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Animal Farm
Learners read Animal Farm and examine how power corrupts. They role-play situations involving power and control. They investigate corruption and abuse of power in society. They write propaganda articles and hold panel discusssionsabout...
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Remember Our Soldiers
Students talk about and grow in their understanding of the important role our troops play, and the important role citizens play in keeping up our troops' morale. They involve themselves in community service by writing letters for, or...
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Prayers for Paankhenamun
Students research one of the six Egyptian gods or goddesses of the afterlife. They understand the symbols associated with and the role played by that god or goddess in every Egyptian's journey from this world into the afterlife.
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Create a Playbill!
Middle schoolers examine the variety of elements for a written play and create a playbill. They read about and define literary elements on a worksheet, and participate in a dramatic reading. Each student then creates and publishes a...
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Cracking Cassius
Learners examine the argument between Cassius and Brutus to define the importance of friendship and study a Shakespearean play. In this Julius Caesar analysis lesson, students list qualities of a best friend and read scenes from the...
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Imagining Back Story: Creating an Artifact for an Extra-Extended Text
Students create a "back story" for a character from Measure for Measure. In this Measure for Measure lesson, students read the text closely as they look for clues about where the character came from and how he or she became what...
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Arthur Miller and The Crucible
Students investigate the dramatic elements of The Crucible. In this drama lesson, students explore the elements and themes of the Arthur Miller play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Students then...
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Eugene O'Neill on Page and Stage
Learners investigate the life and works of Eugene O'Neill. In this American theater lesson, students read biographical information about O'Neill and review Long Day's Journey into Night. Learners then analyze the play in order to deliver...
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Fractured Families in American Drama
Learners compare and contrast the flawed families in two plays. In this American drama lesson, students read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Long Day's Journey into Night. Learners research information about the playrights and examine the...
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Raising the Titanic
Ninth graders research the history of a person who was aboard the Titanic and write about the part he/she played in the world's greatest maritime disaster.
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TEXT MESSAGING
Students examine the differences between standard and non-standard English and use text-speak to rewrite a plot summary and a news story. They identify a type of non-standard English and determine the characteristics that make it...
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Journalist Japes
Students explore the job of a journalist. In this careers and writing lesson, the teacher introduces the job of a journalist, then students choose a headline and write a news story. Lesson includes extension ideas.
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A New Look at Romeo and Juliet
Students explore life and language development in the Elizabethan Age. In this English lesson students complete web-quests and other activities surrounding Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
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Composing Music
Students explore music appreciation by reading sheet music. In this musical score analysis lesson, students utilize their individual instruments to play the song "Peter and the Wolf." Students listen to an online version of the song and...
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Act It Out!
An effective way to demonstrate understanding is by synthesizing one's own work. Use a creative lesson designed for a unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for small groups to show what they know about the play,...
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"Here's much to do with hate, but more with love": The Prologue in Romeo and Juliet
Students participate in a guide close reading of the Prologue to Romeo and Juliet. They write a prologue sonnet to another piece of literature they have read.
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Older, Wiser, and Making a Difference
Learners reflect on an adult who plays a significant role in their lives. They conduct peer interviews and write newspaper articles about these important individuals.
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Giving It the Old College Try
Young scholars discuss opinions they have about entering college. Reading an article on advice from parents, they discuss what their own parents are telling them. They role-play different conflict resolution scenerios. They also write a...
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It's All Part of the Story
Students explore storytelling through pantomime, improvisation, and dramatization. They watch an online video, discuss Native American earth stories, role-play various situations, explore websites, and present an oral story to the class.
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Irregularly Scheduled Programming
Learners examine their favorite holidays and how they are celebrated. After reading an article, they discuss the length of television programming for the Super Bowl. In groups, they create their own television programming relating to...
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Roll the Dice
Students practice recognizing and blending letters together to create new and unique words in the process of decoding text. They play a game where they roll dice to help blend a variety of words together and create new ones to analyze...
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Athletes Make the Grade
Students read a story called Athletes Need to Make the Grade to Play and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events college athletes and academics lesson plan, student respond to literature by...
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Chivalry and Courtly Love
Eleventh graders examine chivalry and courtly love. In this Arthurian legend lesson, 11th graders explore the legend and how chivalry, honor, and courtly love have been internalized into today's culture. Students author and perform plays...
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Much Ado About Illumination
Students analyze the language and characters in the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. In this Shakespeare play lesson, students read section of the play and discuss the speech of Benedick and Claudio. Students record the speech...