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Fractured Families in American Drama

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers 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. High schoolers research information about the playrights and...
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Haunting Music

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover music that was inspired by the spooky and bizarre. In this music of Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saens lesson, students identify elements of music and listen to the Symphonie Fantastique and Danse Macabre....
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Moccasins Are Made for Dancing

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson plan, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior...
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Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students study the different types of volcanoes and how they erupt.  In this volcano lesson students identify where volcanoes are most prevalent and options for predicting eruptions. 
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Exploring the Daoist worldview

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students study the accompanying quotes from the Dao dejing, the Zhuangzi and other Daoist writings. They determine particular implications for knowledge issues and ways of knowing.
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An American Scene Painter

For Teachers Pre-K - 4th
Students study the work of American scene painter Charles Burchfield. In this visual arts lesson, students research the nature paintings of Burchfield and then paint their own watercolor scenes in his style.
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Medieval and Renaissance Art: Botanical Symbolism

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study the significance of flowers in art from two periods. For this Medieval and Renaissance art lesson, students research the presence and meaning of botanical illustrations in twelfth, thirtieth, and fourteenth century...
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Set a Poem to Music

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the role of rhythm and meter in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry and use their music skills to set picture book poetry to music by creating "singable" poems.
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Twain: Tom Sawyer—Mythic Adventurer

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a closer look at archetypes. In this characterization lesson plan, students examine the setting and the characters of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as they read and analyze the novel. Students consider how Twain mythically...
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Get Dramatic: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explain reducing, recycling and reusing. In this science/ arts instructional activity, students create a commercial and display a backdrop made out of recycled goods. Additionally, students write written responses to writing...
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You're Invited to a Ceili: Exploring Irish Dance

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars recognize a Ceili as an Irish dance of celebration and investigate Ireland while studying the dance.  In this Irish dance lesson, students search the geography of Ireland, read poetry, identify costumes, draw and...
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Family Interviews: The Grandparent/Elder Project

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars explore key concepts/facts in 20th Century history, develop interview questions, and produce master list of questions that can be used in project. Students then interview grandparent, great-grandparent, or other elder...
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Reliving History Through Slave Narratives

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery activity, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples....
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Deep Roots of Ancient Greece

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate Greek contributions to modern America. For this ancient Greek influence lesson, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding ancient Greek ideals in order to analyze and trace Greek...
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Exploring Russian Folktales

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine Russian Folktales. In this folklore lesson, students discuss the attributes of common folktales they know and then discover details regarding Russian folktales. Young scholars read 3 folktales and then complete the...
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Explorers’ Experience

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills instructional activity, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Students design and create relief maps that...
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Lift Every Voice and Sing

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze sculpture, poetry, and music to gain an understanding of historical events. In this critical thinking skills instructional activity, students take a closer look at African-American history as they examine "Lift Every...
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Writing Myths

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read and write myths. In this world mythology lesson plan, students read and analyze myths from various cultures and then recognize their attributes as they write their own myths that explain natural phenomena.
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Interpreting Mythology Through Dance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use abstract movement to tell the story of Re's journey. In this ancient Egypt lesson, students choreograph locomotor and non-locomotor movements to describe ancient Egyptian journeys to the afterlife as described in Egyptian...
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Discovering National Parks

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students work to preserve American National Parks. In this environmental activism lesson, students research the history of the national parks and determine why they were created. Students then focus on protecting the land, using it for...
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Twain: Steamboat's a-Comin'

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discover how rivers inspire creative expression.  In this Mark Twain lesson, students list songs about rivers and discuss common characteristics. They locate the Mississippi River on a map and write a script in which a...
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Woodwind Instruments and Pitch

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore musical pitch. In this cross curriculum musical instruments and "sound" physics instructional activity, students identify and describe common traits of woodwind instruments. Students research "pitch" and what causes...
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Basic Search Methods Using Online Resources

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders practice using technology to gather information. In this online research lesson, 2nd graders use technology to find information for a research project. Students write a research paper, and give a presentation to the class...
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A Very Short History of the English Language

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students apply their knowledge of world history to research major influences on the language that has become the English we speak today; develop timeline of events in Britain and explain contributions of various invading groups to the...