The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...

Teach kindergartners about the First Thanksgiving with a series of lessons about the Pilgrims' journey to the New World. As they practice handwriting, CVC words, reading comprehension, and fun Thanksgiving songs, they learn about what...

Class groups examine fairy tales from a feminist and a Marxist perspective, identifying how these tales present gender roles and class/power systems. The groups then script and perform their own tale that uses one of these lenses.

While some aspects of the Great Wall of China are known, other parts of its story are obscured by time. A research lesson asks scholars to consider what we know and don't understand about this wonder of the world. The class then compiles...

The Scarlet Letter is the anchor text in a four-week unit that examines Hawthorne's novel through the lens of the intolerances found in a supposed civilized society. In addition to their reading, class members watch clips from...

Students observe modeling of the writing workshop. In this writing workshop lesson, students understand that the writing workshop will be taught throughout the year and each lesson will be a segment which will be discussed.

Here's a fresh take on a mythology unit. Use the myths of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Mesoamerica instead of the more traditional Greek and Roman stories. This abstract suggests possible approaches and resources that can be...

Students complete a poetry analysis unit. In this poetry analysis lesson, students study poetry by reading, reciting, and analyzing poems and their poets. Students study poetic devices, write their own poems, and complete hands-on...

Clearly written as an assignment for a higher-level education class, this formal lesson plan contains some fun and well-researched strategies for teaching the novel Tuck Everlasting  by Natalie Babbitt. Among the best ideas...

Students explore energy usage in home and in school. They examine the types of non-renewable sources and discover alternate sources of energy. Through group activities, students calculate the perimeter and area of a given room. They make...

Students study the speeches of Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and Chief Joseph. Students write a story set during the Nineteenth Century Era. Students present their story to the class. Handouts and worksheets are included in the...

Students use a library research activity to research the fifty United States. In this library research lesson, students complete a unit of lessons where they research and study the fifty states in the United States. Students research the...

Students complete a unit of activities to learn about idioms and proverbs. In this idioms and proverbs lesson, students complete 16 lessons to learn about idioms and proverbs. Students complete a booklet of proverb and idiom activities.

This lesson focuses on documenting research sources and writing a bibliography or Works Cited page. It discusses when and how to document your sources using MLA style. W.9-10.8 Sources, L.9-10.3a Standard Format

[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson will help students develop good research habits. The most important thing to learn is that you should never list a source in a bibliography without having all the...

A comprehensive unit evaluating what factors led to the Russian revolution in 1917. Understand the circumstances in Russia during WWI, timelines, maps, photos, writing assignments, and a bibliography for further studies.

In this lesson, students will learn how to decide when they need a source citation, how to cite sources using parenthetical information, and the differences among the citation styles.

Humor is not the first thing people associate with Poe, but this essay offers a look at the humor that Poe attempted in his writing. Good for a different look at an often-studied author. Offers a bibliography and links to online texts.

This site provides a wealth of information about Harriet Beecher Stowe's works. It provides some great links to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" information, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources by and about Stowe, and links to some of her...

This site features questions for each of the chapters in Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die."

Examines Mary Rowlandson's account of her captivity in its historical perspective. Discusses the influence of Puritan sermons and the Bible on Rowlandson's writing. Contains reading response and discussion questions and a bibliography.

Houghton Mifflin site has an entry that discusses major themes, historical issues, writing style, audience, and literary criticism for Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Contains discussion/study questions and a bibliography.

This site, intended for instructions using the "Heath Anthology of American Literature," provides suggestions for teaching Paley's works. Students will find the background information on Paley's themes and styles, the connections to...

This website is an attempt to give a comprehensive introduction to Cather's (1873-1947 CE) life and work. Aside from an introduction to the body of work, it includes a short biography, an extensive bibliography, an overview of the...