Curated OER
Talk About the Passion
Students think critically about artistic freedom and evaluate the aims and effectiveness of censorship and education. They begin an investigation of the ongoing controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" by reading "New...
Curated OER
Determining Importance
Middle schoolers observe pieces of art and look for the principle story the artwork portrays. They compare the techniques artists and authors use to focus on and support these essential stories. They create a piece of art that portrays a...
Curated OER
Pearl S. Buck: "On Discovering America"
Students describe myths and realities of immigration. In this "On Discovering America" instructional activity, students compare and contrast the American view of immigrants in the 1930s and how the media portrayed immigrants in the 1930s...
National First Ladies' Library
Will the Real Pocahontas Please Stand Up?
Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...
Curated OER
Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Coahuiltecans
Seventh graders examine Cabeza de Vaca's journal and differentiate between primary and secondary sources. They, in groups, design posters that portray the culture of the Coahuiltecan Indians in Texas during the 16th century.
Curated OER
Picturing History
Students consider the value of a photograph and the circumstances under which photographs are taken, research the importance of a particular photograph. They create original photographs that illustrate the emotions, events or ideas...
Curated OER
Revision Activities
In this revision activities worksheet, students plot the development of tension throughout the book, answer seven questions about plot, analyze characters and theme, and discuss the writing style of the author. Students answer ten short...
Curated OER
About Life: The Photographs of Dorthea Lange - Images of Children in Dorothea Lange's Photographs
Students examine how visual artists tell stories with their work. In this visual art lesson, students study two of Dorothea Lange's photographs to find elements of art and narrative content, use descriptive language when discussing...
Curated OER
Reflections and Revisions
Pupils reflect upon and express affective and cognitive learning experience as a result of a direct service experience. In this service learning activity, students examine and analyze symbolism portrayed in literature and its...
Curated OER
Early European Explorers
Fifth graders complete a variety of activities surrounding European exploration of the New World. They research one explorer and write and present an essay or script in which they portray that explorer as he makes his final report to his...
Curated OER
Better Biographies Book Reports
In this literature and literacy worksheet, students follow directions for writing a book report based on a biography. They fill in the title, author, illustrator, and publisher before listing the character traits of the person they read...
Curated OER
Mad About Mysteries Book Report
In this literature worksheet, students follow the directions to write a review of a mystery. They note the title, author, illustrator, and publisher before examining the characters and clues. They point out passage that show suspense,...
Curated OER
Perspective
Students explore the writing trait of voice. In this writing skills lesson plan, students read No, David! and discuss the author's use of voice. Students write a class version of the story called Yes, David! that incorporates an...
Curated OER
James Whitcomb Riley
Students describe James Whitcomb Riley's poems and identify the themes they portray. In this poetry lesson plan, students read the history of James Whitcomb Riley and read some of his poems.
Curated OER
Discovering Aristotle's Three Forms
Students, working in small groups, role play different kinds of governments--oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, and democratic republic. They portray their form of government in a skit, while other groups guess which kind of government...
Curated OER
Setting the Stage from the Page
Students examine the differences between the portrayal of characters in books and in motion pictures. Using the novel, The Kite Runner, students discuss the ways in which the characters can be interpreted. Students create original...
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
Louisa May Alcott: her life, her times and her literature
Learners explore one of America's favorite classic novels, 'Little Women'. They develop an interest in classics, study the author's life and discover which elements of her family history she incorporates into her work. They show how...
Curated OER
Book Review
Pupils write a five paragraph theme that explains how the novel which they read in this unit effectively utilized various literary elements to portray the impact of a disease on a population. They then decide which three literary...
Curated OER
Childhood Through the Looking-Glass
Students learn about Lewis Carroll and the vision of childhood he created in Alice in Wonderland, then compare Carroll's Victorian world of childhood with the world of "Innocence and Experience" portrayed by the Romantic poet William Blake.
Curated OER
What Makes Good Literary Writing?
Students conduct a literature study of John Steinbeck's classic "Of Mice And Men". They write in reflection of the author's influence upon 20th century literature. Students take apart the story to focus class discussion upon major themes...
Curated OER
Skellig
In this Skellig worksheet, students read to understand the works of David Almond and learn about his life. Students read eleven passages and then answer ten questions related to reading for meaning and understanding the author's craft.
Curated OER
Historical Fiction - Based on facts or purely fiction?
Students, after reading an Accelerated Reader historical fiction book, research the actual historical time period portrayed in the book. Then, working in a cooperative learning group, they create a HyperStudio presentation.
EngageNY
Applying Research Skills: “Rachel Carson: Environmentalist and Writer”
It's important to cite sources! Scholars take a closer look at their research about DDT by examining how to cite sources. Learners take turns sharing information that would be used to cite sources to complement Rachel Carson:...