Curated OER
911 As History
Middle schoolers recognize persuasive techniques, think criticaly about the messages contained in various media, and discuss controversial issues in constructive ways. They analyze the deeper messages contained in children's literature,...
Curated OER
Forest Activity: The Forest as Inspiration for Literature
Students analyze the role of the forest in literature. They read various literature selections, analyze the role the forest played as a setting, character, or symbol, and complete a writing activity.
Curated OER
Family Stories and Personal Narratives
Fourth graders read various stories in their literature books about families. Individually, they make a timeline showing the most important events in their lives. They bring in one artifact from their lives and write a paper about it...
Curated OER
History Close to Home: Creating Your Own Special Museum
Young scholars create their own museum exhibit. In this museum creation lesson plan, students research their local history so they can decide on a theme for their exhibit and what objects they will use in order to design a museum...
Curated OER
American Deaf Culture: A History of Language
Young scholars examine the relationship between language and culture in the Deaf Community. They discover the history of sign language and how it has been viewed in the past. They examine the Deaf community's beliefs and values.
Curated OER
Interative History Notebook Mini-lesson
Pupils respond to Holocaust literature. In this interactive history lesson, students select quotes from chapter 1 of Elie Wiesel's Night and reflect on their meaning as they record their thoughts on poetic, prose, comic. or picture form.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Ancient China
Seventh graders examine the contributions and influences of dynasties on Chinese history. They role-play as citizens during selected dynasties and write daily autobiographical entries. Students complete projects on the geography,...
Curated OER
Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen
Students use the music of Bruce Springsteen to learn literature techniques.
Curated OER
Salem Witch Trials
Students consider the implications of the Salem Witch Trials. In this literature lesson, students read Arthur Miller's The Crucible and compare the witch trials to McCarthyism of the 1950's. Students rewrite scenes from the play...
Curated OER
Elements of Fables
Students explore the attributes of fables. In this literature lesson, students read several fables and identify the moral lesson, characterization, and figurative language in each. Students then retell their favorite fables in their own...
Curated OER
The Legend of King Arthur
Students explore historical perspectives through literature. In this King Arthur lesson, students discover the attributes of dramatic monologue as they read selected literature. Students then discuss the legend of King Arthur and Camelot...
Curated OER
Indian Removal: Does History Always Reflect progress?
Students explore the idea that progress for some might not mean progress for all. In this Native American lesson, students recognize different viewpoints about historical events through the study of primary documents. Students decipher...
Curated OER
Baseball Memories
Students act as historians by, first, reading and analyzing oral histories of professional baseball players to become familiar with baseball figures. Then, they proceed to interview family members, relatives, or neighbors who have...
Curated OER
Changing Perspectives on the Japanese Internment Experience
Students explore the issue of Japanese-American internment. In this World War II lesson plan, students analyze historical biases regarding Japanese-American internment as they analyze literature, research print and Internet sources, and...
Curated OER
Tale of Hungbu and Nolbu
Engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the teaching of family values for helping to understand Korean culture. The values of Koreans is explored using a literature study.
Curated OER
Glencoe Literature Themes: Legends
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes five lessons from the Glencoe Literature series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading and response activities are included for each...
Curated OER
Louisa May Alcott: her life, her times and her literature
Young scholars explore one of America's favorite classic novels, 'Little Women'. They develop an interest in classics, study the author's life and discover which elements of her family history she incorporates into her work. They show...
Curated OER
Lesson: Urs Fischer: Controlling our Logic, Metaphors, and Semantics
Kids use poetry and contemporary art to start thinking about logic and personal expression. They read Sylvia Plath's poem "Metaphor," and critically examine the art of Urs Fischer. After working though a few logic problems they write...
Curated OER
Graphs of the Heart
Students study Greek literature. For this Greek tragedies lesson, students explore the dance-dramas of Martha Graham. Students study the choreography that brings ancient Greek literature to life.
Curated OER
Pink and Say
Read Pink and Say and discuss the Civil War with your upper elementary learners. They create a KWL about the Civil War and record words relating to the Civil War as they read the book. Then they work in groups to create an ABC...
Curated OER
Point of View
Class members examine depictions of Thanksgiving in various mediums and discuss how point of view influences the composition and presentation of the work. While the focus here is on important events in American history as seen from the...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-The Tree That Would Not Die
Students read The Tree That Would Not Die by Ellen Livine. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities as they read of an ancient oak tree that has lived for nearly 500 years. they focus their attention on the events in...
Curated OER
Art and National Identity: Analyzing Painting and Literature from the Era of Manifest Destiny
Students begin the lesson by discussing the causes and effects of the movement west. Using primary sources, they develop their own definition for manifest destiny. In groups, they view examples of paintings and read poems on the topic. ...
Curated OER
Using Literature to Introduce the Five Themes of Geography
Students listen to a read aloud of "If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln". Using the text, they identify examples of the five themes of geography and write them down. Using a map, they plot the places mentioned in the book and sort facts...