Unit Plan
University of Virginia

Uncle Tom's Cabin: Finishing the Novel

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The reviews for Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin were as divisive as the novel itself. High schoolers finish the novel unit with an evaluation of the book's initial reviews, its characters' dreams and fears of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Young Learner's Writing Workshop 2

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners choose a short story or book and a student takes on the role of one of the characters in the story. They complete an interview worksheet and then students question each other further about the character they are playing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effective Literary Analyses

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders discuss a fictional text that they are given, they identify passages, which highlight the author's style, language naances and textual ambiguities. Pupils brainstorm possible topics for an analytical essay, they are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THEMATIC ESSAY

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students Compare and contrast the beliefs and methodology of three leaders of the Civil Rights movement. Using specific examples, discuss how these leaders were either successful or unsuccessful in attaining their goals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Intermediate Level Lesson Plan THEMATIC ESSAY

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify three reasons why conflict arose in the Western United States during the late 1800s. Using specific examples, discuss how the United States government attempted to resolve these conflicts. Evaluate whether these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Me: A Visual Essay

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students familiarize themselves with photo editing and montage techniques. They create a montage that tells the viewer about themselves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Much Ado About Something (Lesson 4)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners view a film about Shakespeare and his poetry. They complete a worksheet while viewing. They discuss how to properly read a poem and practice reading his sonnets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Brainstorming Time

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners brainstorm a list of possible topics for their essay. As a class, they review the characteristics of anecdotal writing and the form they take in newspapers or autobiographies. To end the lesson plan, they decide on their topic...
Activity

What happened to the frogs?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Shared ResourceStudents will select ten rubber frogs and determine their pollutant source based on their malformations. Students will write a brief essay on their findings. Students will be engaged in the lesson the entire time!
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Immigrant Experience In America

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Each student create an identity of an immigrant and write an essay in the first person. Essays describe what they found when they arrived in New York City.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relating to Franklin's Age of Reason

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read a selection describing 13 virtues from "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." They keep track of their behavior and whether or not they can keep up with 5 chosen virtues. They write a 5 paragraph essay on their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Troubled Leadership

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars discuss how each leader was influenced by people close to him. They view a video "Troubled Leadership." Students discuss the two rulers featured: the Egyptian King Tutankhamen and the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Multicultural Attire

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Learners research the native attire of a chosen culture, write an essay reflecting the role of the attire in the given culture, and create a significant piece of attire from that culture that be modeled in a fashion show.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United We Stand

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students recreate and simulate the secession of the South during the Civil War by having their class secede from the school. They write an essay comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of everyday life before and after...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civilizations Leadership

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners view a segment of Prosperity and Decline. They discuss what attributes made the empire strong. Students discuss what caused the fall of the Roman Empire. They write an essay describing the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is There a Problem with Wildlife on our Roads?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students create a graph and analyze it to see if the data shows there is a problem with wildlife on the roads. In this wildlife collision instructional activity students write an essay to support their conclusions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explore the Ocean

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore the oceans from their origin. In this oceans lesson, students read and discuss excerpts from the Book of Genesis regarding the creation of the ocean. Students then clean up a mock oil spill, measure the volume and area...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playing with Puns

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the wit of characters in two plays. In this drama lesson, students read The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary L. Blackwood and Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Students analyze the puns used in both plays and write essays that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits Of Power: American Presidents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the responsibilities of the presidency. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch "Portraits Of Power: American Presidents," and then compose essays regarding the citizens' relationship to the presidency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative vs. Expository Texts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars use examples of narrative and expository text to analyze and compare the two styles. Students read articles on life in Lesotho and Madagascar and use graphic organizers and discussion to compare them. Young scholars write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ralph Ellison

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students read and analyze the novel, "The Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. They participate in class discussions, write an essay, and in small groups create a multimedia essay on a group that they consider socially "invisible."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Heroes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers determine whether the ends truly justify the means by examining the behavior of historical and fictional heroes. They view and discuss film versions of Gangs of New York and Les Miserables. Then they break into small...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gunpowder And The Explosion Of World War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the role of technology in 20th century conflicts. In this technological advancement lesson, students research how World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the War in Iraq were fought. Students compose essays that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Resolving Kennedy's Legacy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the Kennedy presidency. In this presidential history lesson, students watch "Resolving Kennedy's Legacy." Students then discuss the provided questions regarding the presidency and write position papers about about the...