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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The John Travolta Syndrome

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the influence of music and film on contemporary fashion. In this popular culture lesson, students research select films featuring John Travolta. Students research selected time periods in American history as well....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students analyze the conventions used in Noh plays and write an introduction to a Noh play of their own. In this Noh play instructional activity, students identify the conventions of the Noh form and analyze the realizations the main...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Christmas Bells

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners read and analyze the anti-slavery poem, "Christmas Bells" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. They discuss the content and form of the poem, write an essay, write an original poem, examine how this anti-slavery poem was converted...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Plot and Setting

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine plot and setting of Cinderella, and how it changes as it is translated into different cultures, discuss universal literary elements of the Cinderella story, and write narratives with original settings and plots...
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Lesson Plan
Little Kids Rock

The Influence of Latin Music in Postwar New York City

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Music has often been called the international language that transcends cultures and regions. Scholars analyze the impact of Latin American music on New York City culture in the years following World War II. They research music, video,...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Kate Chopin's The Awakening: Searching for Women and Identity in Chopin's "The Awakening"

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The final lesson of a three-part series on Kate Chopin's The Awakening has scholars investigate life as a woman in late nineteenth-century America. They research the role of women in society through the eyes of the characters in the...
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Lesson Plan
2
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Ethic in Text and Film

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Young scholars research the social context of Elizabethan England for Shakespeare's "Hamlet". They identify cultural influences on the play focusing on the theme of revenge and then analyze and compare film interpretations of the play.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial Trades and Apprenticeships

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine and analyze culturally significant objects from colonial Boston. They construct a story around the life and work of Nathaniel Hurd from a list of keywords excerpted from a passage about Nathaniel Hurd. In addition,...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Picture This - Stars Over Hoke

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
The classroom becomes a safe and inclusive place for your ELLs as they create documents about their lives. Learners create, read, and present story books based on their own personal experiences. They use digital cameras to take...
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Unit Plan
NPR

Exploring the American Dream

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What is the American Dream? When did this term first gain popularity? Intermediate and advanced English language learners discuss the idea of the American Dream and conduct out-of-class interviews with those who immigrated to the US. On...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hold On to Your Hats

For Teachers K - 5th
Elementary schoolers study the symbolism and influences found in advertising. First, they learn about the history and cultural significance of the Summer Official's Hat that was a symbol of status in ancient China. Then, they access...
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Lesson Plan
National Literacy Trust

Mark The Bard!

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing Jane Eyre

For Teachers 8th - 12th
"How can a magazine reflect a particular time and culture?" Using this prompt, your class explores the Victorian Era as it relates to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. They can also play the "Victorian Women's Rights" game for the year 1840...
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Worksheet
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Curated OER

Student Opinion: How Far Would You Go for Fashion?

For Students 7th - 12th
Is being uncomfortable worth it if you look good? Inspire discussion about fashion and culture with a brief New York Times article about painful fashion. Whether used as a persuasive essay prompt or as a discussion starter, class members...
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Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Alien Beauty

For Teachers K - 5th
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," is a popular phrase in our society. The lesson here puts the phrase to the test as pupils explore what truly is beautiful through a study of some Japanese folk art. A careful examination of the...
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Contrary to popular belief, the monster's name in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is not Frankenstein. A teacher's guide for the novel helps readers make sense of key details in the text, define vocabulary words, and discuss prominent...
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Activity
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Council for Economic Education

Mercantilists and the Midas Touch

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
What is the connection between greed and mercantilism? Historians consider this question by analyzing a fairy-tale like story about King Midas from the nineteenth century. The background information and excerpt help pupils understand the...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Identifying the Characters, Settings, and Conflicts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars form a drama circle and begin reading Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They also use a play map to identify the setting, characters, and conflicts from the text.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Tudor Entertainment Crossword

For Students 6th - 7th
For this English history worksheet, students read 20 clues about entertainment in the Tudor culture. Students complete a crossword puzzle with their answers.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cycle of Life

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders search for rites of passage in their own lives and study rites of other cultural groups in Louisiana and around the world. They assess how to recognize moments of importance in people's lives and find meaning in the stages...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan PROMPT: Not Just Halloween: Festivals of the Dead Around the World

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research information about Halloween and other cultural festivals of the dead. In this festivals of the dead lesson, students use the assigned website to examine All Hallow's Eve, the Obon, or Los Dias de los Muertos. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mythopoly: Where in the World Is Odysseus?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study Greek mythology. Among other activities, they evaluate a work of art and discuss the influence, significance, and history as it pertains to mythology. As a culminating activity they create a board game that shows their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vietnam Revisited

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the impact of the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam and popular culture lesson, students research and plot major events in the conflict. Students interview people regarding their memories of the war and watch the movie " The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dictation: Cultural Differences

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this dictation text worksheet, pupils take dictation on a passage about cultural differences.  The passage includes vocabulary specific to the topic.