Introduce your class members to allegory and propaganda with a series of activities designed to accompany a study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Readers examine the text as an allegory, consider the parallels to collective farms...

Young scholars research the social context of Elizabethan England for Shakespeare's "Hamlet". They identify cultural influences on the play focusing on the theme of revenge and then analyze and compare film interpretations of the play.

Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...

"X" is for exaggeration, and "F" is for fact. To encourage close reading and to improve literary analysis skills, class members annotate fables and tall tales, like Paul Bunyan, with symbols that identify key features of this genre.

The guide to John Steinbeck's The Pearl suggests ways instructors can help readers see below the surface of the novella to the parable beneath. Through a variety of activities, readers come to appreciate the complexity of the tale.

Learners identify and define definitions of beauty and perfection in Chinese and Japanese art and compare those definitions to other cultural beliefs and societies. This lesson includes a two-part lesson evaluation.

First graders locate place of birth on a map. They identify their birthdays and place a graphing square with their birthday written on it under the corresponding month. They compare birthdays on the graph. They read "P.B. Bear's Birthday...

Tenth graders compare three Chinese folktales for their "messages" and literary techniques to see how they reflect Chinese Confucian and Taoist values. They discuss how folktales share certain subjects, characters, plots and themes.

Students conduct research using different varieties of resources that include the internet. They organize the research to make it usable. Then they discuss how to present the information in the form of a class project.

Fifth graders compare and contrast the Russian fairytale, Wee Little Havroshechka" with the Anglo-Saxon "Cinderella." In groups the discuss and then write their own versions of the Cinderella story. Students write about the differences...

Students are introduced to the foods and traditions of the Caribbean. In groups, they brainstorm their own definition of culture and review the physical and political geography of the Caribbean. They spend time sampling different foods...

Students are introduced to authors of the South. In groups, they compare and contrast the pastoral and counter pastoral traditions present in some forms of Southern literature. They use a database to examine the covers of the books...

Students read a variety of literature from India, including folktales and fables. They then select a scene or story to script, work together to design and craft shadow puppets of characters and scenery, narrate a story, manipulate the...

Students read and response to the book, Abuela's Weave. In this African-American literature lesson, students discuss pre-reading questions, that focus on family traditions and make predictions about the text. Students read the text and...

Students read the Hawaiian version of The Three Little Pigs, to study cultures and traditions of the island. They gather and study resources about the culture, people, and endangered species of Hawaii.

Students examine the spoken work poetry of Abiodun Oyewole. They discuss the West African Griot tradition, listen to spoken word poetry, write and perform a poem, and watch a video excerpt of a poetry workshop.

Students analyze the conventions used in Noh plays and write an introduction to a Noh play of their own. For this Noh play lesson, students identify the conventions of the Noh form and analyze the realizations the main character...

Students, after the traditional read and discussion of BEOWULF, put one of the the main characters on trial.

Students use the internet to identify cultural traditions throughout the world. In groups, they examine each culture and determine the effect they had on life in the United States. They use this information to write a family history...

Students examine traditional Native American weather/climate knowledge. They keep a weather journal and research cloud cover.

Students view art images of Norman Rockwell's family traditions and celebrations. They search the internet for information, and complete reflective and creative writing and sketch assignments. Students recognize and name emotions shown...

Students read Sharyn McCrumb's and Maggie Greenwald's versions of "Songcatcher" and use them as a springboard to explore the heritage and traditions of Appalachian folk music. They review Internet sources, conduct research and write...

Students read information about Anglo-Saxon rulers and literary techniques, then complete a worksheet to help them review. Students take notes about the oral tradition, Anglo-Saxon literary terms, and Anglo-Saxon poetry. Students create...

Eighth graders examine Native American art. In this mask making lesson, 8th graders compare mask making traditions among different cultures. Students watch a demonstration of mask making and construct a mask of their own.