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Escape from Reality: Miro and Surrealism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the artwork of Joan Miro. In this art appreciation instructional activity, students research the life and work of Miro as a surreal artist. Students create their own surreal art as they follow Miro's techniques.
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One Story, Many Tales

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare and contrast Cinderella stories. In this folktale lesson, students discuss the attributes of the genre and then read and research different cultural versions of the tale. Students present their findings to their classmates.
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Playing with Puns

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the wit of characters in two plays. In this drama lesson, students read The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary L. Blackwood and Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Students analyze the puns used in both plays and write essays that...
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The Poetics of Hip Hop

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers consider the role of rhythm, form, diction, and sound in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry as they analyze Shakespearean sonnets, hip hop music lyrics, and poems by...
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Patricia Polacco, Author and Illustrator

For Teachers K - 5th
Students conduct Internet research about the studenT author and illustrator Patricia Polacco. They compose letters to Ms. Polacco and, after revising and editing their work, send them in the mail.
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Fair Trade

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss philanthropy. In this fair trade lesson, students discover the meaning of fair trade. They are given the definition and work in small groups to read further on the topic and answer questions. This lesson includes...
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Speech and Language Samples

For Teachers K - 12th
Students tell a story, describe a picture, share about a favorite toy from home and are recorded using an iPod with a voice recorder. They create a playlist of their voice and reading samples to illustrate progression over time.
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The Legacy of Emerson and Thoreau

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders are introduced to Transcendentalism through the writing of Emerson and Thoreau. They keep a journal in which they respond to quotes and prompts. Students write longer essays on conformity, being alone and a "field...
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Expression!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students organize ways of reading expressively as well as fluently. They encounter books by Dr. Seuss within this lesson plan. Practice, practice and more practice makes perfect. Punctuation marks are reviewed for accuracy.
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Curated OER

Getting to Know You

For Teachers Pre-K
Students read a book about understanding differences.  In this getting to know you lesson, students sit in a circle, roll a ball to each other and tell one thing about themselves when they get the ball.  Students read the book...
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Using Words to Work Things Out

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students explore classroom community building. In this character development and community building instructional activity, students listen to Hands Are Not for Hitting and generate a class list of positive ways to handle classroom...
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African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  In this WWII lesson plan, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.
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Exploring Russian Folktales

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine Russian Folktales. In this folklore lesson plan, students discuss the attributes of common folktales they know and then discover details regarding Russian folktales. Students read 3 folktales and then complete the...
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Elements of Fables

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the attributes of fables. In this literature lesson, students read several fables and identify the moral lesson, characterization, and figurative language in each. Students then retell their favorite fables in their own...
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Explorers’ Experience

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills lesson, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Learners design and create relief maps that feature exploration...
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Giving Voice to History

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners examine the plight of Japanese Americans during World War II. In this World War II lesson plan, students participate in a mock evocation simulation, research primary and secondary documents about internment camps, and share...
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Immigrating to America

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study the American immigration experience. In this Ellis Island lesson, students research primary documents from the immigration station, take a tour of the station, and then prepare and perform dramatic presentations based on...
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Set a Poem to Music

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the role of rhythm and meter in poetry. For this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry and use their music skills to set picture book poetry to music by creating "singable" poems.
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Cinderella Trilogy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars look at three different versions of the Cinderella story. In this comparative literature lesson plan, students read the Chinese version "Yeh-Shen", the Egyptian version "Rhodopis," and the Native American version "The...
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Comparing Cultural Holidays

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students discover facts about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. For this compare and contrast lesson, students explore Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Students create an alter to memorialize a family member or friend that has...
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Reading Help Wanted Ads

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore employment by analyzing the newspaper. In this wanted ads lesson, students identify the importance of job selection and job growth while reading entries in the wanted ads for employment opportunities. Students answer...
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Riddle Poem

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders practice writing skills by writing riddle poems using adjectives to describe vegetables.
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TOTAL LITERATURE SERIES

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders listen and react to the book Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. They write in their journals every day approximately one page or more as a reflection on the reading.
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The Terminology of Governance

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the parts of Canada's federal system of government. They construct a concept web using the terms related to government and the institutions of Canada. They make lists that relate to Canadian and American government.