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Portrait Drawing Using a Model - Activity 1
Students create a realistic portrait using a live model and charcoal in this introductory art lesson plan on portrait drawing. A video and resource links are included to aid in instructional strategies.
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Dancing Pumpkin Man
Students listen carefully and put pieces together following the teacher's instructions. They point to the different shapes and sizes as they are being called out and count the number of items they have in front of them. They decorate...
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Putting the Sitcom into Perspective
Young scholars identify and compare similar characters and situations in stories and dramas from and about various cultures, illustrate with classroom dramatizations, and discuss how theater reflects life.
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Lighting The Way - Activity 1
Students discover the "rule of thirds" technique used in photography through the investigation of magazine and newspaper pictures and an in-class discussion. The work of photojournalist Jeff Bizzel is emphasized.
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Furniture Defined
Students dissect and evaluate traditional definitions of furniture styles. In this furniture characteristics lesson, student learn to classify different styles and types of furniture. Students create furniture sketches.
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Performing the Heimlich Maneuver
Students perform the Heimlich Manuever. In this first aid lesson, students read about choking and the Heimlich Maneuver. Students learn when and how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver.
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Performance Poppers
Students examine the controversies surrounding the use of performance-enhancing supplements in sports by interviewing athletes and writing feature articles that compare the skills required to compete in different sports.
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Dancing Into History from Dance in America: Acts of Ardor: Two Dances by Paul Taylor
Students watch a video of a performance choreographed by Paul Taylor. They research the Great Depression and issues facing teenagers today. They create a dance that shows a historic period of the United States.
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Language Arts: Conversing with an Object
Students sharpen their creative writing skills by writing dialogues with unfamiliar objects while visiting local museums. They select an object in the museum, such as a painting, and create conversations between the people or animals...
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Technology as a Design Tool for Abstract Artwork
Students manipulate pictures using Adobe Photoshop and digital cameras to produce unique abstract works. This instructional activity can be modified to include a painting/mixed media element. State standards are addressed in this...
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Life in a Hurricane Zone
Students study the nature of hurricanes and examine in detail the effect of Hurricane Georges upon the Dominican Republic. They explain the way in which physical systems (e.g., a hurricane) can affect human systems (e.g., the life of a...
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The Cricket in Times Square
Fourth graders explore vocabulary by reading a contemporary story in class. In this English literature lesson, 4th graders read the story A Cricket in Times Square and practice using the vocabulary words from the story. Students...
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Fractured Families in American Drama
Learners compare and contrast the flawed families in two plays. In this American drama lesson, students read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Long Day's Journey into Night. Learners research information about the playrights and examine the...
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Beginning With Writing; Convey Ideas in Writing
Walk young writers through the process of creating an initial writing sample for their portfolio. They determine their purpose, organize their ideas, and then create a draft. The lesson includes worksheets and online resources to...
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Shakespeare: Standing on the Bookshelves of Giant
A phenomenal lesson on Shakespeare! Middle and high school learners create WebQuests about the texts and authors that Shakespeare himself studied when he was in grammar school. They use a variety of media in order to create dramatic...
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Pay It Forward Project
Create a list of random acts of kindness and have your class perform them during a designated week. Learners will also participate in a project centered around being kind to others. Each grade chooses their kindness project, and then...
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Get a Leg Up
Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the...
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Shakespearean Comedy on Film
This instructional activity will focus on the aspects of Shakespeare's comedy that become more evident in performance. By viewing clips of the same Shakespeare scene in different film versions, high schoolers have the opportunity to...
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The Beginning of the War -- Two Views on Texas
Young scholars discuss the factors that can lead to war, and the motivations of countries going into war. They research two viewpoints on Texas during the Mexican War and participate in a debate with their classmates.
Shakespeare Uncovered
All the Globe’s a Stage: Shakespeare’s Theatre
“All the world’s a stage,” exclaims Jaques in As You Like It, but it is the structure of the Globe stage and how that structure influenced Shakespeare’s plays that is the focus of an on-line research project. Class members visit a series...
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...
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English Literature: An Overview
Relate literary works and authors to the major themes of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period through the 20th century. Working in groups, high schoolers will evaluate period philosophy, religion, and politics that influenced...
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The Poetics of Hip Hop
The Bard, Nikki Giovanni, Mos Def? “Sonnet 18,” Ego Tripping,” and “Black on Both Sides”? Sure! It’s the poetics. Class members compare the lyrics, rhythm, and rhyme in classic poetry to hip-hop in a richly detailed resource that...
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The Art of Romare Bearden
Students are introduced to the art of Romare Bearden. Using a packet, they discover Bearden's theme of family and African-American history in his art. After viewing specific examples of his artwork, they identify the ways in which he...