National Endowment for the Humanities
American Literary Humor: Mark Twain, George Harris, and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne as a humorist? Really? The three lessons in this series focus on the the storytelling style, conventions, and literary techniques employed by Hawthorne, George Washington Harris, and Mark Twain.
C.S. Lewis Foundation
Study Guide to Mere Christianity
Delve into the arguments central to Christianity as C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity creates a rational case for his religion. Although slightly preachy in its format, this resource fully outlines, in two different sets, the essential...
Curated OER
What Character Comes Next?
Students read the book Do You Want to Be My Friend? and then use pictorial clues to determine which animal would come next. In this character lesson plan, students look at the tail of the animal to predict it.
Curated OER
Story Mapping
Students prewrite a story using graphic organizers. In this prewriting lesson plan, students create a story map before they start their writing.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts
Learners explore language arts by reading and reflecting on literary examples. For this fiction writing lesson, students read several different cultural versions of the story "Cinderella" and discuss their interaction with the story and...
Curated OER
Smoke and Mirrors
Students develop a persuasive peer-to-peer case against smoking. They read two scenarios, perform a skit, and prepare a factual presentation.
Curated OER
Focus On Figurative Language in Prose
High schoolers examine the use of literary prose in the story, "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed." In this literary prose lesson, students investigate the use of imagery, metaphor, and simile in the story. They tell how author's purpose...
Curated OER
Focus on Figurative Language in Prose and Poetry
Students place emphasis on the use of figurative language when analyzing prose and poetry. In this figurative language lesson, students explore the tone of a story and its imagery. Students read and discuss how the author uses imagery in...
National Endowment for the Arts
Reader Resources: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A handy guide offers high schoolers support as they read the American novel, The Great Gatsby. Complete with a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a timeline of the Roaring Twenties, discussion questions about the novel, and more, this...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Using the Coordinate Plane in Problem Solving
Fifth graders practice solving problems. In this fraction and decimal lesson, 5th graders recognize the relationship between fraction and decimals. Students estimate problem results and write expressions to use for problem...
Curated OER
Balancing Act
Second graders identify the attributes of various shapes and estimate the weight of the objects. In this geometry lesson, 2nd graders identify the attributes of concrete objects and use a pan balance to weight them.
Curated OER
Introductory Lesson- Patterns
First graders explore patterns in mathematical context. In this patterns lesson, 1st graders inspect patterns shown to them, copy patterns, complete patterns and create patterns of their own. These patterns are shown by actions, drawing,...
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Curated OER
Exploring Characteristics Needed to Prove Two Trianlges Congruent
Tenth graders explore congruent triangles. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders investigate the conditions necessary to prove two triangles congruent. The lesson combines dry erase board activities and the use of technology.
Curated OER
Engineering - Solid Rock to Building Block
Students role-play as engineers designing wedge tools. They devise methods for shaping quarry rocks into pyramid blocks. Following a teacher demonstration, they use materials such as soap, clay, and foam for blocks and wood, plastic,...
Curated OER
Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Who's got the fastest legs?
Students use a stopwatch to collect information for a scatterplot. For this fastest legs lessons, students collect data through the taking of measurements, create and find a median number. Students develop an equation and...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Exploring Korea
A thorough and fun lesson on Korea! In groups of four (Social Chair, Historian, Translator, Travel Agent) class members research North and South Korea to determine a good location for an overseas institute for studying abroad. Once this...
EngageNY
Gathering Evidence and Drafting a Two-Voice Poem (Chapter 13: "Los Duraznos/Peaches")
Begin class with a short comprehension quiz and review and then move into a new genre: two-voice poems. The activity provides information about this type of poetry as well as a video example made by eighth graders that you can show your...
Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust
Seeking Refuge: Then and Now
Participants examine refugee law and policies and read several case studies to prepare for a discussion of this hot-button issue. The packet includes a wide range of materials representing a variety perspectives.
Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust
That’s Not Fair!
As part of a series of critical thinking exercises, kids consider issues of social justice, especially the factors that must be considered when trying to balance conflicting rights and freedoms.
Channel Islands Film
First Contact: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 5-6
After watching Treasure in the Sea, a documentary about Channel Islands National Park and the video First Contact, about the voyage of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to the Channel islands, groups research and then compare the...
Curated OER
Doctor DeSoto's Foxy Persuasion
Who is Doctor DeSoto? Start by playing a video clip (included). Discuss different methods of persuasion, and then analyze two different persuasive letter examples. What should your class be looking for? Send them off to work in groups...
EngageNY
The Painted Essay for Opinion Writing: The Introductory Paragraph
The answer is blowin' in the wind. Using the resource, scholars read and analyze a model essay about wind power. Next, they work in groups to write an introductory paragraph that expresses an opinion about the topic.