Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Other Side of Paradise

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the life and writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. They examine the youth culture of the 1920's and compare it to their own. They practice using some of the biographer's or archivist's tools for studying a person.
Worksheet
Curated OER

E.B. White

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this biography worksheet, students read a short passage detailing the life of author E.B. White. Students then answer 6 questions about the passage they have read.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Judging a Book by Its Cover

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. For this book exploration lesson, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a cover that...
Unit Plan
Apple

A Curriculum for Digital Media Creation

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Consumer technology has made it possible for filmmakers to create entire movies from the comfort of their home computer. Guide high school film buffs through the process of designing a documentary with an extensive unit published by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Following Their Footsteps

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students research and create a book report on a famous person. In this character education activity, students examine the positive traits exemplified by a famous person and present an oral presentation for their classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up Close with Author Allen Say

For Teachers K - 8th
Students explore the Asian-American culture. They read several books written by Japanese-American author Allen Say and create questions to ask the author. Students write letters to the author.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Author, Author!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders, in groups, select and research a favorite studenT author or illustrator. They answer questions about the author, conduct research and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with their findings.
Activity
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Accompany a reading of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea with a thorough literature packet. Although the materials are meant to prepare readers for a timed essay, the background information and the activities are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine historical context. In this historical perspectives instructional activity, students read and discuss instructor-selected picture book biographies. Students then complete graphic organizers based on the challenges the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Reading: The Beginnings of a Writer

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this reading: beginnings of a writer instructional activity, students read a short biography of J.K. Rawlings and answer true and false comprehension questions. Students answer ten questions.
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Does Art Imitate Life?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Write what you know, sound advice for any writer and something many famous authors are known to have done. Use these materials to explore how Shakespeare's life influenced his plays. This resource is packed with readings, video segments,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tell-Tale Hearts of Writers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Knock, knock, knock...Creep out your class with a critical thinking lesson focused on word relationships in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." They investigate  the relationship between word choice, mood, and interpretation of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Practice comprehension skills using the story, The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon by Bea Uusma Schyffert. Learners answer questions, fill out graphic organizers, and engage in extension activities involving writing and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where'd You Get Those Genes?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Really a unit, this resource exposes middle schoolers to genetics at their level. They read interviews and biographies, trace a family tree, play games that simulate inheritance concepts, and more! Teacher's procedures, student...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elena by Diane Stanley

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This story is bound to motivate your class. Learners read a story called Elena by Diane Stanley. The story is about a young woman who marries for love but is soon widowed during the Mexican Revolution. She takes her children to...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Utopian Promise

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars learn all about the Puritans in the third installment of a 16-part lesson series. After watching a video, they read and discuss biographies of Puritans and Quakers from American history, write journal entries and poetry, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Franklin D. Roosevelt

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Discuss the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This story, called "Franklin D. Roosevelt" by Laura Hamilton Waxman, is used to explore comprehension skills. Some of these skills include identifying prefixes and suffixes, making comparisons,...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Biographers

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers research biographical facts about Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce and complete literary analysis activities. In this biographical lesson plan, students research basic biographical facts about Poe and Bierce. High...
Lesson Plan
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1
Curated OER

Navajo Code Talkers

For Teachers 4th - 8th
An engaging lesson focuses on the contributions of the Navajo people during World War II. Learners read the book Navajo Code Talkers by Andrew Santella, answer a series of comprehension questions about the text, and write a letter...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cut and Paste Biographies

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore the influence of African-American artists, writers, and musicians on American culture. After researching different figures in these areas, they create collages representing each person's life and legacy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Newbery Award Winners

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders select a book from the Newbery list and read it. They write a short summary of the book without giving away the ending and then research the book's author. They write a book review and, finally, incorporate all of this onto...
Activity
Seussville

Oh! the Places You'll Go!

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th Standards
Honor Dr. Seuss on his birthday with a read aloud of the story Oh! the Places You'll Go! and a variety of activities that inspire scholars to dream of their future endeavors. Readers take part in conversations, research the...
Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

The Hobbit: Novel Study

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All it takes is a little adventure to interrupt a quiet, simple life. A study guide for The Hobbit explores the adventures that disrupt Bilbo Baggins' quiet life. Questions discuss key events found within J.R.R....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Russian History, in an Eggshell

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create Faberge-inspired art objects, depicting events in modern Russian history since Peter Carl Faberge's death in 1920. Students research the life of Peter Faberge. They write a short biography explaining how he became an...