Students analyze the meanings and patterns of a folk tale. They respond in their reading journals to the following prompts: How do you feel about the way "The Talking Goat" ended? Why? Which did you like better: your group's predicted...

Third graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark, and discuss "needs" versus "wants". They listen to a story, plan for a journey like Lewis and Clark, create a list of supplies, and...

Students discuss how to protect the environment through civic activism. They watch a video about someone who stood up to the government to protect the environment. They also identify something in their community that could be improved.

Students read a traditional story from India and discover how two people can see the event in different ways. Using their own experiences, they examine how each of their classmates is affected by them in how to read a situation. They...

Young scholars determine that a quest is central to many folk stories. They name stories from their own literary traditions that involve quests and write their own, incorporating a quest. They design a board game that illustrates the...

Students examine the economic, health, and environmental risks of a one-crop economy in the developing world. They explain how or why it can be challenging for people of one culture to understand the lifestyle of a different society.

Students in an ESL class read "Ivan the Fool", a folktale from Russia. In groups, they work with their partner to read the material and discuss what they have read. They write down any vocabulary they are unfamiliar with and write a...

Learners compare resolving contrasting values between cultures. They probe the deeper meanings of a story by a peace Corp worker and the questions it raises. They study the Maimafu villagers who accompanied the Peace Corps Volunteers...

Young sociologists identify how technology has impacted the traditional culture of Romania as they read and discuss "Just an Ordinary Day'" by Nina Porzucki. A lesson encourages learners to study Romania's history and present,...

How has culture shaped you? Middle and high schoolers examine different aspects of one's culture, including religious beliefs, social customs, and family traditions, and discuss the ways that their personalities have been formed by these...

Pupils explore what it means to have wealth in Mali and in the United States. In this economics lesson plan, students read "Music in the Fields." Student groups answer discussion questions.  Pupils reflect on the purpose music...

Young scholars read The Train Ride Home by Robin Solomon. In this literature response lesson plan, students will inspect the writing of Solomon to determine how she established a certain tone through her word choice...

Young scholars explore the concept of crossing cultures through reading the stories "Help! My Father is Coming!" and "The Visit to Vijay's." In this culture lesson, students predict what will happen next in the stories. Young scholars...

Students build upon their knowledge of the Corps of Discovery to research and explain the significance of gifts given to American Indians by Lewis and Clark.

Students resolve a cross-cultural misunderstanding in a constructive manner. They read about the way in which individuals in the Dominican Republic misunderstood an American Peace Corps Volunteer who was doing something that in the...

Students investigate just what a tsunami is, what causes it, how fast it travels, what it looks like, and its devastating effects upon landfall. They read the experience of a former Peace Corps Volunteer who went to Sri Lanka after it...

Students examine water issues in Africa. In this global issues lesson, students complete a webquest that requires them gather information. Students use the information to prepare for a World Water Summit simulation.

Students investigate the social effects of hurricanes. In this social studies instructional activity, students assume the persona of residents of the Dominican Republic and write diary entries and letters regarding the devastation caused...

Students access prior knowledge to choose a country and research the living conditions in that country. In this living conditions activity, students recognize the differences and similarities of conditions of another country to ours....

Students explore Green Construction. For this lesson based on the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, students gain insight into alternative construction in Guatemala. They examine the pros and cons of using alternative building...

Students examine the country of Mongolia and how it is trying to form a democracy. As a class, they participate in a class meeting about a new class rule and they voice their opinions. They read excerpts of a letter of a Peace Corps...

Students examine what it takes to make a hero. The respond in their journals to the following prompts: What did I learn about friendship and heroism from reading and thinking about "I Had a Hero"? What did this story teach me about the...

Students examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.

Students take up the challenge of deciding what to do when confronted by a difficult and awkward situation. They read the story and highlight sentences or phrases that have particular meaning to them and think about and discuss a...