Curated OER
Poets Got Them Blues
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
Curated OER
Short and Sweet Science
Readers learn how to summarize scientific text and evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges in writing summaries. They select science-related articles you've pulled and collected from the New York Times and, with a partner,...
Curated OER
Hot, Hot, Hot, Cold
Learners dance the image of falling snow. They move, swing, fall, and rise to music working to depict snow falling, the sun, and high/low movements. This is a well-thought out lesson that aids them in seeing movement as a form of...
Curated OER
September Journal Prompts
In this September journal prompts instructional activity, 4th graders cut out the cards, one for each day of the month, then use them as writing prompts for a daily journal.
Curated OER
Dali & Desnos: Surrealism in Poetry and Art
Students research the surrealism movement and its primary artists. Language is also analyzed, and students will create their own original poem utilizing surrealistic techniques.
Curated OER
Exploring the Self
Students use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their own...
Curated OER
Pumpkin Writing Paper
In this writing worksheet, young scholars use the blank lined paper with a colorful pumpkin border for any kind of writing: reports, poetry, stories or letters.
Curated OER
Not Just the Facts
Encourage your learners to explore the differences between hard news and news analysis. They outline a complex news analysis about the upcoming presidential election, then endeavor to write an analysis of the same topic, using local...
Curated OER
Life Reflections in Songwriting and Poetry
Learners analyze, discuss and compare sources of inspiration, use of words and imagery, and other differences in writing styles between two featured songwriters. This is an introductory lesson to a creative project unit.
Curated OER
Introduce a Weather Unit
Engage your learners by playing Water Music Suite by Handel. Different types of weather sounds play on the recording, and it's an easy lead into talking about the weather! What is weather? What kinds of weather exist? What is it called...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
A 24-page teacher's guide to Romeo and Juliet includes scene-by-scene plot summaries, focus, discussion questions, and suggestions for individual and group projects.
Curated OER
Reading Primary Source Documents: Historical Content
Why do we read primary source documents? What can they give us that other writings cannot? Provide your learners with any of the primary sources attached here (there are seven), and have them complete the graphic organizer (which opens...
Teaching Tolerance
Community Arts Showcase
An art showcase encourages class members to explore the themes of social justice and tolerance. They create an original artwork, engage in group discussions, and journal writing. The art gallery also provides a chance for families and...
Curated OER
That Was Then, This is Now: When I Was Puerto Rican
Students explain how geographic/cultural setting influences identity by comparing/contrasting Esmeralda's Puerto Rican self with her American self. They closely read text to pinpoint when Esmeralda was no longer Puerto Rican. Students...
Curated OER
The Sounds of Science
Students assess the relationship between music and science by learning how various musical instruments work. They create a poster, presenting the research conducted in class that focuses on a specific musical instrument.
Curated OER
Stormy Sailing
Pupils 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 on one...
Curated OER
Understanding Tone
Eighth graders define tone and determine the tone of a particular passage making a web of tone words on Inspiration. They write a journal entry expressing how a piece of music makes them feel and create a PowerPoint to share.
Curated OER
Boosting Rap's Rep
Students consider the negative image that some have of rap and hip-hop music through discussion and reading an opinion piece from The New York Times. They create CD cover artwork reflecting these messages.
Curated OER
Celebrating Heroes That Surround Us
Students investigate the concept of a hero. They write in journals to find definitions and create hero symbols. Also students conduct research to create a banner of quotations made by famous heroes who fall under the definition generated...
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All Quiet On The Western Front
Students create a poem on the subject of war. In this All Quiet on the Western Front instructional activity, students create poetry using phrases or lines that they brainstorm during a pre-writing session. Students enhance their poetry...
Curated OER
Treasure Hunt
Learners actively search a the ground outside and find several types of leaves, lichen, feathers and trash. They place items into journals, write entries, draw pictures and ask questions about the items found on their exploration.
Curated OER
Dreams, Stars, and Beaches
Compare and contrast ideas, hopes and dreams with those of Cassie in Faith Ringgold's, Tar Beach. your students can entries in their journals expressing their ideas.
Curated OER
Bum, Bum, Beat the Drum
Students experience practicing sorting words and pictures to build letter and sound recognition. They identify /b/ in spoken words and learn how to write the graphemic representation of /b/. Each student also practices with the tongue...
Curated OER
Berlioz the Bear
Young children read the story, Berlioz the Bear and complete various reading and writing activities. They learn about fiction and non-fiction, and complete graphing and writing activities for the story. Youngsters draw the bear and use...