Prestwick House
Rhetorical Devices in Political Speeches
Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short...
New Jersey Historical Commission and New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park
What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...
US Institute of Peace
Making a Difference: Becoming a Peacebuilder
Being an agent of change is no easy task! What are some of the common challenges that peacebuilders face every day? The 14th portion in a series of 15 explores the lives of peacebuilders. Grouped pupils discuss these challenges before...
Curated OER
Conflict Resolution and Peace
Students explore conflict resolution principles. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students discuss several quotations regarding the promotion of peace. This lesson provides follow-up activities regarding the topic as well.
Curated OER
"To Be Or Not To Be" And the VT
Using the online Visual Thesaurus, nascent actors work in groups to analyze and interpret Hamlet's "To Be Or Not To Be" monologue. Individuals then craft a contemporary version of this famous speech and present their adaptation...
Curated OER
"Paul Revere's Ride" Questions
In this "Paul Revere's Ride" instructional activity, students discuss the patriotic and historical aspects of Longfellow's famous poem. Students answer three questions about the facts and the theme of the poem.
Curated OER
Historical Heroes and Character Sketches
Students write a character sketch and present it in first person. In this historical heroes and character sketches lesson, students "meet" Harriet Tubman (played by their teacher) and discuss her contributions. ...
Curated OER
Activity Plan 5-6: What's In a Name?
Students use family names to gather and analyze data. In this counting lesson, students use graph paper to help organize their data and then, in a staircase fashion, organize the names from longest to shortest so they can answer...
Curated OER
Jabberwocky Questions
For this poetry analysis worksheet, students answer 5 short answer and essay questions based on the content and literary elements of Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky." Questions require students to compare good and evil forces in the...
Curated OER
Study Skills-Note Taking
Students use a note card to record a direct quotation from a collection of famous speeches. The top right-hand corner should contain the name of the speaker, and the top left-hand corner should contain the name of the speech.
Curated OER
Master Artist Star Book
Students research a famous artist. They create a star book in which every fifth page must contain information about the artist in an envelope they made.
Curated OER
Who am I?
Students develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a famous...
Curated OER
The Wealth In Poverty
High schoolers investigate the social problem of poverty. They view a film in order to create context for the lesson plan. Students evaluate different quotations about the issue. Classroom discussion is used to find the definition of...
Curated OER
Propaganda Techniques
Learners identify five propaganda techniques used in advertisements, then write their own ads using propaganda techniques that influence others to buy their products. They videotape their commercials, and write about recognizing propaganda.
Curated OER
WWI Propaganda
Students research propaganda from World War I and compare it with propaganda used today. They define propaganda and discuss the five techniques used by advertisers, conduct Internet research, and create a project that compares how...
Curated OER
Creating War Propaganda
Students analyze propaganda techniques using posters, speeches, and other examples of this type of persuasion. They use this information to design their own examples of propaganda. They focus on propaganda techniques used during war.
Curated OER
The Art Of Persuasion
Students engage in a lesson that focuses upon the use of persuasive speech. They conduct research into the famous sayings used by sideshow owners and performers from the Old West. Students then create advertisements for shows that could...
Curated OER
Caring
Learners discuss the importance of caring about themselves and for others. As a class, they listen as they are read a story and answer questions using examples from the story. They brainstorm definitions of love and role play another...
Curated OER
National Gallery of Art: Jackson Pollock
Students paint a picture in the style of Jackson Pollock. In this painting lesson, students learn about Jackson Pollock and the method that he used to create his famous pieces of art. Students use objects other than paintbrushes to...
Curated OER
The Civil War Experience
Learners write or design a creative project about the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students share memorable quotes from speeches and discuss documents historians could use to analyze the Civil War. Learners read excerpts from...
Curated OER
Airports Named for People Quiz
In this online interactive geography quiz activity, students respond to 18 identification questions about airports that have been named for famous people. Students have 4 minutes to complete the quiz.
Curated OER
“Self Reliance” Questions
Is consistency foolish? Or is “foolish consistency . . . the hobgoblin of little minds”? Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance” provides readers with an opportunity to reflect on their own musing about being self-reliant and about...
Curated OER
Illustrate With Character
Young scholars examine character traits and apply characteristics of those traits to images and quotations. They design, save and print using a desktop publishing program. They utilize reference tools to locate quotations.
Curated OER
The "Art" of Poetry
Students examine how illustrations complement poetry. They select a poem, illustrate their poem on the school sidewalk using chalk, and explore various poetry websites.