Curated OER
Writing Novelettes
Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette. In this creating writing lesson, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette. Students...
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Voyage
Students listen to N.C, Wyeth's Pilgrims and discuss what the Mayflower looked like. In this Mayflower lesson, students use sensory words to describe what it was like on the Mayflower. Students illustrate their vision of...
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Making Inferences about Problem and Solution
Students use unfamiliar objects to make inferences. In this making inferences lesson, students make guesses about what an item does. Students brainstorm together and make lists of ideas and write them on index cards. The teacher gives...
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Center Stage—Focus on Poverty
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students examine stereotypes and discrimination based on socio-economic status. Students prepare to work with people of diverse backgrounds in service...
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Figuring Out Food Labels
High schoolers identify various sources of nutritional information and evaluate accuracy of messages. They comprehend and identify misrepresentations in current food labeling. Pupils evaluate specific consumer products for truth in...
University of Virginia
It's Thanksgiving
Young scholars complete a variety of activities related to poems from the book "It's Thanksgiving" by Jack Prelutsky. They create a Thanksgiving turkey using construction paper, identify what they are grateful for, and create a Thank You...
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Explorers’ Experience
Students investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills lesson, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Students design and create relief maps that feature exploration...
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Rudolfo Anaya
Students read and analyze the Rudolfo Anaya novel Bless Me, Ultima. They discuss passages from the book, watch a video, view and analyze a mural of Mexican American artwork, and write a journal response.
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Thanksgiving Traditions
Everyone celebrates traditions in different ways. Young writers share the ways their families celebrate Thanksgiving with a journal writing prompt and discussion activity.
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Write Your Own Screen Play
Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...
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A Salute to American Symbols
Students explore American symbols. In this reading and social studies lesson, students read literature regarding American symbols and describe the significance of the symbols as they research them in groups.
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Elements of a Mystery
Students write mystery stories. In this writing lesson, students review the definition and components of a mystery. They look at a photo and write a mystery to explain the picture.
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African Country Study and PowerPoint Presentation
Students investigate the geography of Africa. In this African culture lesson, students research the lifestyles of African residents and create a PowerPoint presentation based on a single African country. Students share their...
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A Way with Words or Say What?
Students examine Shakespearean language. In this word study instructional activity, students investigate the meaning of words that Shakespeare invented. Students draw and pantomime with the words prior to writing short stories that...
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Fairy Tales
Sixth graders explore the elements of fairy tales. For this fairy tales lesson, 6th graders analyze several versions of Cinderella from around the world. Students graph fairy tale elements using Excel and create Venn diagrams comparing...
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Newspaper Poems
Ninth graders appreciate the value of words, review the parts of speech, create original poetry, shape the poem, and write an explanation of the images he/she has created.
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Reliving History Through Writing
Students read a first hand account of John F. Kennedy's assassination. They write an essay describing how a world or national event affected them.
Curated OER
FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS
Students explore the rhythm instruments as part of a rhythm band to accompany the well-known poem, "Five Little Pumpkins." They study instrument names, playing techniques, and playing at the appropriate time. They study how to perform a...
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Paris Peace Conference: Writing a Treaty to End World War I
How did World War I end? Tenth graders role play as experts from countries that were involved in World War I. They write a treaty to end the war and compare it to the Treaty of Versailles.
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Press Perception of Jack Johnson
Students role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.
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Spin Me a Story
Students examine the motif of spinning and weaving in myths and folktales. They read various myths, complete a WebQuest, develop a mind map of story elements, and write an original "spider" story.
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Hidden Children and the Holocaust: A Lesson and Pledge for Action
Students read various personal accounts of children during the Holocaust. Using special identification cards, they relate the Holocaust to historical events in their lifetimes. Examining primary source documents, they describe how they...
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Working with Shakespeare, the Poet and Dramatist
Students study the work of William Shakespeare. They survey the elements of comedy and tragedy and read plays and poems. They discuss the texts they read and recite poetry. They dramatize poems with movement and sounds and write poetry...
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Ethnic Humor
Students define ethnicity and ethnic group in their own words. In groups, they view comic strips and identify how the strips relate to their family life. Individually, they write their own comic strip about their own ethnic group. To...