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Chaucer's Wife of Bath
A thorough and well-designed resource for older students, this instructional activity focuses on Chaucer's character the Wife of Bath from his classic novel, The Canterbury Tales. As a way of understanding Chaucer's complex...
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Cheerful Hearts and Willing Feet
Students explore characterization in Little Women. In this literature lesson, students participate in written analysis and research in order to explore Alcott's characterization in the novel.
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Analyzing Poetry with TPCASTT
Middle schoolers read a poem and complete a TPCASTT chart. They make a prediction about the title (T) , paraphrase each line (P), identify poetic devices and nuances (C-connotation), explore mood and tone (A-attitude), point out shifts...
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Immigration Unit
Third graders develop an appreciate for the various cultures that are present in their local community. Through reading and research, they explain how various culture came to live in their area. At the conclusion of the unit, 3rd...
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History: An African American Cultural Celebration
Students prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...
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Young Engineers: Understanding Engineering Through Cooking
Second graders explore different engineering careers. In this math lesson, 2nd graders create a winning cooking recipe. They role play a mock cookie sale during the culminating event.
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Lon Chaney: Three Faces of Lon Chaney
Students watch the Lon Chaney episode of American Masters, read chapters from three original books on which Chaney's films were based, and use a reading strategy called Reader's Theater to adapt each chapter into a script. After...
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Language Arts: Digital Commercials
Students create commercials using a digital camera. After brainstorming their ideas, they spend three days writing their commercials. Students practice and edit their commercials and then present them for review.
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Exploring Women's History
High schoolers read and analyze Jessie Benton Fremont's travelogue of her trip out west in 1849 to identify the gender roles, social attitudes and class distinctions of the time. They then adapt the the travelogue into a film script.
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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...
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Fueling Around with Energy: A Comparative Study of Conventional and Renewable Energy Use Among Nations
Students compare and contrast renewable and conventional energy sources. In this energy lesson, students research about conventional fuel and present a persuasive argument about their stand on the issue.
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A Little Mystery and Intrigue in Writing Short Detective Stories
Students read and analyze the twelve short stories in the novel "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." They create their own detective that has to solve a new kind of crime, and write and edit a short story with their original detective as...
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Digital Storytelling: At-Risk Students Find Their Voices
High schoolers use digital cameras and software to create a digital story which consists of a series of digital images paired with a narrarated soundtrack. They focus on relevant images and a presecribed sequence of steps to provide a...
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Writing the Mystery with a Purpose
Students present the outline of the mystery story they are writing while working in reciprocal teaching groups. They respond to group members writing before they continue to finish revisions.
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African-American Art and the Political Dissent during the Harlem Renaissance
Students are introduced to the culture of African American art. Using the internet, they research the events surrounding the Harlem Renaissance and discover how it produced a wide variety of art and literature. To end the lesson, by...
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Snowman in Winter Sequence Writing
Students develop a creative snowman using step-by-step stickers. They write a short story about the snowman they have created, explaining the sequence they used to create their snowman. Students present their completed story in front of...
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Common Denominators between Primitive Art, Fine Art, Folk Art, Children's Art
Middle schoolers view and create art in several styles. They view African Masks, Picasso's portraits and self-portraits. They compare the two, then create a self portrait. In the second lesson, they view landscape paintings by folk...
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PowerPoint Presentation of Fudge Comic Strips
Fourth graders create comic strips for presentation to the class. They make drawings, record them digitally, transfer them to a KidPix program and then arrange them in a PowerPoint presentation in a comic strip format.
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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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So You Want To Be A...
Students listen to a book about careers and occupations before they research their own career choice using a variety of resources. They complete a KWL chart and Job Research worksheet and design a Career Character Poster that shows them...
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Stain Glass
Students study the history of stain glass. In this stain glass instructional activity, students select an art period and research the use of glass during that time. Students create a picture presentation of stained glass pictures from...
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The Aeneid Questions
In this literature comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer questions based on the poem "Aeneid," by Virgil.
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Because of Winn-Dixie
Students make connections with the book Because of Winn-Dixie through writing. In this writing lesson, students pretend to be the main character and write a letter to her mother, using very descriptive language. Students also write...
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Writing a Mystery Story
Students examine the elements of mystery stories and read Rage in Harlem. In reciprocal teaching groups, they discuss the author's development of the story, and complete dialectical journals.