Curated OER
Modeling Reality
Students identify what a role model is and what characteristics such a person should possess. They discuss a new trend in character role model figurines, which some believe perpetuate racial and ethnic stereotypes.
Curated OER
Swinging with the Times
Students examine the many changes in the Tarzan character from Edgar Rice Burroughs' first novel to Disney's newest movie version to explain how student movies are often used to mirror and promote cultural attitudes and beliefs.
Curated OER
AND WE ALL SIT DOWN: STATUS IN KING LEAR
Young scholars participate in two simple status games to allow students to explore the relationships between Lear, his three daughters, and his court.
National First Ladies' Library
The Debate on Slavery
Young historians research the debate over slavery; some students take the pro-slavery side and others the anti-slavery side. They take the role of a character such as a plantation owner, a legislator, a free Black, a slave, or a northern...
Curated OER
Introducing the Narrative Account Web Page
Students complete a narrative writing assignment by critiquing a sample webpage. In this narrative writing instructional activity, students view the sample webpage and take notes. Students create a similar webpage that contains a...
Curated OER
Chinese Calligraphy
Young scholars explore Chinese calligraphy. In this art and social science lesson, students copy the Chinese character ideograms in order to create words or phrases.
Curated OER
George Washington & Civic Virtue: The Necessary Elements of the Republic
Students examine the character of George Washington. In this George Washington instructional activity, students read "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior," Washington's First Inaugural Address, and his Farewell Address....
Curated OER
The Civil Rights Movement
Students learn about the civil rights movement and create a timeline to understand events in chronological order. In this history lesson, students work in groups to choose one activist from the Civil Right era to research. Students then...
Curated OER
In the Pilot's Seat
Students examine a review of several of the new television series launching in the Fall 1999 season and interpret how a critic discusses the notion of 'repurposing' old shows. They work in small groups to create basic character sketches...
Curated OER
Fear and Loathing in Othello
High schoolers research the ideas that people had of African people during Shakespearean times and examine Othello's descriptions of himself as written by Shakespeare.
Curated OER
UN Conference on the Impact of Civil War on the Common Person
Students simulate understanding of conflict or civil war they researched, and role play character they developed at model UN conference on the impact of civil war on the common person.
Curated OER
Design a Book Cover
Students explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict for a book that they are reading. Sample book covers are provided and students apply what they have learned by designing a book cover.
Curated OER
Time, Talent, and Treasure
Students look at how time, talent, and treasure are parts of stewardship and philanthropy. For this stewardship and philanthropy lesson, students complete a Time/Talent/Treasure Survey before discussing the answers in a whole group...
Curated OER
Transforming Negatives to Positives
Students write diamonte poems that correspond to the double-exposed photograph they created. In this poetry and multimedia artwork lesson, students use the photographic process to create a double-exposed photo then create...
Curated OER
Gandhi's Life and Guiding Principles
Second graders investigate philosophy by researching the life of Mahatma Gandhi. In this biographical instructional activity, 2nd graders listen to a reading of the book "Gandhi" and make a character map of his actions, feelings...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: Chief Executives Compared: The Federalist Papers
Fix the Articles of Confederation or develop a new constitution? That was the question facing the Founding Fathers. Several of those in favor of a new constitution published a series of essays, collected in the Federalist...
Curated OER
Acting Out The Story, Jane And The Dragon
Third graders reflect on and discuss the story, Jane and the Dragon, and portray their understanding of stereotyping through the actions of their character. Through the use of legends, drama can be used to educate understanding for other...
Curated OER
African Power Figure Sculptures
Students develop character, write short narrative about how it got its powers, and create a clay figure using modeling and assembling techniques to explore the concepts relating their figure to the African power figures.
Curated OER
Celebrating Canada
Fourth graders investigate Canadians of diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. They describe the multicultural, multiracial and multi-ethnic character of Canadian society and take age-appropriate actions to demonstrate their ...
Curated OER
Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"
Fourth graders study Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." They explore the characters and the instruments that represent the characters. They create their own version of "Peter and the Wolf" for the purpose of introducing the...
Curated OER
Express Yourself!
Young scholars practice the strategy of reading fluently with expression with the story "Who took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?" They read and reread the story utilizing different strategies when stuck on a word. Students practice...
Curated OER
Bronte and Rhys' Portrayal of Bertha
Students, while reading and discussing the two texts by Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys, compare/contrast the two main characters and juxtapose them as the same character told from two different points of view. They gain insight of how to...
Curated OER
The Wind Blew
Students look at a picture book and observe what the facial expressions show. In this character's feelings lesson, students write what they think the character might be saying on each page and the punctuation they use. ...
Curated OER
Creating Characters
Students identify simple pictographs and ideographs from Chinese writing. They create their own images, and combine characters to communicate ideas to one another, introducing basic foundations of how elements of the Chinese writing...