Scholastic
Connecting with Ruby Bridges
When Ruby Bridges entered an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she also entered history. Scholars consider what the experience must have been like for the young girl using two books that document her experience as well as a double...
Learning to Give
What Are Your Thoughts?
The varying responses of the characters in Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to the discrimination they experience or perpetrate provides readers with an opportunity to not only examine the feelings of the characters but...
Star Wars in the Classroom
"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Day 11
Class members take center stage as groups perform scenes from Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Actors are encouraged to add stage directions to the script, as well as create costumes and props to...
Curated OER
Feelings
Students learn how to express their feelings. In this language development lesson plan, one student reads a sentence off a sentence strip and another student responds with "I feel...". The class discusses why the student feels that way...
Curated OER
Using Words to Work Things Out
Students explore appropriate ways to communicate feelings. In this character development lesson, students listen to Hands are not for Hitting and several other books about expressing emotions appropriately. Students observe...
Curated OER
The Human Animal
Students explore non-verbal communication. In this animal communication lesson, students study body language and other forms of non-verbal communication. Students write a summary of their findings to discuss with the class. This lesson...
Curated OER
Outlining Essays (Grades 3-6)
Students brainstorm story idea in preparation of writing an expressive essay. They study how to outline essays to assist them in writing an expressive essay. Each students conclusion should summarize their main idea and restate their...
Curated OER
"How to Eat a Poem"
Eighth graders write a poem showing what they know about metaphors, and non-literal language to express ideas, convey meaning, and create images after they read Eve Merriam's "How to Eat a Poem".
Curated OER
Let's Be Emotion Detectors!
Students observe and demonstrate how to read with expression. They discuss the types of emotions and expressions to use while reading, and identify the appropriate punctuation for a variety of sentences. Students then write a sentence...
Curated OER
Writing From Experience (Grades 7-12)
Students brainstorm in preparation for writing an expressive essay. They review their responses to 'Writing from Experience' and write notes and brainstorm other ideas or details for their essays. They take turns illustrating their life...
Curated OER
My Likes And Dislikes
Students practice conversational conventions when expressing their likes and dislikes, with a partner. Individually, they write a paragraph explaing a tiem when they felt acceptance or rejection.
Education World
Human Nature- Good or Evil?
Students explore the philosophical nature of good vs. evil. In this literacy/philosophy lesson, students read and discuss media articles that illustrate human nature as inherently "good" or "evil." Students practice debating skills and...
Curated OER
A Sculptor's Model
Students investigate visual arts by researching art on the Internet. In this expressionism lesson, students identify several famous artworks on-line based on self expression and discuss the techniques. Students examine steel sculptures...
Curated OER
Poetry: Techniques & Form
Ninth graders explore poetic technique and figurative language in this ten instructional activity unit. Comparisons are made between a variety of forms of poetic expressions and the lives of several poets are studied.
Curated OER
Telephone Communication
Students role-play telephone conversations. They view a video of a telephone conversation and discuss the vocabulary used during the conversation. They practice conversations and substitute responses.
Curated OER
Express Yourself
Young scholars share opinions about the way students behave. They write letters to the editor responding to an article.
Curated OER
5-4-3-2-1 Blast Off To Reading
Students practice reading with fluency by rereading texts to increase their speed. They listen to the teacher model fluent, smooth, and expressive oral reading. They then work in a small group reading orally and self-assessing their...
Curated OER
Waterfalls
Third graders practice identifying the main idea and supporting details when reading informational text. They read text related to waterfalls and practice note taking skills to identify critical details. Students use their notes to...
Curated OER
Be a Good Friend
Students discover characteristics of a good friend. In this social skills lesson, students read Clifford's Manners and discuss ways Clifford used his manners in the story. An activity that rewards students for modeling being courteous...
Curated OER
Using Descriptive Language
Students explore the technique of descriptive writing. As a class, they observe a poster and describe it using adjectives. They discuss how descriptive words can be used literally and figuratively in the world of advertising. After...
Curated OER
Review of Personification and Alliteration
Students study personification and alliteration in various fiction texts. In this literary devices lesson, students use various texts to identify the literary devices of personification and alliteration. Students use examples of both...
Curated OER
Self-portrait Poem
Students practice naming various features or parts of their bodies using similes and vivid adjectives. The format is extended to poetic expressions as they develop a self-portrait and extend the creative experience through art.
Curated OER
Challenge to Communicate
Students use Lewis and Clark's journals to identify the forms of non-verbal communication they used. They discover the problems they faced on their journey and how they overcame them. They practice using the non-verbal language of the...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Issues of Asylum in the U.S.
Who gets to come to the United States? Examine cases of individuals seeking asylum with an informative reading passage that includes examples, statistics, and representations of public opinion regarding asylum. Groups then go on to...