Curated OER
Words in the News Rabid Vampire Bats Attack Humans in Brazil 02 November 2005
Middle schoolers participate in word work and vocabulary building before reading an online article. They complete worksheets or an online quiz the focuses on homographs. They write a diary entry.
National History Day
Leland Linman’s War: A Look at Soldiers’ Daily Lives in World War I
Hunkering down in the trenches of World War I, Leland Linman decided to write a journal about his experiences. By reading Linman's entries in the fourth installment of an eight-part lesson series, scholars get a firsthand look at life in...
EngageNY
Launching the Performance Task: The1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
Picture that! Pupils view photographs of the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, discussing what they know and wonder about each image. Then, scholars watch a short video about the historic event and complete a KWL...
Curated OER
Stormy Sailing
Young scholars access a website that show portraits of the Tall Ships of Atlantic Canada. They talk about what it might feel like to be on one of the sailing ships in stormy seas. They write diary entries while role playing that they are...
Curated OER
Family Life During the Great Depression
Learners practice the skill of photo analysis. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze photographs from the era and write fictitious diary entries based on the images.
Curated OER
Word Play
Students define the steps of the formal writing process, consider the value and quality of the work done by Anne Frank in her personal diary, and create their own diary entries using the writing process outlined in class.
Curated OER
Westmoreland Trail
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the Westward expansion of the U.S. They play the computer game, Oregon Trail III, read primary source documents, conduct Internet research, write diary entries from the pioneer viewpoint, and...
Curated OER
Lifestyles of the Extreme and Adapted
Learners explain challenging theories about the evolution and distribution of microbes. They also investigate other examples of extremophile species, then create posters and write diary entries about them.
Curated OER
Destination Red Planet
Young scholars explore reasons why people are interested in exploring other planets. After reading an article, they identify developments in the mission to Mars. Using the internet, they research the history of exploring Mars and...
Curated OER
The Making of a Star
Students create schematic diagrams of the new Russian space station module. They compose an imaginary yet realistic series of diary entries from the point of view of an astronaut living on board the completed space station.
Curated OER
Journal Writing
Students examine the published diaries of Anne Frank, or Zlata Filipovic, to gain an appreciation for journal writing, a form of autobiographical writing in which the writer records personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They...
Curated OER
Primary Source? What is That?
Students examine the use of primary sources. They read and discuss excerpts from the "Diary of Anne Frank," write journal entries, identify examples of altruism from the book, write an essay, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
America's Involvement in World War I
Students investigate online websites on German U-boat naval warfare, conditions in the trenches and the effects of poisonous gases. They write three entries in a diary from different perspectives.
Curated OER
Life in a Hurricane Zone
Students research the effects of living in a hurricane zone. In this hurricane zone lesson, students research the impact of natural disasters on humans and the environment, and write a press release describing the devastation of...
Curated OER
The Diary of Col. William Fairfax Gray
Fourth graders examine facts and opinions given by William Fairfax Gray in his diary, compare and contrast ideas expressed in his diary, express opinions using correct language arts skills, and calculate answers to given mathematical...
Curated OER
Seeing through Immigrants' Eyes
Students assume the perspective of an immigrant moving to Texas. They write a diary entry from an immigrant's perspective, describing how they arrived in their new town, what steps they take to get settled, and their feelings about their...
Curated OER
The Royal Family
Students conduct Internet research and answer worksheet questions regarding the Spanish royal family. They list the family members they would like to meet, write Jeopardy answers, and create a family tree or a photo album for their own...
Curated OER
The Battle of Huck's Defeat
Eighth graders examine the role of South Carolinians in the American Revolution. In this American Revolution lesson plan, 8th graders examine primary and secondary sources regarding the skirmishes that took place in the...
Curated OER
A Day in the Life
Students use their research skills to investigate the behavior and characteristics of a rainforest animal. After creating a diary entry, they illustrate the habits and life cycle of the animal. They write the diary entry from the point...
Curated OER
Great Caesar’s Ghost
Students explore ancient Rome. In this ancient Rome instructional activity, students research the Roman social classes and political structure. Students use their findings to write diary entries that describe daily life in Rome.
Curated OER
A Response to Chaim Rumkowski's, "Give Me Your Children" Speech
Students examine the history of the ghettos and read Rumkowski's letter. Using journal and diary entries, they identify types of resistance used during the Holocaust. Writing a letter, they use references to Rumkowski's original letter...
Curated OER
The Mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Students research the Lost Colony of Roanoke by interpreting John White's diary as a primary source.
Syracuse University
Civil War
What was it like to enlist as a soldier in the Civil War? By using enlistment papers, young scholars consider this question. After they've looked at the primary source and discussed it, they create a short story of a fictional soldier to...
EngageNY
Launching Researching: Reading for Gist and Gathering Evidence Using the Research Guide
Let's get to the gist! Pupils work in research teams to gather information about specific refugee experiences from Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Kurdistan. Scholars then try to find the gist of informational texts about their topics,...