Curated OER
Shakespeare: The Nature of Writing and the Writing of Nature
This lesson plan uses Shakespeare's writing as a model for elementary students, encouraging them use their imaginations to explore to the evocative powers of language. It gives them a manageable piece of text which they can master and...
Curated OER
From Foreground to Background
Students examine the composition of landscape paintings with an emphasis on foreground, middle ground, and background. They view and analyze a painting by Poussin, and create an original imagined landscape.
Curated OER
Going...going...gone? Tropical Rainforests-How They Work, What They Do for Us, What's Being Done to Them...
Sixth graders explore the Tropical Rainforest and come to understand what it is and how it affects the ecosystem. In this rainforests lesson, 6th graders write about the Tropical Rainforest, imagine they are in the Tropical Rainforest,...
Curated OER
Simple Machines and Modern Day Engineering Analogies
Young scholars apply the mechanical advantages and problem-solving capabilities of six types of simple machines (wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley) as they discuss modern structures in the spirit of the...
Curated OER
The Great Apes
Students prepare experiment plans for a peer review session to test the intelligence level of gorillas. They view and discuss a Discovery Channel video on the wild behaviors of gorillas then create three experiments that could test the...
Curated OER
Vanished Occupations: Life on an Iron Plantation
Learners analyze photographs to understand life on a plantation. In this vanished occupations lesson, students examine why iron plantations were created and what natural resources were needed to make iron. Learners compare the...
Curated OER
Shape Shifters- Trees and the Environment
Students make a tree sculpture. In this trees and the environment lesson plan, students learn about the parts of a tree, discuss what a tree needs in order to grow, find images of trees in art and nature, use various materials to create...
Curated OER
Getting the Message Across
Students discover the emergence of e-mail as a popular communication tool and explore its impact on society. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of different types of communication tools in various creative contexts.
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Sea-ing More Clearly
Learners explore historical importance of fish as food source, examine works of Robert Harris, create their own fish, and compose accompanying poetry. Students then explore dramatic tradition of Chorus inspired by Greek theatre,...
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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
High schoolers work in groups to imagine, research and simulate a dinner party involving an author, a fictional character, and a significant historical figure as dinner guests. The activity uses Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and...
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A Turkey's Last Plea-- Story Starter
In this writing worksheet, students imagine that they are a turkey who must convince the people not to serve him for Thanksgiving dinner. Students read the story starter and finish the story.
Curated OER
Child Soldier
Young scholars identify the exploitations of child soldiers. In this global issues lesson, students listen to a story that puts them in the shoes a 16 year old child soldier. Young scholars discuss the plight of the teenager and then...
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Scripting the Past: Exploring Women's History Through Film
Explore women's history through films and filmmaking. An innovative research project prompts class members to create their own screenplay about a figure in women's history. After outlining their characters, settings, and plots, young...
Curated OER
My Antonia: Guided Imagery
Willa Cather's novel My Antonia is full of vivid imagery. Encourage your pupils to visualize and translate images from the text into original writing with this guided imagery activity. Learners listen to an excerpt, take a moment to...
EngageNY
Writing and Revising Our Texts: Using Peer Critique to Improve First Drafts
Mail me a postcard. Individuals design a postcard to show what Meg Lowman from The Most Beautiful Roof in the
World might have written to her friends at home. They then continue to work on writing a science journal entry.
Curated OER
Shizuko’s Daughter: Unsent Letter
Have you ever wanted to tell a character what you really thought of him or her? Use a instructional activity based on Kyoko Mori's Shizuko's Daughter to encourage learners to write a letter in response to a character's...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Space Travel Guide
Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations.
Curated OER
How Does it End?
Students listen to the first part of a story, use drawing software, such as Paint or AppleWorks, to draw, or write and draw, their own imaginary endings to the story. They practice their mouse and computer navigation skills. They share...
Curated OER
Creating a Cranimal
Students design their own mix and matched animals. They reinforce their literacy by working with pieces of animal names to invent a new animal. They use their drawing skill using a lesson plan framework that emphasizes transformation.
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The Merci Train
Students investigate the Merci Train and conduct research in order to write a summary about its origination and purposes. They make a boxcar that is designed and made from construction paper and glue and wrapped around cardboard.
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An Imaginary Trip
Students use their imaginations to write about an imaginary trip. In this creative writing lesson, students write about an imaginary trip. Students brainstorm writing ideas as a class and use past tense words in their...
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Imaginative Picture Writing
Students create a book about clouds after the teacher reads the book, "It Looked Like Split Milk".
Curated OER
Imag(in)ing History Across Generations
Students write a one-page letter to their Grand-Students in explanation of the image and why they chose to preserve this image for them.
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The Leaves of Autumn
First graders express the words of Autumn through creative dance movements.