Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nature Walk: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 2)
Walking in nature is the theme of a unit designed to support English language development lessons. Scholars look, write, speak, and move to explore topics such as camping, woodland animals, instruments, bodies of water, things found at a...
Curated OER
Cinderella
Explore positive and negative character traits and universal themes in the story of Cinderella with primary learners. Story elements are reviewed and discussion questions are listed. Learners practice retelling the story and begin a...
K20 LEARN
It’s Never Too Late to Apologize: Character Development and Theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”
Sometimes saying I'm sorry just doesn't cut it. Scholars examine a series of apology poems, songs, and stories and consider each speaker's regrets. Using what they have learned, they analyze James Hurst's short story, "The Scarlet Ibis,"...
Curated OER
Abigail in Mourning
People deal with grief in different ways. The series of Abigail Adams' letters in this lesson reveals how she dealt with losing her mother, father, and community members. The included worksheet helps young scholars identify the tone and...
Curated OER
Cinderella Is A Fella
Second graders identify the universal theme in the Cinderella story. In this fairy tale activity, 2nd graders develop their vocabularies as they read a variation of Cinderella.
Curated OER
Concern + Action = Clean Air Solutions
Learners participate in a service project about improving air quality. In this air quality instructional activity, students understand the problems and solutions for improvement of air quality issues. Learners discuss and choose an air...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Mark Twain's The Prince and The Pauper
Imagine how the world would be different if all diplomats' children were required to serve in the military. Or if all high school graduates were required to do two years of community service before post-secondary education. A 30-page...
Penguin Books
Wonder in the Classroom
Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind? A novel unit based on R.J. Palacio's Wonder focuses on the need to be kind to others and to accept their differences. As learners read the book, they discuss the themes of family...
Curated OER
Design A Community Program
High schoolers take community action. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students consider issues in their community and collaborate in small groups to rank the issues identified. High schoolers read Brandy Cake and reflect on...
Curated OER
Altruism: Meeting Society's Needs
Students study society's needs and altruism within communities. In this altruism lesson, students identify and categorize the basic needs that human beings have and define altruism. Students complete research on altruistic organizations...
Curated OER
Preparing the Soil
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read Seedfolks and discuss the characters in the story and consider their actions that led to a community garden. Students journal about their...
Curated OER
A Voice for Hard Issues
Ouch! The final lesson in the 12-resource poetry unit models for young writers how poems can be used to voice hard truths.
University of Kansas
Newspaper in the Classroom
Newspapers aren't only for reading—they're for learning skills, too! A journalism unit provides three lessons each for primary, intermediate, and secondary grades. Lessons include objectives, materials, vocabulary, and procedure, and...
Teaching Tolerance
Listen Up! PSA for Change
Challenge scholars to speak up about a topic by creating a public service announcement or social media blitz about an issue they feel passionate about. Have them research their issues, then decide the best way to take their messages to...
Curated OER
Why I Serve
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students consider and share the importance of volunteering. Students participate in a service learning project and reflect on it.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome
Is it possible to have too much concern for others? Can we be trapped by our expectations as well as those of society? Edith Wharton's chilling tale of Ethan Frome asks these and other disquieting questions. Signet's guide to Ethan Frome...
Curated OER
Different! Diverse! Dynamic! Lesson 2: Teaching Peace Through Literature And Song
Students investigate bullying and discrimination and draw pictures of a personal response to being bullied. They read Thank You, Mr. Falkner by Patricia Polacco, to determine the philosophic act that the main character performs. They...
Learning to Give
Africa - The Great Southland
Applying the five themes of geography, preteen explorers develop a visual aid for younger learners in celebration African American History Month. They investigate the political, geographic, economic, and social aspects of the continent...
Curated OER
Roll the Tape! Roll the Tape!
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students use iMovie to create a video highlighting their middle school in order to share with incoming students.
Curated OER
Preparing the Soil
Students explore philanthropy through literature. In this service learning lesson, students consider character traits as they read Seedfolks. Students record their notes regarding the characters in the story of a community garden in...
Curated OER
Evergreen's Green Team Energy Audit
Middle schoolers investigate the ways energy is used at their school and how it can be changed. For this energy lesson, students participate in a service project related to energy. Middle schoolers record and calculate changes that...
Curated OER
Personal Responsibility
Young scholars write in their journals. For this writing and responsibility lesson, students write about personal responsibility. They have three writing choices to choose from that all deal with this central theme.
Curated OER
Towards Separation of Church and State in Gloucester
Explore New England government in the 1700's with your class. They will identify historical documents as primary or secondary sources, then read and discuss the significance of these documents as they relate to the "freedom of religion"...
Curated OER
Look at Philanthropy in Children's Literature
Students listen to stories about different philanthropic acts. They work together in groups to create a list of the needs of their community. They chose a service project which could be completed by their class.