Curated OER
Progressive Era - Muckraking
Students discuss muckraking and societal changes. In this progressive era instructional activity, students review photographs and read excerpts from The Jungle. Students select a task of their choice, sorting events into categories,...
Curated OER
Weekend by Fay Weldon Reading Guide
In this literature instructional activity, learners first read the short story Weekend by Fay Weldon. Students complete all or some of the comprehension activities on ten pages of worksheets that pertain to this story. The entire text is...
Curated OER
A Close Look at Mexico
Students study the diverse population of Mexico and compare it to that of the United States. They sing traditional songs of Mexico including the national anthem and memorize simple Spanish vocabulary and express greetings, age, likes,...
Curated OER
Amazing Autobiographies
Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience. They apply knowledge of language structure,...
Curated OER
Puppetmania: Using Puppets in the Classroom
Students create puppets to teach concepts such as history and weather. In this Puppetmania lesson plan, students manipulate their puppets to show a range of emotions, facial expressions, and actions. Students design puppets and learn...
Curated OER
"Little" Brothers Share Big Bond
Students listen to the story Little Brothers Share Big Bond and answer comprehension questions. In this lesson plan on acceptance, students use various areas of reading (vocabulary, fluency, comprehension) to promote compassion and an...
Curated OER
Making Good Decisions
Students examine the "Little Planet Times" and discuss how to solve the town's problem. For this literature/problem solving lesson, students record the opinion of each of the council members and role play their position. Students...
Curated OER
Story Writing
High schoolers master their compare and contrast writing skills by choosing an American cultural element (fashion, food, religion, etc.) and comparing it to the same element of another culture.
Curated OER
Margaret Mead: Anthropologist
Sixth graders examine the life, travels, and cultural experiences of Margaret Mead. They participate in group work and inquiry activities about the qualities that Margaret Mead possessed and the places she traveled to. They distinguish...
Curated OER
Looking Through Lenses
Young scholars explore the various societal and cultural "lenses" which color their perspectives and life experiences by reading the short story "What Means Switch" by Gish Jen. They discuss how the cultural ideas and beliefs affect the...
Curated OER
Sequencing a Chinese Folktale
Students sequence the events of the popular Chinese folktale "The Terrible Nung Gwama" using a graphic organizer. This lesson takes 45-minutes and includes two possible enrichment activities.
Curated OER
Garden For Life
Students are read a story about a girl their age helping others. They discover they can have a positive impact on others. They decide on a project related to literature that benefits the school or community.
Curated OER
Defining Culture
Second graders define the term culture and are exposed to a variety of cultures from around the world. They read books, play Native American games, develop a class book that examines their own culture and, after examining currencies from...
Curated OER
Unconditional Kindness
Students express their feelings about their neighbors and how to be kind to others. Teacher and students discuss the meaning of philanthropy and how they can be kind to others. After reading a particular trade book, students are assessed...
Curated OER
Cooperative Conjectures
Students compare and contrast how animals have coexisted with humans. They also identify industrial changes and how animals were affected. They use the internet to research information and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Historical Population Changes in the US
Students conduct research on historical population changes in the U.S. They conduct Internet research on the Historical Census Data Browser, create a bar graph and data table using a spreadsheet program, and display and interpret their...
Curated OER
ESL: Punctuating Titles
When are titles underlined, italicized, or placed in quotation marks? Take your class to the computer lab to give them some independent practice. Here they read through the information, examples, and explanations provided. They then...
Curated OER
Simile Stories
Fourth graders view song lyrics and identify similes in the song text. In this similes instructional activity, 4th graders define and identify similes on a worksheet. Students write their own similes using various adjectives.
Curated OER
Using Reader's Theater in the Classroom
Here are some suggestions for using Reader's Theater in the classroom.
Curated OER
How Fast Does This Tree Grow?
Middle schoolers work together to determine how fast trees go. They make predictions and complete simple measurements. They answer questions to end the activity.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Coming of Age Novels
Come and check out this site featuring a list of appropriate young adult novels. This list includes the title of each book and a brief description.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Common Themes
This slideshow tutorial focuses on theme. It defines the term and then explains each of 10 common themes in literature and provides examples: good vs. evil, the journey, coming of age, the role of fate, sacrifice, overcoming adversity,...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: A Death in the Family
Created in association with the Masterpiece Theatre film version of "A Death in the Family," this teacher's guide provides materials for the study of the film or the book. Students will study the life and work of James Agee, determine...
Other
Chaim Potok: Maps of Meaning
Read about a speech, given by Chaim Potok, at Seattle Pacific University, in which Potok discusses his novels and their cultural and religious messages. "A Conversation with Chaim Potok," includes Potok's responses to several questions...