Young historians discover African stories associated with a royal altar tusk from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria, read myths illustrated on the tusk, and write a story about the life of an oba using figures depicted on the tusk.

Students explore philanthropy in literature. In this literature lesson, students read text from three different genres that all have a moral. Students compare and contrast these pieces of literature, focusing on the character traits that...

Have your class explore Buddhist Jataka Tales to compare and contrast them to European fables. After defining fables, Jataka tales, and the elements of each, learners identify themes and patterns for both types of narratives and the...

Terror, mystery, excitement. American writers of the 19th century, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson, used these elements to create morally ambiguous tales that challenged the prevailing belief in...

Middle schoolers define the terms fable and folktale. They write a fable to illustrate a Latino proverb. Students are explained that a folktale is a story passed down through the oral tradition of a particular culture. A fable is a...

Invite your class to learn about the first regular US army unit composed of black soldiers during the Civil War with the film Glory. This website reviews the historical accuracy of the movie, offers pre- and post-viewing handouts, and...

The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...

Young scholars examine Nathaniel Hawthorne's style of humor and compare it to other humorists. They discuss the purpose of literary humor and determine how it develops characters and plots in stories. They analyze the use of different...

Students investigate Chinese culture by reading their folk tales.  For this creative writing lesson, students practice identifying the different elements in a folk tale and examine the related vocabulary.  Students organize...

While Thirteen Days is a fantastic film to use in the classroom in reference to the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis, it is important to take care to effectively and properly incorporate its contents into your curriculum. This...

In this African literature learning exercise, students read "The Gentleman and the Jungle," and then respond to 6 short answers questions about the African folk tale.

Learners explore the basic concept of micro-financing. In this economics/literacy instructional activity, students listen to One Hen by Katie Smith, in which a small loan changes the life of the main character. Learners employ...

Students examine the beliefs and history of the religion by studying mythology and sayings. They compare the beliefs of Confucian culture to American culture and share their information as class by an informal teacher lead discussion.

Fifth graders study "justice" and "values" as illustrated through fables. The determine that some of the fables in the U.S. are relatively similar to those fables in other parts of the world. They write and illustrate their own fables.

Students examine 19th century gender roles. In this gender roles lesson, students read "The Daughter-in-Law" and discuss their impressions of etiquette and gender roles in the 19th century. Students write etiquette guides that address...

Fifth graders explore the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For this human rights lesson, 5th graders create their own country, country flag, and charter of rights and freedoms after they have studied the Canadian Charter of...

In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons that feature literary allusion and pop culture. Students respond to 2 talking point questions.

Students read and discuss a book on etiquette. They create their own book of etiquette.