Curated OER
The Perils of Translation
Students discover the challenges of translating poetry written in a character-based language through the study of Lao-tzu's work, Daodejing. This lesson includes possible extensions and evaluations.
National Park Service
The Power of Remembrance
On every July 4th, we watch fireworks and celebrate our independence, but how is the history of the American Revolution preserved? Four social studies lesson guide learners through different memorials, commemorative objects, and restored...
Library of Congress
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...
Curated OER
Sayings and Phrases
Fourth graders respond to six sayings that are introduced in this lesson. They brainstorm, justify, explain, describe, create and relate as they respond.
Curated OER
Pop-Up Pop Art, Tunnel book
Students study iconic symbols Keith Haring would make in his artwork. They invent a background for the images, and draw the characters. Students create a Tunnel Book and a Pop-Up Book based on their drawings.
Curated OER
Fahrenheit 451
Students agree on a definition of censorship and then discuss incidents of censorship with which they are familiar. They might consider incidents in present-day America, elsewhere in the world, and in the past. Bradbury's novel serves as...
Curated OER
Paul Revere
Students examine Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's, Paul Revere's Ride, and other pieces of poetry to use maps and literature to investigate geographic concepts. They chart Revere's ride on current Massachusetts maps while working in pairs....
Curated OER
Who Were the Dissidents?
Students discover how Japanese dissidents spoke out against the injustice practiced in Imperial Japan. In this Japanese history lesson, students listen to a lecture about the silent dissidents in the nation prior to World War II and the...
Curated OER
Draw It!
Students follow directions to make two- and three-dimensional shapes. Focusing on polygons, they use the shapes to solve real-world problems and review with the class. They read two of Shel Silverstein's poems and discuss the...
Curated OER
The Poet's Message-"The Colored Soldier" by Langston Hughes
Young scholars analyze the poem, "The Colored Soldier" by Langston Hughes to gain a greater experience of how poets use language to create meaning, influence thinking and thus become pioneers of change in American society. They work on...
Curated OER
You Are What You Read
Sixth graders select a prose, poetry, or nonfiction excerpt from a book of their choice and share it by reading aloud to their classmates, who identify the genre and respond to related questions in their journals.
Curated OER
Scops, Rappers and You: Historians with Style!
Students examine the epic poem Beowulf. For this analyzing poetry lesson, student compare listen to the Will Smith song "Wild, Wild West" and read Beowulf. Students analyze the song and the poem. Students then research an influential...
Curated OER
Don Quixote
Students examine the use of metaphors in literature. In this literary devices activity, students read poems that feature extended metaphors and compare them to the metaphors used in Don Quixote. Students then try their hand at writing...
Curated OER
Deshawn's Days
Young scholars read about a boy while exploring poetry. In this poetry lesson, students discuss how Deshawn's neighborhood and family are described.
Curated OER
Reflections and Revisions
Pupils reflect upon and express affective and cognitive learning experience as a result of a direct service experience. In this service learning activity, students examine and analyze symbolism portrayed in literature and its...
Curated OER
Where Oh Where on the Playground, Do I Love To Be?
Students listen to poem, Where Oh Where On the Playground, Do I Love to Be?, and practice reading, interpreting, and making maps, charts, and graphs in surveying classmates and discussing their favorite places to play in school playground.
Curated OER
Waterfalls
Third graders practice identifying the main idea and supporting details when reading informational text. They read text related to waterfalls and practice note taking skills to identify critical details. Students use their notes to...
Curated OER
I Have a Dream
Students use flip video cameras to film a speech about the 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this poetry and speech lesson plan, students listen to the speech from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students memorize part of the speech.
Curated OER
We Have a Dream
Students work as partners to study Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. In this African American history lesson, students work with their cross-grade partner to study, understand, and memorize the speech. Students meet with...
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The Big Lie
Fifth graders create poems and other forms of writing.Then working in groups they share writing with each other. The opinions would be gathered and students would revise writing according to the comments.
Curated OER
Mastering the Mighty Melville
“Bartleby the Scrivner” as an existential forerunner to The Office? Dense and often dark, Herman Melville’s stories abound with Biblical allusions and complex symbols. If you are considering using Melville’s novels or short stories with...
Curated OER
Giraffe Comprehension using Eric Carle as the Feature Author
Students demonstrate reading comprehension by drawing a picture and writing a sentence about giraffes. In this early reading comprehension instructional activity, students listen to a read aloud and watch a video about giraffes before...
Curated OER
Colors Crackle, Colors Roar
First graders engage in a reading of poems in colorful language. They become with the interrelation of using Spanish and English words interchangeably in a text. The lesson also builds multicultural appreciation for young students.
Curated OER
Voyages of Discovery
Young scholars create individual "travel logs" for a world explorer whom they studied in history class. This lesson plan is an interdisciplinary activity for the Language Arts and History classroom.