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Autograph Story
Learners write narrative essays about getting a famous person's autograph (a classmate) and then combine their work with pictures to enhance the stories. This technique can be used with any writing project.
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Picture This: Photography in Adult Basic Education
Students use photos to generate opinions and feelings for them to write about. They use the photos to find something they are interested in and help them write.
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Past, Present, and Future: Career Exploration and Planning
Tenth graders write an autobiography about their future. For this career education lesson, 10th graders write about the future based on their career goals. Students troubleshoot possible obstacles to fulfilling a...
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Get Ready, Get Set, Get Organized! Lesson 2 of 2
Seventh graders examine the importance of being organized when making transitions. In this organization lesson, 7th graders watch a teacher demonstration of entering a room in a disorganized manner before discussing how the transition...
Museum of Tolerance
Music Evokes Memories and Emotions
Dim the lights, take a deep breath, and press play to explore the emotions and memories that music elicits. Class members begin using relaxation techniques designed to create a positive listening experience. As music plays, learners...
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Which Car Will Mom Approve?
Eighth graders write a comparison/contrast essay to determine which of two cars should be purchased from the parents' perspective.
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Self-portraits: Integrating Arts And the Language Arts
Pupils look into a mirror and draw their own self-portraits. Then they write a descriptive essay, describing the portrait and the features of their face.
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Tapping into the Experiences of Senior Citizens
Through casual talk and structured interviews, 6th graders tap into the wealth of their senior pals' experiences. They write descriptive essays and narratives based on conversations with relatives or neighbors. They read selected...
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Multicultural Attire
Students research the native attire of a chosen culture, write an essay reflecting the role of the attire in the given culture, and create a significant piece of attire from that culture that be modeled in a fashion show.
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A Day in the Life
Young scholars write an essay. In this comparison lesson, students read about a child's typical day on a fair trade cocoa farm in the Dominican Republic. Young scholars write about a typical morning of a child in the US and make...
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Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
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A Historical Career Search
Learners analyze the use of language, including non-standard written and oral English. They write persuasive, descriptive, narrative and/or evaluative pieces in response to the story read and keep reflection journals. Finally, students...
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Industrialization of the American Landscape - Language Arts
Young scholars examine poetry , editorials, and other writings during the Industrial Revolution. They perform a "chalk talk" to explain perceptions, ideas and observations of the working world. Students write poetry and essays modeled...
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Twain: Steamboat's a-Comin'
Students discover how rivers inspire creative expression. In this Mark Twain instructional activity, students list songs about rivers and discuss common characteristics. They locate the Mississippi River on a map and write a script...
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Eugene O'Neill on Page and Stage
Students investigate the life and works of Eugene O'Neill. In this American theater lesson, students read biographical information about O'Neill and review Long Day's Journey into Night. Students then analyze the play in order to deliver...
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Physics "24"
Students construct a model house or school. In this physics lesson, students research about who wind up clocks work and write an essay about it. They determine the center of gravity of different objects.
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Help Me Find My Keys
Fourth graders write a five-paragraph essay on the topic: What mistakes have you made and then learned a life lesson from that experience?
Museum of Tolerance
Oral History Activity
Oral history has brought a multitude of lessons, stories, and factoids to our current knowledge of the past. Let us continue to use oral history traditions through a lesson that encourages pupils to discover and appreciate...
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Theology…the Use of Silence in the Classroom
Immerse your class in the Middle Ages with a thorough history lesson. After viewing examples of illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, they discuss how these were the mode of keeping and storing information...
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Adventures in Alice
Students create a haiku and illustrate it on the computer. For this haiku lesson plan, students review the history of the haiku while they are outside and then write their own. Students then use a computer program to illustrate their poem.
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Critic's Choice
Third graders read three to five genres and choose one as a favorite. They write an essay persuading the class to read the genre. This instructional activity serves as a nice introduction to different styles of literature.
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Creating an Instructional Manual
Ninth graders create an instructional manual about using a mechanical device. In this technical writing lesson, 9th graders create a PowerPoint presentation that includes the step by step process of how to use the mechanical device.
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Chivalry
Eighth graders explore manners by writing short stories. In this chivalry code lesson plan, 8th graders identify the traits of chivalry and explore the history of chivalry in England. Students complete a chivalry worksheet and write a...
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Teaching Night with Web Research Assignments
Young scholars research the Holocaust. They read the autobiography, Night, by Elie Wiesel, conduct research on a child of the Holocaust, and write an essay comparing/contrasting the life of their selected child with that of Elie Wiesel.