Curated OER
The Joy of a Garden
Students study environmental stewardship. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students read the story The Gardner and define the character's actions for the environment. Students define philanthropy and complete a Venn Diagram...
Curated OER
What is Hamlet Thinking?
Students explore Hamlet's character. In this Shakespeare lesson, students read the selected lines from Hamlet and write any unusual or difficult phrases. Students highlight the names of characters who speak the lines and underline words...
Curated OER
Making Good Decisions
Students explore the decision-making process. For this citizenship lesson, students read the book, A Hill Too High to Climb and discuss the decisions the characters had to make in the story. Students discuss how the characters' actions...
Curated OER
A Photo Essay
Students create a photo essay and present it to the class. The students bring photos to use for their essay and develop a story using the photos. The students write captions including characters, setting, and plot for each photo. They...
Curated OER
Good Brother, Bad Brother
Studetns study how biographers create characters and history of individuals in biographies. They complete a variety of writting activities to demonstrate understanding.
Curated OER
Telling the Stories the Past Tells Us
Students create historical stories based on factual evidence. In this Telling the Stories the Past Tells Us lesson, students write historical stories using strategies such as characters, plot, setting, and voice. Students analyze several...
Curated OER
Character & Integrity
High schoolers brainstorm a list as a class the characteristics of someone having character and integrity. Individually, they write about how self-concept is built and preserved. To end the lesson, they discuss how self-concept is...
Curated OER
Who Will I Be Tomorrow?
High schoolers examine various careers and character traits. They create an Affinity Chart using career survey results, compare/contrast personality traits and character traits, and discuss why character traits are important for jobs.
Curated OER
Investigating Fables
Time for a story! Learners of all ages enjoy listening to stories, so read them some common fables and have them work cooperatively to create a fable. Differentiate for varying ability levels by providing sentence frames, graphic...
Curated OER
Recognizing How We Are Alike
Students explore the concept of social justice. In this service learning worksheet, students read The Sneeches in order to appreciate cultural uniqueness.
Curated OER
Working Together to Solve a Problem
Students create a food and clothing drive at their school. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students listen to the story Selavi, That is Life, to help them understand homelessness. Then, students brainstorm ways to implement...
Curated OER
Welcome to the Class
Students recognize behaviors that make them better citizens. In this group cooperation lesson, students create a class chart of behaviors when the class cooperates. Students role play situations with new students to identify successful...
Curated OER
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Second graders complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Frog and Toad are Friends. In this reading lesson plan, 2nd graders complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short...
Curated OER
A Pixie Biography Report
Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. In this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Students utilize...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
When We Are A Story
Drama and story elements go hand-in-hand. Have the class dive into a dramatic play to show character intention, conflict resolution, main events, and the dialogue in a Hawaiian folk tale. They read the story, then group-up to...
2012 Teaching Resources
Analyzing Character Traits
Character analysis becomes easy with a 24-page packet packed with mini-lessons, graphic organizers, and activities. A must-have for your curriculum library.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hamlet Meets Chushingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy
Students read texts, view film and video and conduct research in an analysis and comparison of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and the Kabuki piece "Chushingura". They focus their analysis on the theme of revenge.
Curated OER
Ornithology and Real World Science
Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing instructional activity! This cross-curricular Ornithology instructional activity incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry,...
EngageNY
Close Reading of That Book Woman: How Did People Access Books in Rural Areas of the United States?
For this ninth lesson plan in a larger beginning-of-the-year unit, close reading skills are used independently to find the gist of the story That Book Woman. Rereading for important details is the targeted skill to unlock a deeper...
Shakespeare Uncovered
Women’s Roles in As You Like It
“There is nothing that becommeth a maid better than soberness, silence, shamefastness, and chastity, both of body & mind.” This line, from Thomas Bentley ‘s The Monument of Matrons published in 1582, typifies the way women were...
Shakespeare Uncovered
Henry IV, Part I: Does Father Know Best?
“Yea, there thou mak’st me sad and mak’st me sin/In envy that my Lord Northumberland/Should be the father to so blest a son--.” Henry IV, Part I, provides the text for a series of exercises that ask class members to examine the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
On This Day With Lewis and Clark
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan 5: Creating a Supporting Character
As a class, young writers learn how to develop a strong supporting character. They think and discuss a good friend they know, they use that friend as a basis for a potential supporting character. They create a supporting character as a...
Curated OER
Historical Fiction: A Wealth of Interpretations
How can understanding the genre of historical fiction help your language arts class with literary analysis? Use this instructional activity to help young readers learn about historical fiction. After reading a selection from the "Dear...