Lesson Plan
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Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
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Women Call Out: The Personal Narrative

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After reading and discussing several personal narratives written by women in the 1920's, class members write a personal narrative of their own about a time in their lives they felt controlled. Sample narratives can be accessed through...
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Literary Elements in Of Mice and Men

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders review an exercise, after reading most of the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. They demonstrate a range of literary elements such as conflict, symbolism, setting, and foreshadowing. Students also are able to provide...
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Feed Just One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners reflect on the life of Mother Teresa. In this character education lesson, students are introduced to Mother Teresa and how she exemplified caring for others. Learners read a short biography about her and answer questions about...
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Feed Just One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. For this Mother Teresa lesson, students read a biography of Mother Teresa and discuss her attitude and contributions. Students then respond to questions regarding the materials presented.
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Fairytale Cake

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Learners recreate characters from the story, "The Fairytale Cake." In this fairy tale characterization lesson plan, students first listen to fairy tales read aloud. They then use play dough and plastic bowls as pretend "cakes and icing",...
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Mussel Identification Activity

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify given species of animals, such as various mussels, by sets of physical characteristics as they use a key. They also read about mussels on the Illinois River and look at mussel species in the online database. Finally,...
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Writing: Lesson 7

For Teachers 8th
Teacher reads aloud to the students the material that is printed in boldface type inside the boxes. Information in regular type inside the boxes and all information outside the boxes should not be read to the students. Possible student...
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The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners study the history of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They read a story, view photos of the disaster, and complete a comprehension worksheet.
Lesson Plan
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Robinson Crusoe: The Original "Survivor"!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read and analyze Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and participate in problem solving activity similar to television show, Survivor. Eight lessons on one page.
Lesson Plan
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Plot Mobiles

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students read folktales and identify the plot of the story by making a mobile. For this inventive and colorful lesson, students listen to a variety of famous folktales, and practice identifying the plot. Then, they work together to...
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Cinderella Is A Fella

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify the universal theme in the Cinderella story. In this fairy tale lesson, 2nd graders develop their vocabularies as they read a variation of Cinderella.
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Sequencing: Pictures Tell a Story

For Teachers K - 8th
Students listen to a story and observe five illustrations of the main events drawn by the teacher. They arrange the illustrations in sequential order. Then, working in groups of five, they read stories and select five events, one for...
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Lesson Plan for Korea: P'ansori

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders read different versions of P'ansori in an attempt to gain exposure to this form of literature. They gain information in order to help understand the context of how they are part of the Korean culture.
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Post-Civil War American History

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine significant events in Post-Civil War America. In this Post-Civil War lesson, 5th graders investigate the important events after the war in 19th century America. They read primary source documents about six topics...
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Poetry and Visualization

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use visualization techniques when reading poetry.  In this visualization and poetry lesson, students work in groups to present a tableau that depicts a word from the poem as classmates guess the word.  Students then...
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Esperanza Rising: Lesson 7

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discuss the vocabulary word, "migrate" and what it means and how it relates to the novel they are reading, Esperanza Rising.  For this novel lesson, 6th graders read chapter 7 of their novel in small groups and...
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Holocaust Theme

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete a unit of lessons on the events of the Holocaust during WWII. They write daily journal entries, create a collage, view and discuss videos, read and analyze novels and poetry, and complete a novel project.
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Food Chain/Food Web

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore ecosystems. For this ecology lesson, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
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Through Thick and Thin: Examining the Dynamics of Friendship Relationships

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners read one teen's story of dealing with her best friend's anorexia to explore the dynamics of friendship relationships and the qualities needed to sustain a friendship through challenges.
Lesson Plan
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Autobiographies: A Jigsaw Puzzle

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners read The Autobiography of Ben Franklin. Using construction paper, they cut out five jigsaw puzzle pieces in different shapes using the entire sheet of paper. They write events from their own lives on the puzzle pieces, thus...
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Put the Elephant First

For Teachers K
Students recreate the order of animals they read about in a book. In this relative positions lesson plan, students color and cut out pictures of animals in the book. Sudents glue these onto construction paper and line up like the...
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Seven Fat Cats

For Teachers 1st
First graders listen to a read aloud of "Seven Fat Cats" matching rhyming, beginning, ending and vowel sounds.
Lesson Plan
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Creature Creation

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to a read aloud of a fictional story about a frog. They compare the characteristics of the main character with a real frog. They work with two partners to create a creature; one student draw the head, one the body,...