Curated OER
The Ad Campaign
Students explore how political candidates use mass media to deliver their messages to voters. Focusing on specific issues in the upcoming election, students create television commercials representing different parties' views.
Curated OER
Night Golf Classroom Guide
Students read the story "Night Golf" and respond to questions that enhance their comprehension of the book's message. In this reading lesson, students participate in a literature circle to explore reading passages. Students personalize...
Curated OER
Break the Pentomino Code!
Students read and analyze the book, Chasing Vermeer. They discuss the main story elements, analyze how pentominoes are important to the story, use a pentomino code to decipher a message, and create a secret code of their own.
Curated OER
The Medium is the Message: Covering the Final Chapter of the Elian Gonzalez Story
Students discuss the case of Elian Gonzalez and collaborate in small groups to act as editors in assigning facts, quotes, and details to be included in a newspaper article. They judge the accuracy of their predictions.
Reed Novel Studies
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: Novel Study
If the walls could talk, you might hear Hugo from The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Hugo lives in the walls of a train stations in Paris. Scholars read and complete worksheet activities as they discover Hugo's secrets. They show their...
Curated OER
Satire and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Does Mark Twain’s satire become sarcasm and does he cross the line of propriety in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? As an introduction of satire, class members view an excerpt from The Daily Show and discuss Stewart's use of this...
Anthropological Association
Race: Teacher Guide: Race
How has the concept of race changed over time? Explore the genetic, cultural, and social aspects of race through a series of impactful activities. Scholars discover how race is influenced by inherited traits, examine census records to...
Curated OER
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Students find themes in folktales. In this folktale lesson plan, students read different folktales from Africa to find what message the author wants the reader to learn. They read "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" by Verna Aardema,...
Curated OER
African Dance: Drumbeat In Our Feet
Second graders read "African Dance: Drumbeat in Our Feet". In groups, they identify the message of the story and discuss a personal experience that relates to a part of the book. They practice reading fluently as a class and making...
Curated OER
Boosting Rap's Rep
Students consider the negative image that some have of rap and hip-hop music through discussion and reading an opinion piece from The New York Times. They create CD cover artwork reflecting these messages.
Curated OER
Re-Viewpoints From 2002
Students explore how editorials use various devices to convey a message to a reader. They select key news topics from 2002 and write their own editorials.
Curated OER
Chaucer's "The Prioress' Tale"
Students examine Anti-Semitism in literature. In this Chaucer instructional activity, students review the concept of blood libel and then identify and analyze the Anti-Semitic message of "The Prioress' Tale."
Curated OER
Mail Bonding
Students explore different forms of communication via the Internet and the effects these electronic mediums have on social relationships. They compose e-mail messages and predict the gender of authors of anonymous e-mail messages of...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons: Thinking Broadly, Communicating Succinctly
Students think broadly about the tsunami disaster and its aftermath through studying cartoons. Students critically think about the literary devices the authors/artists use, such as satire, metaphor and personification.
Curated OER
Using West African Gold Weights and African Masks as a Way of Communication
Eighth graders discuss how communication, or lack thereof, can have either a favorable or detrimental effect on a community. They study and interpret proverbs as a means of teaching a activity. Finally they discuss symbolism and design...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Cinderella
Reading fairy tales is so much fun! Learners use dramatic play to assist them in defining and expressing the main theme found in the story of Cinderella. Each group is given a story card and will create a tableau based on the main point...
Curated OER
Mitten Lesson Plan
Learners compare The Mitten by Jan Brett to other versions of the same story, then create their own version. In this early childhood lesson plan, students create their own version of The Mitten, then use software to record a podcast. ...
Curated OER
Enemy Pie
Third graders pair up with a partner via an online classroom. They analyze half of the story "Enemy Pie" and communicate with their online peer to predict the outcome of the story.
Curated OER
Connection Stems
Students connect their lives to a story or nonfiction text. In this reading connections lesson, students make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections as they complete connections stems based on a story.
Curated OER
The Lorax Explorations
Learners read and debate the purpose of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, analyze its story elements, and write their own The Lorax II.
Curated OER
Television Newscasts
When we watch news broadcasts on television, we receive a much more visual perspective than when we read the newspaper. How do sets, clothing, and music contribute to our understanding of the story? Compare American and Canadian news...
Clark County School District
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
A thorough lesson plan takes your first grade class through Jane Yolen's beautiful Owl Moon. It crafts the unit with clear objectives, high-level guiding questions, cloze activities and sentence frames, and extension activities at the...
Curated OER
You've Got Spam
What is spam mail? Discuss examples of spam mail and read about the "Can Spam Act." After reading the New York Times article attached, brainstorm why the act hasn't had much impact yet. Several discussion questions are listed.
Candlewick Press
A Classroom Guide to Peter H. Reynolds's Creatrilogy
Help young readers find, identify, and use their voices with a set of empowering activities based on Peter H. Reynolds' trilogy of books. Sky Color, Ish, and The Dot focus on recognizing moods and treating each other kindly, and their...