National Endowment for the Humanities
Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Biographers
High schoolers research biographical facts about Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce and complete literary analysis activities. In this biographical lesson plan, students research basic biographical facts about Poe and Bierce. High...
Curated OER
Number the Stars, Lesson 11
Students analyze point of view in the novel Number the Stars. Their writing prompt is how would this chapter(11) be different if Peter were telling the story? Students create a class concept web about pride on the board.
Curated OER
Night of the Twisters Figurative Language
In this reading worksheet, students read and learn about writers' use of figurative language to create vivid pictures with words. Students are directed to specific pages in The Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman and answer 20 questions...
Curated OER
Cloze Instruction And Herringbone Technique
Students sort out important information and create a visual framework for reviewing in the future. They organize a large quantity of information thus helping with learning and remembering details, cause and effect, comparison and...
Curated OER
The Clock Tower on Grand Avenue: A Cultural Reading Adventure
Sixth graders read three novels to practice their reading and comprehension skills. Using each novel, they create a list of the characteristics of each culture represented. In groups, they also identify the setting, characters and plot...
Curated OER
Cooperative Classroom Text Features Activities
Fifth graders examine text features and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this text features lesson, 5th graders go over Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures and text features before they choose one to include in a book and...
Curated OER
Ancient Greece
Sixth graders examine the research that archaeologists have done on a Late Bronze Age shipwreck in order to work out the extent of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean during this period, with emphasis on the involvement of the Mycenaeans...
Curated OER
Dia de la Raza - What is El Dia de la Raza?
Students research and write about Christopher Columbus, his voyages, and his impact on the Native Americans. In this Christopher Columbus lesson, students work at stations where they learn vocabulary, perform Reader's Theatre, work with...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Responding to Emily Dickinson: Poetic Analysis
Learners explore Emily Dickinson's poem "Safe in Their Alabaster Chambers." In this Dickinson poem lesson, students analyze the poem as proof of Dickinson' awareness of her reader. Learners analyze her style and identify her editorial...
Curated OER
A River Runs Through It; Anticipation Guide
Students answer questions to consider before they read A River Runs Through It. In this anticipation guide lesson, students complete a worksheet responding to declarative statements and then discuss their responses in...
Curated OER
Measuring Scavenger Hunt
Students participate in a measuring scavenger hunt. Students choose items around the room to estimate and measure. Students try measuring with their hands and compare with other students who did the same. Students discuss why their...
Curated OER
Using Primary Source Documents in the Classroom
Students use primary documents to explore the past. They consider the source of the documents and identify and biases that the author may have held. They identify any questions about the historical event that may remain after reading the...
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
Pam Munoz Ryan Shares Writing Secrets
Learners conduct interviews. In this interviewing lesson plan, students read an interview of Pam Munoz Ryan to see where she got her ideas from in her story. They interview someone and create a scrapbook to show details of the...
Curated OER
Baseball Saved Us Teacher’s Guide
Students read the book "Baseball Saved Us" and respond to the story through writing activities. In this reading activity, students create a chart of events which they predict will take place in the story. Students then use their...
Curated OER
Information Extra
Students create a paragraph about a subject of their chosing that is informative. In this paragraph writing lesson, students use graphic organizers and work together in groups to create a full, organized...
Curated OER
Dem Bones, Dem Bones are Going to Walk Around: The Human Body
Young scholars explore human anatomy by creating a science book in class. In this skeletal structure lesson, students identify the different body systems such as muscular, nervous, skeletal, and digestive. Young scholars create a picture...
Curated OER
Our Green City
Students practice beginning reading while exploring an environmental theme. In this our green city lesson, students create their own published books, examine phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Comparing Key Ideas and Details in Fiction and Nonfiction
Students recognize the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts. In this genre study instructional activity, students discuss what nonfiction means and write the definition. Students listen to a read aloud and vote whether the...
Curated OER
Internet Seek and Find
Ask your students to explain how to successfully find information on the Internet, focusing on how to select the keywords that lead to the best information on a topic and by navigating and evaluating a number of Internet search engines....
Curated OER
1984
Young scholars read 1984, noting the potential dangers of government. They keep private diaries to parctice freedom of expression. They create political cartoons for a secret publication and design posters and T-shirts with warnings on...
Curated OER
Roll the Dice
Learners practice recognizing and blending letters together to create new and unique words in the process of decoding text. They play a game where they roll dice to help blend a variety of words together and create new ones to analyze...
Curated OER
Yes, There Really Was a Santa!
Third graders read a selection concerning Santa Claus and the orgin of the Jolly Old Elf in the United States. They also create their own version of a new and modern Santa Claus that remain in the American culture.
Curated OER
Christmas Tree Shaped Poems
Students think about ways in which they can spread joy during the holiday season. They create poems in the shape of a Christmas tree. Pupils use formatting tools in Microsoft Word to format the text of the poem. Students discuss ways...