Trinity University
Julius Caesar: The Power of Persuasion
"Friend, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..." Those words begin one of the most persuasive speeches in literature. Explore the elements of persuasion in a series of lessons related to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In addition...
Curated OER
Recruiting a Few Good Citizens
Students write persuasive speeches to recruit soldiers for a Civil War company. In this Civil War U.S. history and writing lesson plan, students work in groups to create a recruiting poster and write a speech to persuade soldiers to join...
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Syncopated Duet
Students work in pairs to compose a duet (with percussion instruments) that contains syncopated rhythm sequences. Each student will research a piece of music that they feel uses syncopation and will give a persuasive speech to the class.
National Literacy Trust
Mark The Bard!
Commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with a packet of cross-curricular literacy lessons and activities centered around two of the Bard's most popular plays, Macbeth and The Tempest. Class members look for evidence of...
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"I Don't Pay Attention to Advertisements? (At least I don't think so?)"
Sixth graders study eight persuasive techniques that occur in a variety of media types. They write a persuasive essay and present it to the class. They create a "new product" for which they produce an advertisement using persuasive...
Curated OER
Get a Life!
Students read a New York Times article associated with the issue of the decoding for genomes, the creation of life in scientific laboratories and various genetic engineering topics. They present speeches of the pro's and con's of these...
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Land, Liberty and the Struggle for the American Dream
Students investigate equality by reading a historical fiction book in class. In this civil rights lesson, students read the story Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with their classmates and define the Jim Crow Laws that kept blacks...
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Analyzing Logos
Young scholars analyze common logos they see daily and describe what the logos bring to mind. They redesign a company logo incorporating the company's philosophy into their sketches. Students present their findings and redesign to the...
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Time in a Capsule
Students analyze the meaning and process of categorizing items, people and events as 'the best.' students then defend pieces of literature, images, and sounds that they feel most represent 'the best of the 20th century.'
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Opinion Polls And Surveys As Research Tools
Eleventh graders determine, evaluate, and use resources that are most appropriate and readily available for investigating a particular question or topic. Examples include knowledgeable people, field trips, prefaces, appendices,...
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Book Cover Design
Students design book covers. In this graphic design instructional activity, students are introduced to designing book covers. Students develop skills on how to promote their designs to clients. Students then create their own book covers.
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Fastest Way to a Full Belly
Students create a scale model of a cafeteria. In this scale lesson, groups improve their actual school cafeteria layout by taking measurements of the structure and redesigning furniture and food serving lines. They create a scale drawing...
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Murals in my Neighborhood
Young scholars use rubrics to grade murals in their city. In this mural design lesson, students learn about the design of murals and explore their city to find murals. Young scholars grade the murals based on design and representation of...
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Tour + Workshop = DESIGN: Form Follows Function
Students design a chair with function in mind. In this design lesson, students design a chair out of newspaper that is strong enough to hold a "peanut ball". Students discuss how the form follows the function. This lesson includes...
Curated OER
A Walk Through Time
Students investigate the types of footwear worn during ten periods of history. In this secondary, art/math/social studies instructional activity, students view documentaries and popular films to study the time periods. Students...