Fourth graders explore the main characters in the Hatfield-McCoy Feud. In this Hatfield-McCoy lesson, 4th graders gather information about the feud from the Internet and books. Students research the main characters involved and write a...

If your class is reading the historical fiction novel, Out of the Dust, then you are in luck. Here are a few slides that will help you provide historical context for the book, as well as define main characters, setting, symbolism, and...

In this Civil War worksheet, students identify, locate and discuss thirty-five key terms, characters and leaders associated with The Civil War. Students circle each one in a word search puzzle.

Playing team sports is about more than just scoring the most goals or winning the most games. Read this passage with your class and learn how athletes build character as members of a team. When finished, individuals identify the main...

Pupils are introduced to the main characters in the Lewis and Clark expedition. As a class, they discover background information related to the Corps of Discovery and the people who were involved. They review the material to reinforce...

“Anyone who thinks small towns are friendlier than big cities lives in a big city.” Mary Alice, the fifteen-year-old narrator of A Year Down Yonder, is forced to leave Chicago and spend a year with her Grandma Dowdel in a small rural...

Have fun with history and turn your kids into news reporters of the past. Each group will research, script, and deliver a news report on a historic event they are studying in class. They'll identify the main characters of the historical...

Action! Delve into character development in the play Fences by August Wilson, setting the stage for learners to analyze character nuances. Thespians choose a scene from the script, responding with a written account of the...

Challenge your class with this instructional activity focusing on the fifty states. Learners use ArcMap to show the route the main character in the story Journey of Oliver K. Woodman took across the United States. Then, they...

The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...

Fourth Graders read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. In the story a bulletin board flattens the main character. He is then sent in an envelope to a friend in California. During a fantasy genre language arts unit, groups of students...

Young readers discuss how they would deal with problems faced by the main character in Maniac Magee. They write down their own problems and exchange them with others to analyze and provide possible solutions. They establish a "Dear Abby"...

Students critique, discuss, and identify characters in a film about Latin America. In this Latin America lesson plan, students watch the film and discuss the film and everyday life.

Students analyze language arts by reading a book in class. In this book report instructional activity, students must read one of five selected books including 1984 and Lord of the Flies. Students prepare a two page report and create a...

Teach the importance of context and perspective with a unit focused on Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The first lesson considers the role of female characters and readers, including the gender expectations of the time. The...

Students examine historical context. In this historical perspectives lesson plan, students read and discuss instructor-selected picture book biographies. Students then complete graphic organizers based on the challenges the main...

Examine the genre of historical fiction while reading A Light in the Storm. They extract events in chronological order to make a timeline. Then, they use information in the book important to the characters to create a presentation of an...

Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...

Eleventh graders study the Kansas Territory.  In this American History instructional activity, 11th graders read ten biographical cards and summarize the main ideas.  Students create cards to play Who am I?

Students explore psychology by reading a children's book in class. In this bullying lesson, students read the story The English Roses and discuss the main characters, story and setting. Students identify the moments when the main...

Students view a video about the border between the United States and Mexico. They discuss the forces that influence human migration. They write a paper from the point of view of the main character in the film.

Sixth graders participate in a brainstorming activity in which they identify the types of decisions they make everyday. Individually, they complete a worksheet on making decisions effectively. After reading a poem, they identify the...

Students use information from a visit to an historical exhibition to write stories about someone who lived during that time period.. They use handouts to record information to use in their writings. Students choose identities, real or...

Students explore the definition of philanthropy as it relates to bullying. In this moral values lesson, students listen to the book Thank you, Mr. Falker and identify how the main character was bullied. Students define philanthropy, and...