Virginia Department of Education
Writing for Workplace and Postsecondary Correspondence
Create or expand your college essay and career unit with a business and postsecondary writing activity. The exercise works for college-bound or job-hunting junior or senior learners. They bring their research concerning a college or...
Jefferson County Schools
Teaching Persuasive Reading and Writing
With the increasing emphasis on persuasive and argumentative writing, the lessons and strategies in the sample unit are sure to prove valuable—whether you are new to or an experienced pro at teaching persuasive reading and writing.
National Arts Centre
Create a Set Design
Groups create a set for a play or story they select, build a model, and share their stage with the class. The team explains the rationale for their choices and the mood they feel their staging creates.
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...
Curated OER
Costume And Make-Up Shakespeare Style
Students create original costumes and make-up for a puppet presentation of a scene from Shakespeare in this week long creative project. Performances of the Shakespeare scenes end this lesson geared towards state and national standards...
Curated OER
Emotion Masks
High schoolers analyze and discuss masks of different cultures as an art form to evoke emotion. This instructional activity culminates in the creation of individual mask designs and self-directed assessment (included).
Curated OER
Still Life
Students compose a three-dimensional still life composition in a shoe box, sketch portions of their work and then design a painting based on the finished box. They complete and critique their paintings.
Curated OER
Art History and Technique
High schoolers conduct research, using a variety of resources, about their favorite painter and painting. They critique the famous painters work and write a multimedia presentation that showcases his/her work. They paint an original work...
Curated OER
Effective Speaking in a Debate
Students examine and discuss the concept of stage fright. They demonstrate positive debate techniques, constructively critique other speakers, and implement debate techniques for a practice debate.
Curated OER
Communicative Choices & Linguistic Style
Start by watching a video entitled Do You Speak American? and respond to discussion questions about the various dialects showcased throughout the video to identify the regional linguistic styles throughout America. As a culminating...
Curated OER
Adapting Narratives for Skits to Teach Language Through Drama
Students in a Spanish foreign language class are giving topics to develop a skit to preform in front of the class. As a class, they are introduced to new vocabulary and the concept of paraphrasing. After performing their skit, they...
Curated OER
Text as Texture Collage
Students explore the concepts of rhythm, movement, contrast and texture. They practice using new vocabulary and work on creating a college after designing the arrangement. They self-evaluate their collage and critique their classmates...
Curated OER
Contour Hand Gestures with Text
Students examine different types of hand drawings. They create their own 3-D contour drawings. They also discuss the use of symbolism in art.
Curated OER
Unknown Frost Poem Discovered
What? A long-lost poem from Robert Frost? Introduce your class to a poem recently found and published from Robert Frost's personal collection. The lesson includes background information on the author, the poem itself, and a list of...
Curated OER
Composition With Red Hat
Pupils create a work of art that includes a red hat, either as a focal point or as an accent in the picture. The picture could be in color or black and white with the hat in red and they choose the medium that they want to use.
Curated OER
Creating Plays from Children's Stories
Students explain how individual elements (e.g., plot, theme, character, conflict, etc.) comprise the structure of a play. They write an original one-act play with developed characters, specific setting, conflict, and resolution.
Curated OER
Time Management
Students are taken through the design process to develop a system of time management for themselves and others. They practice participating in a critique of other students' time schedules and modify and improve their initial time...
Curated OER
College Research Skills: Evaluating Reliable Online Sources
Students analyze Public Art in preparation for college discussion, research, and writing, and create their own artistic creations. For this art and college prep lesson, students develop an original research question to explore an art...
Curated OER
The Night Chanter Project
Students sketch a design based on "The Night Chanter." In this art design instructional activity, students listen to the Native American prayer, "The Night Chanter" and illustrate their personal vision of the chant. Students critique the...
Curated OER
Making a Treasure Your Own: Lesson Two
Students write an essay describing the Curtis Center and what they learned there. In this descriptive writing essay, students discuss the five paragraph essay and review sensory discoveries from their trip. Students draft an outline and...
Curated OER
From Mud to Masterpiece: Individual Clay Mosaic Relief Murals Inspired by Rudy Autio's Public Murals
Students create clay mosaic relief murals as analysis of Abstract Expressionism. In this clay art lesson, students analyze the abstract expressionist art of Rudy Autio and create their own clay mural using fire clay and glazes. Students...
Curated OER
From George to Martha: Writing a Sonnet Using Primary Sources
What was the relationship like between George and Martha Washington? To protect their privacy, Martha Washington destroyed all her husband’s letters after his death so historians have little evidence of their lives together. Two letters...
Curated OER
Pantomime vs. Abstract Gesture
Students explain dance as a way to create and communicate meaning and demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture.