National Endowment for the Humanities
Arabic Poetry: Guzzle a Ghazal!
High schoolers research the evolution and cultural significance of the Arabic ghazal form of poetry. They, in groups, compose an original ghazal poem and read it aloud to the class.
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The Beautiful People of Africa
Students discover the people of Africa by creating a PowerPoint presentation. In this African culture instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to investigate a specific African tribe and their specific location, culture,...
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A Matter of Interpretation
Was the fatal crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 cause by mechanical failure or was it an act of sabotage? The crux of the debate and the subsequent controversy centers on translation of an Arabic phrase uttered by the pilot. The New York...
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Khamsa Good Luck Hands
Students study the use of symbols in cultural art and create a collage of their hand prints. In this symbolism and art lesson, students learn about the use of symbolism in cultural art by studying the Moroccan art design called a Khamsa....
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Influences on Cultures
Students examine a timeline of events of a specific cultural group. Using the internet, they research the cultural group using a worksheet to guide them. They present their information to the class and create a poster about the...
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Classified Advertisements: Target Language Practice
Foreign language learners decipher the meanings of classified ads in the target language. They investigate a large collage created by the teacher of foreign language advertisements and discuss the content with classmates. Then they...
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Anti-Semitism Workshop
Originating from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, here is a resource to support your world historians in their study of World War II, the Holocaust, your cultural scholars learning about anti-semitism, or your...
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Traditional Remedies
Learners discover alternative medicines from around the globe. In this world culture lesson plan, students read text from Africa, Ireland, Tibet and Tanzania discussing known remedies to diseases. Learners discuss with each other their...
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Critical Literacy in the 21st Century
Listen to Sitti's Secrets and have your class discuss their opinions about Arab families. They will become familiar with the Palestinian /Arabic Culture through a critical literacy focus. Young scholars will write a persuasive letter...
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Poetry Workshop: Fixed Form Poems
Encourage the poetic genius in your young creative writers with a poetry workshop. Fix form poems (cinquains acrostic poems, octopoems, hello/goodbye poems) provide a framework and encourage vocabulary development as well as an awareness...
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Simple Texts for Primary Pupils
Can literacy get any more fun than this? Learners not only have fun, but gain confidence as well when presented with familiar text in another language. Select books, songs, poems, even recipes written in another language, and using the...
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Teaching Numbers with Primary Pupils
One, two, three. Un, deux, trois. Eins, zwei, drei. Primary learners love to count and this lesson contains a series of games that encourage learners to count in English, French, German, and Spanish. The exercises develop literacy and...
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Memory Games
Researchers say that we need to hear and see new language 12 times before we remember it! Here's a plan that details a series of games that can be used as memory exercises. Bingo, Noughts and Crosses, Pelmanism, and repetitive speaking...
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Discovering Swahili
Students investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words. In this foreign language lesson, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into Swahili. Students...
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Correspondence
Students write a pen pal letter to narrate a special event in the life of a young person in the TL culture. In this pen pal lesson plan, students read and respond to letters by their classmates.
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Birthday Celebrations
Students utilize a new language to discuss dates and birthdays. In this foreign language instructional activity, students practice using vocabulary words from a target language to speak about birthdays and culture related to a specific...
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Weather and Seasons
Use pictures and manipulatives to develop vocabulary with your beginning language learners. This plan can be used with foreign language learners (although you'll have to provide the vocabulary), English language learners, or a young...
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The Rooms in a Home
Enhance your foreign language students' skills to describe a house. After reading a description of rooms in a house in their target language, they work to answer corresponding questions correctly. Additionally, they view a PowerPoint...
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What I need for School
You can use this instructional activity with English language learners, a young language arts class, or speakers of a foreign language. The phrases learned are I need and I don't need. The teacher collects several items around the room,...
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Let's Discuss Current Events
Investigate articles from the daily news and share opinions with classmates. Using current events, learners view a news program without sound and predict what news is being discussed by analyzing the visuals. Then they read news articles...
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What's the Weather Like? Primary Level
Elementary schoolers and language learners will shine with a series of games and activities that feature weather words. The exercises can be adapted for pairs, small groups, or whole class participation.
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Gifts of All Sizes
Young scholars explore the concept of philanthropy. In this stewardship lesson, students consider human capacity for generosity as they read folktales from different cultures that feature characters giving of themselves.
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Time Capsule: Oral Presentation
A great way to gain proficiency when learning a new language is to prepare an oral presentation. In this foreign language lesson, pairs collaborate to develop a Time Capsule which they present to their class using their target language.
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Writing a News Story
Students practice using their target language by writing a news article. In this foreign language writing lesson plan, students create a fictional "hero" in their city which they write a fictional news article about in their new...