wall Truly Tumbled Down?
Students examine the events behind the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the continued struggles to truly unify the former East Germany and West Germany.
Curated OER
Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Ethic in Text and Film
Students discover how Shakespeare's play interprets Elizabethan attitudes toward revenge, as reflected in the structure of the Elizabethan revenge tragedy, one of the most popular forms of drama of that era. Students perform certain...
Curated OER
Exploring Russian Folktales
Students examine Russian Folktales. In this folklore lesson plan, students discuss the attributes of common folktales they know and then discover details regarding Russian folktales. Students read 3 folktales and then complete the...
Curated OER
Love, American Style
Students examine the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the world and create collages of visual representations of this phenomenon. Causes and effects of the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the...
Curated OER
Elements of a Mystery
Young scholars write mystery stories. In this writing lesson plan, students review the definition and components of a mystery. They look at a photo and write a mystery to explain the picture.
Curated OER
Tall Tales Today
Students explore the attributes of American tall tales. In this folklore instructional activity, students read several tall tales, describe the elements of tall tales, and then use hyperbole to write their own tall tales.
Curated OER
Writing Folktales
Students consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills lesson plan, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Students then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as types of...
Curated OER
The Lore o' the Irish
Young scholars examine the importance of folklore in Ireland and how that folklore reflects Irish culture. They first interpret various Irish folk tales, focusing on what about Irish culture can be better understood from these stories.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts
Pupils explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. In this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story and...
Curated OER
What's So Nice About Fairy Tales?
Seventh graders modernize a fairy tale, then compare their version with he original version and determine whether or not they've changed the author's original intent.
Curated OER
Legends and Lore
Students begin the lesson plan by responding in their journals regarding questions about their favorite fairy tales. They listen to a folk tale and answer questions based on the folk tale genre and then brainstorm aphorisms that convey...
Curated OER
Let's Watch a Story
Fourth graders watch a silent movie and identify the elements of a story. They complete a worksheet attached to the lesson and discuss their answers.
Curated OER
Rostislav & Julianna: A Modern-Day Interpretation of Romeo and Juliet
Students author and film their own adaptations of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In this multimedia skills lesson, students script a play that pits an Orthodox Christian family against a Muslim family. Students use GarageBand...
Curated OER
Comic and Film Strip Writing
Students write a funny story and illustrate it in a comic strip. In this comic strip instructional activity, students study comic strips and determine the plot of each story. Students then write a short story and illustrate it using a...
Curated OER
Counterterrorism 101
Students discuss the roles that morality and pragmatism play in war, and then create a timeline documenting Israel's evolving response to terrorism since 1948.
Curated OER
Tracking Down Meaning in Great Expectations
Fourth graders are assigned an unique theme, symbol, or character in Great Expectations. They becomes the class expert on that facet of the novel while learning the basic skills needed to write a research paper.
Curated OER
It's Your Opinion
Students view "Inkheart: Speak Your Mind" by Cornelia Funke. They read several letters to the editor of a local newspaper and underline the 'opinion' portions of the letters. They discover how a literary selection can expand personal...
Curated OER
Gender Roles in the Mid-Nineteenth CenturyWhat Fiction Tells Us
Students examine 19th century gender roles. In this gender roles lesson, students read "The Daughter-in-Law" and discuss their impressions of etiquette and gender roles in the 19th century. Students write etiquette guides that address...
Curated OER
Interpreting Christopher Columbus
Young scholars compare historical interpretations. In this research skills lesson, students use Internet and print resources to research the controversy regarding Christopher Columbus's work as an explorer. Young scholars use their...
Curated OER
Discovering the Oregon Trail
Students explore U.S. history by researching the Oregon Trail. In this American exploration lesson, students read the story On the Shore of the River and define the exact path early settlers took to find the state of Oregon. Students...
Curated OER
Growing Pains of the Yearling
Fourth graders read The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
Curated OER
Kissing Coyotes
Fourth graders are read the book "Kissing Coyotes". During the story, they make predictions about what they believe might happen next. After the story, they create their own story using their imagination and draw illustrations.
Curated OER
Gender Roles in the Mid-Nineteenth Century What Fiction Tells Us
Students read and discuss a book on etiquette. They create their own book of etiquette.