Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson
A lesson spotlights the poem "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson. Scholars discuss their favorite foods and then examine a lively picture of a family preparing tamales. After listening to the poem twice, learners participate in...
Curated OER
Lincoln is in the House! ("Name-Dropping" Poems and the Power of Connotation)
“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...
Curated OER
Poetry: The Most Compact Form of Literature
Introducing or need to review literary devices and terms for a study of poetry? Though text heavy, the explanations and examples of key poetic devices will provide learners with the vocabulary they need to discuss and craft poems.
ReadWriteThink
Robert Frost Prompts the Poet in You
A great poem begins with an idea, an image, or an event that evokes a feeling. Middle schoolers read biographical information about Robert Frost and then identify details in three of his poems that reflect his life. Using suggestions...
Curated OER
Animals and Humans
Young scholars identify the functions of various body parts. They participate in the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song, draw a picture of themselves and other mammals, and create a traced outline of their body that they add...
Poetry Class
Tackling Climate Change
Get your kids thinking about climate change with a series of activities that include creating a ditty box poem for the planet, a poem that identifies concepts or objects they would want to preserve.
Alabama Learning Exchange
As Large As Life. . . A Poster of a Human Body System
Learners explore the major systems and functions of the human body. In this anatomy lesson, students make life-size outlines of bodies, diagram body systems, and present their work to their classmates.
Curated OER
Magnet Poetry
Students engage in a lesson that involves the use of imagery in poetry. They select words from poems that are used for imagery. The words are put onto magnets and then used to create new poems filled with imagery. The hands on connection...
Curated OER
Poetry: When the Rain Sings Poems by Young Native Americans
Poetry can express feelings, values, and culture; it also provides insight into a time and place. Young analysts discuss the meanings of several poems from a collection of Native American works entitled, When the Rain Sings. They then...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Bringing Verbs to Life
Kindergarteners create action words collections to use in their own writing projects. After listening to several books, they select action verbs to dramatize and take digital photographs of their acting. Once the photos are printed, they...
National Park Service
The Secret of Life
Dead trees provide nutrients for the soil, food for animals, protection and a home for organisms, a seed-bed for new trees, and a place for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live. In the activity, pupils collect decaying logs, expose them to a...
Curated OER
Plant Systems
Students examine plant systems. In this life science lesson, students explore leaf and root systems on paper in a terrarium that they design and construct.
Curated OER
Lessons of the Indian Epics: Following the Dharma
Learners examine how the epic poem, "Ramayana" teaches dharma, one of Hinduism's most important tenets. They read the abridged version of the "Ramayana," identify the main plot points, complete a chart, and write an essay on a moral...
Curated OER
Barn Owls and Owl Pellet Dissection
Students explore birds of prey and food chains. In this ecosystems and birds of prey cross curriculum science and literacy lesson, students brainstorm characteristics of birds after viewing photographs. Students view a video and document...
Curated OER
Machine Poetry
Fourth graders write poems describing the relationship of machine parts. In this poetry writing lesson, 4th graders review a system and examples. Students discuss the systems individual parts and how they work. Students use the given...
Lerner Publishing
Teaching Habitats
What makes up a habitat? Use this resource to engage first graders in the exploration of desert, wetland, forest, and ocean habitats. Youngsters classify plants and animals into the four distinct habitats through drawings and cutting and...
Curated OER
Digital Poetry Books
Students, after reviewing the writing process and assessing how to use a digital camera to take creative photos, create a Digital Poetry Book. They incorporate the use of Microsoft Photo Draw and Publisher for the creation of their...
Curated OER
Poetry Pop-Up
Third graders, after exploring the process of writing poetry through imagery words that go beyond pen and paper, create a Poetry Pop-Up Book. They incorporate the use of the Thesaurus and clip-art/digital photography to assist them in...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Students explore the life cycle of living things through the eight lessons of this unit. The butterfly, frog, chicken, and plant are inspected and form the basis of the work done in this unit.
Curated OER
LIFE DOESN’T FRIGHTEN ME
Learners examine gender bias and stereotypes. In this discrimination lesson students participate in class discussions and poetry reading in order to examine the gender stereotypes of fears and develop the understanding that both genders...
Curated OER
Cool School Poetry
Students generate a word bank drawing on vocabulary from fifteen school related topics. They use the word bank to write poetry in the styles of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky.
Curated OER
Exploring the Life of a Slave
Eleventh graders explore importance of abolitionists who worked to advance freedoms of black Americans prior to/during Reconstruction era, read and identify key concepts in Frederick Douglass's narrative, recognize how Douglass's slave...
Curated OER
Identify Cultural Influences - Hiawatha
Students explore Native American life and culture. For this Native American lesson, students watch a video segment pertaining to The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Students discuss Native American culture and create...
Royal Canadian Legion
Teachers' Guide: Take Time to Remember
The Royal Canadian Legion offers this teacher's guide designed to remind learners of all ages of the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers in not only World War I but also the Korean and Gulf wars. The 42-page packet is filled with...