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Act It Out!
An effective way to demonstrate understanding is by synthesizing one's own work. Use a creative lesson designed for a unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for small groups to show what they know about the play, its themes and...
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Lesson Plans on the Intersection of History and Literature
Finding out about "the story behind the story" can provide a greater understanding of literature and its historical and social context.
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"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe
Students 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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"Julie of the Wolves"
Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...
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Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
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China Rocks! Chinese Calligraphy on Stone
Students explore the art of calligraphy through writing Chinese characters. They view a Power Point as an introduction to Chinese calligraphy and practice writing Chinese characters. In groups, they visit centers to explore the history...
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Connecting Past and Present...Virtues of Military Veterans
Middle schoolers explore personalities of those who served as medical personnel in American Civil War, compare qualities those troops possessed to qualities shown by troops currently serving in Armed Forces, and express appreciation to...
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Dr. Seuss Diaries
Students find a Dr. Seuss quote or saying from a selected book and relate it to their own life experience by using the quote in a short story. They choose a Dr. Seuss book from a pre-selected group or from the school library. Students...
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Chaucer's Wife of Bath
Students analyze Chaucer's portrayal of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales. Students prepare class reports on the institution of marriage and the place of women in the Medieval society.
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Create an American Dreams Talk Show!
Students create an imaginary American Dreams talk show using some of the program characters. The purpose of the activity is to help students develop develop an understanding of, characterize.
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Where the Red Fern Grows: A 4th Grade Literary Focus Unit
Fourth graders explore the human and animal connection along with the idea that death is a part of the life cycle. They read "Where the Red Fern Grows." Students examine the feelings and emotions surrounding death and they discover the...
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The Three Little Pigs
Students listen two versions of the story of The Three Little Pigs in order to clarify the concept of point of view. They complete a Venn diagram and write a postcard to one of the book's characters using their point of view.
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Diversity - Grade 8
Eighth graders consider the diversity of the First Nations cultures in Canada. In this cultural diversity lesson plan, 8th graders research the cultural groups of the First Nations as well as their contributions to Canadian society....
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Fables Unit Lesson Plan
Students study fables in a broad context. In this literary lesson on fables, students define terms unique to them. Students use a variety of technological resources to gather and classify information into three categories. Students also...
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The Lorax and Forest Park
Students read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and identify situations where there is a risk to the community. During a class discussion, students predict types of liter they will find in a park. Students take a field trip to the park to collect...
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What is the Population Distribution of Cartoon Characters Living On the Pages of Your Newspaper?
Students read various cartoons in their local newspaper and calculate the population demographics, spatial distribution and grouping of the characters. Using this information, they create a population distribution map and share them with...
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Identity in A Raisin in the Sun
Ninth graders read the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," and participate in a class discussion about "identity." They discuss racial identity and examine and interpret how community influences a personal identity. They demonstrate how...
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Understanding the Great Depression Through Film
Eleventh graders consider the role that government should play in economics. In this Great Depression lesson, 11th graders watch the film Cinderella Man and then complete a packet of worksheets to help them analyze the themes of the film...
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Mr. Peabody's Apples
Students read Mr. Peabody's Apples. For this reading lesson, students complete pre-and post-reading activities to improve comprehension skills. Students role play scenes from the story to analyze.
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Emma - Essay Questions
In this literature instructional activity, students respond to 25 short answer and essay questions about Jane Austen's Emma. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
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3-D Ribbon Letters - Pencil Shading
Students examine the art of Edward Ruscha and make a three-dimensional model of a single word. They explore shading and value, and create a drawing of the model. They render ribbon strip letters in varied values to show 3-D quality.
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Coney Island: The Great Escape
Students use primary documents and film to explore the role of Coney Island recreation for New Yorker's at the beginning of the 20th century. They compare the lives of the people in their research to their own.
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The Khmer Rouge
Students examine life in Cambodia and Vietnam from 1975-1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. They discuss how an otherwise peaceful society could allow such events to take place and write a short paper and complete a culminating project.
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Guy Fawkes
High schoolers read about Guy Fawkes who tried to destory the British parliament buidling in 1605. They answer questions about his biography.