Curated OER
From Rags to (Paper) Riches: Explore Colonial Papermaking
Young scholars explore Colonial papermaking. In this Colonial America U.S. history lesson plan, students analyze two poems written in the 1690s about the Rittenhouse paper mill to learn about papermaking. Young scholars...
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Clay Story Adventure
Young scholars build three-dimensional rough draft for a story by creating objects, people, places, animals, etc., with clay, and write story in a journal, poem, or other written form.
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Power Totem
Students investigate the important symbols to Native cultures by writing a poem. In this animal totem lesson, students discuss animal spirits and their relation to the Native American lifestyle. Students write a cinquain poem about...
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Poets of Christmas Past
Students consider the meanings of Christmas by reading an op-ed. As a class, they then create a sequel to the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," in which "Mamma" tells a story about the history of Christmas.
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Memoir - The Gift of Memories
Learners create a memoir or poem about their favorite person or pet. In this favorite person or pet lesson plan, students also scan in pictures to PowerPoint and create a presentation about this person or pet as well.
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Techno-correspondent
Students play the role of a correspondent and write a news article about a famous landmark. In this correspondence instructional activity, students use a computer template to build word processing skills. Students edit a story...
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The Ogre Bully
Students listen to the book, The Ogre Bully, and discuss the problems the farmer and his family had during the story. In this garden themed lesson plan, students examine different fruit and vegetables and plant them in soil to...
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Photograph Lesson
Pupils bring a favorite photograph to class and discuss what they see and don't see in the photos. They brainstorm with the teacher on the overhead and then translate the information into poetic form.
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Trees as Symbols: Composing Poetry and Creating Images
Students analyze the tree as a symbol, sharing ideas in class discussion. They use art as the basis for a creative writing assignment in poetry or represent a selected poem with an original student drawing.
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Poetry Unit
Students discuss phrases and words from a poem. In this understanding poetry lesson, students are given a word or phrase from a poem on an index card. Students circulate around the room discussing their phrases and words with...
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Poets on the Playground
Students create poetry journals. In this poetry instructional activity, students discuss different pieces of poetry and listen to a poet. They use a digital camera to take a picture of something they find interesting and write a poem...
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Sybil Ludington's Ride - a poem
Fourth graders examine the role a teen from the Hudson Valley played in the American Revolution. They view the map of Sybil's ride and calculate the distance using the map's legend.
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Reading Literacy- Books on CD
Young scholars explore the importance of learning to read. They work with other students to create audiobooks to share with younger young scholars, or classes.
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Reflections on the Self - Self Portrait
Students produce their own self-portraits and use them to create a book in iPhoto. They explore the visual symbols used by artists to communicate their feelings, interests, and identity.
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On The Day You Were Born
Students engage in a study about the holiday of a birthday with the help of using children's literature. They make cognitive connections of using the characters of the book and relating them to the personal celebration of a birthday.
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Shining The Love on Reading!
Students enjoy reading independently. In this independent reading concept, students are given a finger flashlight to make silently reading a book at their instructional level more enjoyable.
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Veterans' Voyages
Introduce your middle and high schoolers to a different perspective on war: that of soldier's. Read Guisseppi Ungaretti's poem "Vigil" to kick-start this instructional activity. After discussing his perspective, read "The Screaming...
Film English
Missing U
Explore the relationship between U and I with a video and related activities. First, pupils have some fun with the alphabet and discuss text message language. Next they practice coming up with words that have the same sound a I and...
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Japanese Internment--How Point of View Influences Attitude
How does background and experience influence one's point of view? Dwight Okita's famous poem about the Japanese internment is the text used to explore this essential question. Class members study primary documents to gain the necessary...
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The First World War
Learners examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...
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Music in Words
Your class can build strong, well-represented opinions about the music they hear. They listen to, and share thoughts about, a piece of classical music. Then they write a piece of music or a poem, and analyze their peers' work and their...
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Animal Fact or Fiction?
Read and discuss the article "Welcome to Cicadaville (Enter at Your Own Risk)" to gain a better understanding around the confusion regarding cicadas and locust swarms. In groups your young analysts research statements about animals to...
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Do You Haiku? We Do!
Third graders try their hands at writing Haiku, a form of Japanese poetry. Haiku is usually 17 syllables in three-line form. This engaging instructional activity has many excellent worksheets and website imbedded in the plan. They share...
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Shakespeare Analysis
Eighth graders focus on the Shakespearian sonnet as a form and analyze the sonnet in terms of structure, the particular rhyme scheme of the quatrains and the rhyming couplet, the rhythm of iambic pentameter, as well as any figurative...