Unit Plan
Curated OER

The Play's the Thing: The Drama of Cyrano de Bergerac

For Teachers 8th
Students practice dramatic 'living' through various drama activities. In this drama lesson, students define drama, view examples of dramatic elements in Cyrano de Bergerac and Roxanne, define characterization within the dramas, study the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Fiction

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students write a science fiction story.  In this science fiction lesson, students read selections of science fiction and compare them to supernatural stories from the Bible.  Students identify themes and discuss elements that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fairy Tales as a Genre of Literature

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the literary elements of fairy tales. After reading the fairy tale "Rapunzel" and discussing the elements of fairy tales that occur as they read, they use a story web to help plan and create an original fairy tale. ...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Cyrano De Bergerac: Understanding Drama Through Characterization and Dialogue

For Teachers 8th
Students explore three major dramatic concepts using Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. In this dramatic concepts lesson, students research the concepts of universal theme, characterization, and dialogue using the given text. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The Necklace" and "Cinderella"

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders complete literature analysis activities using Guy de Maupassants "The Necklace" and the Grimm Brothers "Cinderella." In this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders discuss the life and career of Guy de Maupassant and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Montage

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create unique montages based on a theme, using pictures from magazines with each montage taking up the specified space determined by the background paper.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shakespeare and the Concepts of the Renaissance

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders familiarize themselves with the English Renaissance period and recognize the symbolism in Act V of "The Merchant of Venice" and analyze how it relates to the Italian Renaissance Themes. They produce an extended response...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Mark Twain's America

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students read Huckleberry Finn, analyze text for historical contexts, and write book report emphasizing historical elements, type report comparing and contrasting events in book to events of today, create Powerpoint presentation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

About Life: The Photographs of Dorthea Lange - Images of Children in Dorothea Lange's Photographs

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students examine how visual artists tell stories with their work. In this visual art lesson, students study two of Dorothea Lange's photographs to find elements of art and narrative content, use descriptive language when discussing...
Lesson Plan
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Voices of Tragedy and Horror: Remembering the Holocaust

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider the implications of the Holocaust. In this World War II lesson, students read the graphic novel Maus at the end of a unit on World War II. Students discuss the impact of reading about the Holocaust as well as theme of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acting Like a Bunch of Animals: Fables and Human

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
The video "The Tales of Aesop" traces for viewers the history of fables and identifies their characteristics. The class then goes to the web site "The Fisherman and the Little Fish" where they examine the classic and a modern version of...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Design a Book Cover

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Class members take on the role of graphic designer and craft a cover for a book they are reading. Individuals formulate a proposal outlining the images they will use to not only grab the interest of readers, but hint at the mood and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Witch of Goingsnake

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners interpret a proverb and read examples of oral histories.  In this The Witch of Goingsnake instructional activity, students read two samples of oral history and discuss quotations from each.  Learners read "Calf Roper's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Point of View and Mentor Relationships

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders  analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music and Interdisciplinary Connections

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars examine the interconnectedness of different art forms. They listen to music and watch a video while determining the similarities of the themes. They make connections between books, movies, opera, dance, and music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Literature: A Paradigm Shift

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore Native American literature. In this cultural diversity lesson, students read selected Native American books and analyze the themes of the books and familiarize themselves with the vocabulary used in the books.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evaluate Problem-Solving in the Context of Culture and Time-frame

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils examine literary elements in non-fiction literature. In this problem solving lesson, students read Rosa Parks, My Story and Beyond the Limits. Pupils make oral presentations based on the causes and effects, conflicts, and problem...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Architecture and Democracy

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders contrast and compare ancient Greece to the U.S.A.  In this Greek History activity, 5th graders investigate the buildings and designs of ancient Greece, as well as their democracy and government.  Students answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Posing for Rembrandt

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students consider the elements of costuming and posing in Rembrandt's work. They collect various costumes and experiment with poses in the theme of the painting "Night Watch". Students take photographs of poses and write accompanying...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Describing Our Senator

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders find the narrator or speaker in a story. In this story elements instructional activity, 3rd graders listen to the story My Senator and Me and answer comprehension questions. They complete a descriptive writing piece...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Artwork to Explain Environmental Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review artwork that relates to the environment and communicates a value. They view and analyze art by Andy Warhol, Eric Carle and Albert Bierstadt and then create original pieces with an environmental theme.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind

For Teachers K
Students investigate the relationship between the sun and wind.  For this reading comprehension lesson, students read the book The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind, and observe the effect of the Sun and wind on our planet....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative Strategies

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore strategies authors use to make characters and setting seem real to readers. They develop characters and describe setting in original narratives. Students read myths and determine common themes found in myths from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Storytelling and Drawing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students orally retell the Yosemite Miwok legends and design accompanying artistic depictions. They discover the various storytelling elements, such as plot and theme.