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Playing with History
Students consider the elements that make computer games compelling, then use these elements to develop game 'narratives' based on historic events.
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Show Me the Story
Learners examine the elements of a story, read a review of Chris Rock's new sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris" and create original sitcom episodes based on their own lives.
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The Perfect City
Young scholars analyze group influences on people, events and culture. They design their own perfect society and report it to the class.
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Sequencing The Three Billy Goats Gruff
First graders participate in sequencing activities. In this sequencing lesson, 1st graders read the book the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Students retell the story and act out the scenes in groups. Students create a mural of the story...
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Foods and Languages of the World
Students study world cultures with an emphasis on languages and cultures. In this world cultures lesson, students study the countries of Spain, China, Italy, and the United States. Students read the story Everybody Cooks Rice and move...
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Writing Folktales
Students consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills lesson, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Students then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as types of tales...
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Creative Writing
Students create a story with a beginning, middle and an ending. They also read and analyze another's story.
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The Lorax Explorations
Students read and debate the purpose of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, analyze its story elements, and write their own The Lorax II.
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The New Fant-"Asia": Contrasting Animated and Live-Action Filmmaking
Students consider different stories and story-telling techniques of animated and live-action filmmaking, write proposals for animated films, and storyboard individual scenes.
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Was Goldilocks Innocent or Guilty?
Fourth graders act out a mock fairy tale trial. They use a fairy tale like "The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Hansel and Grete"l, and/or "Little Red Riding Hood".
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The Teller of the Tale, Part 3
Students practice use of volume, stress, pacing, enunciation, eye contact, and gestures needed to meet the needs of the audience when presenting their own tales based on Chaucer. They receive teacher and student feedback and prepare to...
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Reading Restaurant
Third graders complete book reports. They are given the following jobs; chef, who organizes them into genres; maître d', who calls students to share the menu; and waiters/waitresses, who take orders for books from customers, pass out...
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Carousel Brainstorm Book Report
Students participate in a group review activity to analyze and discuss a book they have all read. They write a paragraph summarizing the findings related to one of the topics. Older students might summarize three topics or all the topics.
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Marvelous Mysteries
Fifth graders explore mystery stories. For this reading and writing lesson, 5th graders complete a planning guide for an original mystery. Students use the writing process to create a mystery story.
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"Owl" A Haitian Folk Tale
Eighth graders read and discuss the Haitian folktale, "Owl." They compare it to the story, "Brer Possum's Dilemma," using a Venn diagram to show how they are different and alike. In groups, they retell the story in a skit format.
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Amazing Animal Alliteration Book
Students understand the meaning of alliteration. In this alliteration lesson, students write sentences using alliteration and recognize how it changes the writing in a story.
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Beginning with Bosch
Students explore surrealism through the artwork of Hieronymus Bosch. In this surrealism lesson, students understand the characteristics of the art of Bosch and create an original artwork and poem to go with it.
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A is for Area, B is for Billion
Students interact with math terminology in preparation for standardized assessment. In this math terminology and online storybook instructional activity, students create their own booklets of math terms based on each letter of the...
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Panther Exam: Writing a Play
Students demonstrate their knowledge of panthers by writing a play on the subject. In this animal life lesson, students view a slide-show on school computers of a veterinary exam of a panther. Students utilize this...
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Writing Myths
Students read and write myths. In this world mythology instructional activity, 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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More Than Anything Else
Second graders investigate the life of Booker T. Washington by reading a biography. In this biographical lesson, 2nd graders read the story More Than Anything Else, and examine the geographical locations Washington once resided...
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Acting on the Farm
Second graders are assigned reading and acting parts by drawing out pieces of paper with an animal. They find their group by making the sound of the animal once everyone has drawn a paper. They then read and choose parts within their...
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The Time I Got Lost
Third graders go through the writing process but substitute paper and pencil with the computer to create a story about "The Time I Got Lost".
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Pipe-Cleaner Stick Figures
Second graders create puppets out of pipe cleaners and, in groups, put on a puppet show based on a section of a story they have read from their readers.