Mr. Roughton
Reformation Dossiers
If you were living during the Reformation and had to choose between arresting Henry VIII, Pope Leo X, or the Grand Inquisitor of the Catholic Church, who would you pick? This engaging assignment will have your young historians critically...
Curated OER
The Birth of a Dynasty
Students view a video about the rise of the Medici family of Renaissance Italy. They complete a chart comparing Medieval Europe to Renaissance Italy.
Curated OER
VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 3
Students examine the blues, poetry, the Harlem Renaissance, and the 12-bar blues form. They watch a segment from the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion, and listen to songs by Ray Charles and a poem by...
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Royal Shakespeare Company's New Theatre
Learners brainstorm the names of Shakespeare's plays and read an article about a new theatre. They complete worksheets about the plays. In groups, they play a game where they give clues about films or plays and others try to guess the...
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Jazz in America
Students explore the Swing Era and its implications. They answer questions and listen to music from the era.
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Romeo and Juliet Quiz
"Wherefore art thou Romeo?" These simple multiple-choice questions focus on Romeo and Juliet. Focusing on reading comprehension, this quiz can be a quick check to see if students are reading. A few are tricky!
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Bubonic Plague Role Play
Students, by doing the role play, develop, in groups of 3 or 4, a hypothesis for the cause of the Bubonic Plague during the Renaissance.
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A Common Thread: The Significance of Wool In Midieval England
Sixth graders fill in a KWL chart and participate in a simulation of role playing about the Renaissance. In this Renaissance lesson plan, 6th graders learn how agriculture affected the culture of Midieval England.
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The Renaissance
Fifth graders examine the rise of the Renaissance and the contributions and roles of various groups such as ancient Greeks, Muslim scholars, the aristocracy, the Catholic Church, and tradesmen. They develop and write a report on a...
General Motors Corporation
Jazz
Over the history of the world, music has been at the heart of some of the greatest social and political movements. Scholars discover their musical roots as they dive into the sounds and emotions of renowned jazz players. They see how...
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Not Everyone Lived in Castles During the Middle Ages
Students complete a variety of online activities surrounding their study of the Middle Ages. They focus on the various levels of the class sytem and then role play a member of a given class.
Jazz Academy
Let Freedom Swing
Three lessons in the Let Freedom Swing concert tour resource guide packed with information, materials, and activities that provide the context for any study of American history.
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Violin" by Nikki Wallschlaeger
Nikki Wallschlaeger's Violin is the featured poem in a instructional activity that uses music and multiple readings to delve deep into its analysis. After a writing warm-up, learners watch and listen to a video that showcases Regina...
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Comedia dell' Arte Paper Masks
Pupils create masks from the Italian Renaisance theatre and use them in one-act plays they write. they analyze the role and development of theatre in world cultures.
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The Poetry of Langston Hughes
Young scholars read aloud Langston Hughes poems. They select a poem and read aloud to music.
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Hero vs. Claudio: A Case of Slander
High schoolers research marriage customs of the Renaissance, discuss and debate the issues raised by Claudio repudiating Hero at the altar in the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing, and then stage a mock trial accusing Claudio of...
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Experiencing Japanese Feudalism
Students identify that a system of feudalism similar to that of medieval Europe developed in Japan by 1300. Students identify the social hierarchy of feudal Japan. Students identify what the cultural basis for the relationships among...
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Racism, Gender, Ethnicity, and Aesthetics in the Art of Graffiti
Students describe how graffiti is a part of everyday culture. They develop basic vocabulary terms for thinking and writing about graffiti and make and justify judgments about aesthetics qualities in graffiti art. They compare and...
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Othello's Predecessors: Moors in Renaissance Popular Literature
Students gather textual citations from Othello, discuss stereotypes that they hold, examine primary source materials, and write character profiles.
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Midsummer Night's Dream Unit
Students use the Internet to research one of Shakespeare's plays. They read two myths and create their own script for the play. They also examine the history of Ancient Greece.
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Identity in A Raisin in the Sun
Ninth graders read the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," and participate in a class discussion about "identity." They discuss racial identity and examine and interpret how community influences a personal identity. They demonstrate how...
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The Bard, the Globe, the Midsummer Night's Dream
Students complete a unit of lessons to learn about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students complete 7 lessons of activities to study William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre, and the play 'A...
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Ancient World
Sixth graders play a powerpoint jeopardy game. This can be used as a test or as a way to review information. This is a culminating test for our unit on Ancient Worlds. The jeopardy game is based on goals in math, language arts, and...
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Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: A Dual Exploration of Macbeth
Students emulate a key practice of Renaissance theater: doubling. The goal of this lesson is for students to experience-to see, hear, and feel-the differences between characters. Each group presents scenes to the rest of the class.