Curated OER
Memoir
After reading and analyzing two narrative memoirs, middle schoolers engage in a variety of activities, including writing an essay, developing a story map, and creating character charts. They then compare and contrast story maps, and...
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THEMATIC ESSAY
Students Compare and contrast the beliefs and methodology of three leaders of the Civil Rights movement. Using specific examples, discuss how these leaders were either successful or unsuccessful in attaining their goals.
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Prewriting
As a class, 7th graders observe examples of brainstorming and then complete brainstorming worksheets themselves. They compose and describe planning strategies. Prior to writing an essay, they identify the purpose and the audience.
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Survivor Vs. Canterbury Tales
Eleventh graders participate in activities that compare and contrast The Canterbury Tales with the television show, Survivor. They write a compare and contrast essay, and create a festival table and PowerPoint presentation.
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History According to Shakespeare
Students read Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar while identifying a number of literary elements including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. As a response activity, they simulate a mock trial, and finally, compare and contrast...
Australian Centre For the Moving Image
Dreamworks Animation Character Design
Dive into animation creation using Dreamworks® animated films. Compare and contrast characters, wonder and ponder why the plot is so important, and think of background and themes as your creativity unrolls onto paper.
NOAA
Climate, Corals and Change
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
Kenan Fellows
Determining Stream Health by the Diversity and Types of Benthic Organisms
How diverse are the benthic organisms found in local streams? Using the information learned in previous lessons on identification of macroinvertebrates and on calculating stream index values, groups determine the health of local...
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Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
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News View
Learners read and analyze three different news sources that describe the same event. They compare/contrast the similarities and differences of the news sources, and write an essay describing the main event.
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Writing: Stay High and Dry
Students write an effective conclusion for their essay. In this conclusion instructional activity students restate the thesis of their paper and summarize three important points. Students then write a final statement to wrap...
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Texas History
Young scholars explore the history of Texas. Through researching factual books and folktales, students share their information about Texas. They discuss the Trail of Tears, Davy Crockett, the flags of Texas, and Sam Houston. Young...
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Comparison and Contrast - D.H. Lawrence
Students explore "The Rocking Horse Winner" and "The Horse Dealer's Daughter" by D. H. Lawrence. In this literature instructional activity, students read these short stories. Students write an essay comparing the two stories according to...
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Where Were You?
Students examine various New York Times readers' reflections on the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, by reading and discussing "Readers Reflect on President John F. Kennedy." Students then write their own personal...
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Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
Students research Toni Morrison's life, work as a writer, and major contributions to the field of literature; students choose one of her novels to read, & perform a scene from it; each group member writes an autobiographical essay...
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Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
Learners compare and contrast "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" and "Civil Disobedience" by writing a paper using MLA format.
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The Wild Life: Writing Exercise
In this description instructional activity, learners describe a typical summer morning in a teepee village. Essays should include introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph.
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Comparing the Ancient and Modern Olympics: A Venn Diagram
Students compare and contrast today's Olympic Games to those held in ancient Greece. They read newspapers, conduct Internet research, watch TV coverage of current Olympic Games and organize their findings on a Venn diagram.
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Two Trustworthy Texans
Students read essays. In this character education lesson, students read about two Texans, answer question about them and discuss their contributions.
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Southern Perspective on Reconstruction
Students analyze historical perspectives. In this Reconstruction lesson, students compare and contrast the Northern and Southern views on Reconstruction as they analyze letters from Robert E. Lee and read Confederate Military History.
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Casting Light On The Dark Ages
Students research life in the Middle Ages on the internet and write a comparative analysis of the differences between life in the Middle Ages and life today.
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Women Who Inform Our World
Students examine the contributions of women on the international, national, and local platforms. In this writing skills lesson plan, students analyze a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and compose essays that reveal how women...
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Migration and Immigration in the United States: Three Case Studies
Students examine the early migration of Native Americans, African Americans, and the British Colonists. They conduct Internet research, complete a timeline, label maps, compare/contrast the three groups' experiences, and write an essay.
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When Human Rights Are Wronged
Learners explore the concept of human rights by examining the arresting of prominent Chinese dissidents who are members of the China Democratic Party. They develop and defend their own Bill of Human Rights and write a reflective essay.