National First Ladies' Library
School Reform, Again!
Students discuss their perceptions and experiences with changes in schooling. They work in small groups to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to explain the efforts toward reforming schools since 1983. Students speculate on the next...
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Storytellers: Coldplay
Students discover the importance of lyrics in the successful combination of music and words in the process of composing a song. They discuss how emotion-based lyrics influence the creative aspects in composing a song.
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Friday and Friends: A Prospectus of the Mexican Family through Children's Literature
Students use literature to examine how the structure of families in Mexico has changed over time. In groups, they examine how their life now relates to their ancestors and the Spanish conquest of the area. As a class, they are read...
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Dialect Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar
Young scholars examine the life and works of Paul Laurance Dunbar. In groups, they read various poems of his and use a database to examine the covers of his books. They also discuss the criticism he faced during his life and how he...
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Music Storytellers
Students identify the quality and effectiveness of musical performances through the use of music telling a story. They will compare and contrast philosophy and form of song segments.
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Understanding the Newspaper
Learners examine newspapers and identify the elements included in them. After discussing newspapers, they conduct a scavenger hunt to identify the paper's elements such as headlines, bylines, and illustrations.
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The Editorial
Students read several editorials such as those written by Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, and Ida Tarbell. They recognize the similarities between several editorials and summarize and outline the arguments presented in several editorials.
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Architecture Beyond the Industrial Revolution
Students learn about well-known international architects and how they influenced the United States.
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Commemorative Coin Poetry
Students discuss and research an individual or event that has been memorialized on a commemorative coin. They use the information they found to write acrostics, creating stand-up accordion books to display the poems.
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Music and Technology
Students analyze the lyrics, instruments, sounds and technology from the song "Vertigo" by U2. They view a video presenting interviews with the band and complete a stage design for the live playing of the song.
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Storytellers: Coldplay
Students use the music of Coldplay to inspire them to create a visual about their favorite band.
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Dancing a Christmas Carol
Students explore dance. They analyze and outline the movements of the dance "Roger de Coverly" from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Students choose music and choreograph a dance similar to "Roger de Coverly." They perform the dance....
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Simply Summarize
Students review the concept of silent reading. Through modeling and guided practice, they follow five given steps in summarizing a written passage. Then they read a passage independently and follow the same steps in summarizing the...
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Fantastic Facts
Fourth graders are introduced to expository texts. They dwell to formulate the comprehension and gain the main ideas. Students encounter explicit comprehension strategies to help them transition into this new type of text.
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Pet Mania
In this English worksheet, students focus on pets. Students survey their classmates, role play, read short articles, and have a discussion centered around the topic of pets.
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Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Students name tall tale characters and locations, which are based on actual people and places, and describe how they are used in an exaggerated way. Students name created characters and events from tall tales. Students write a tall tale.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Part 6 - My Generation Social an Cultural Influence on Music Composition
Students examine influences on the creation and development of music.
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VH1 Road to Fame: Harry Connick Jr.
Students examine the life of Harry Connick Jr. and keep a journal on how they could be more successful.
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Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth
Pupils examine the lives of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth. They create a "found" poem using the voices of both brothers and perform the poem for the rest of the class.
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Justice for All? Debating the Fairness of the Juvenile Justice System
Learners discuss treatment of young people by the criminal justice system and debate whether or not that treatment is fair.
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They Were All Stars: An Introduction to Leagues Baseball
Students identify the basic knowledge of Negro Leagues baseball.
Students identify and analyze the important individuals and events associated with Negro Leagues baseball history.
Students identify key vocabulary related to this period...
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All About Me, My Family and Friends
Students use general skills and strategies of the writing process to show their role in their family, school, friendships, the community and the world. They demonstrate their self-motivation and increasing responsibility for their own...
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Cha Cha
Students demonstrate the Cha Cha basics. They practice the Cha Cha basics and keep the beat with the motions. They study a brief history of the Cha Cha and observe music in relation to history and culture.
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Vincent's Flowers
Students become acquainted with Vincent Van Gogh and examine how pastels can be used to create a variety of lines and textural effects.