MENSA Education & Research Foundation
It’s Greek to Me: Greek Mythology
It's no myth: this packet on Greek mythology is an excellent addition to your social studies curriculum. With writing activities, such as short answer responses and biopoems, and reading activities, which include creation stories and...
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Student Book Reviews/ The Outsiders
Eighth graders participate in a lesson that focuses on the devleopment of reading skills looking for critical elements. They compose a book review for "The Outsiders" after reading previous reviews. Students also access the web in order...
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Hoot: Bloom's Taxonomy- Questioning Strategy
What better way to examine a text than to ask your own questions? Use Bloom's taxonomy to guide kids through Carl Hiaasen's Hoot by asking questions based on knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
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Crossword Puzzle for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Chapter 10 of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets holds a cache of words perfect for this crossword. Learners read the definitions and write in the correct words.
Novelinks
The Hobbit: Writing Assignment
As a culminating assignment for a unit study of heroes that uses The Hobbit as the core text, class members engage in a multi-genre writing project.
Teach With Movies
Title: "The Red Badge of Courage" - Topics: U.S./1860 - 1861; Literature/U.S.
Designed to be used with a showing of the 1951 version of The Red Badge of Courage staring Audie Murphy, this learning guide includes discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and topics that can be discussed with parents.
Novelinks
The House on Mango Street: Discussion Web
As part of a final discussion of The House on Mango Street, groups examine a concept question about the text, record arguments for and opposed to the question, and then a draw their own conclusions.
K12 Reader
Relative Pronouns
Do your learners know what relative pronouns are? How about relative clauses? They can practice identifying both of these by completing this worksheet. There are 25 sentences here for pupils to work with.
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Character Scrapbook Teacher's Guide
Students analyze a book's characters and create a scrapbook to print and save. In this on line interactive characterization lesson plan, students identify character traits and gain a deeper understanding of a book's characters.
National First Ladies' Library
The Many Voices of Literature
Students discover the wealth of literature written by individuals not born in the United States. They discover the literature of individuals of multiple ethnicities born in the United States. Students compile a list of books they would...
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Write Your Own Screen Play
Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...
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Buying the Writes
Students explore the connections between non-fiction and fiction best-seller lists and current events that are shaping readers' lives and choices.
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Getting Ready to Write
Students watch an online slideshow that shows Cornelia Funke's transition from an illustrator to a writer. They discuss her writing process from the way she gathers ideas to how and where she writes. Next, they work in groups to choose a...
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2002: The Year In Review
Students research and create a book highlighting significant events and trends throughout the world in the year 2002. Then, through creative writing, they respond to the events or trends themselves and how they affected our world.
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Media Literacy
Students evaluate the effectiveness of Internet book clubs, present their findings to the class, and design their own on-line book club (under the umbrella of a fictional television program) to encourage non-readers to read more.
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Radical Reads
Young scholars recreate an "American Idol" contest in which they present their favorite books to their classmates using arguments for and excerpts from the books. Following the presentation, students will be polled and the least popular...
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Categories Game: Ten Words
Students, in groups, create lists of vocabulary words related to a particular subject. They are given points for each correctly spelled word that matches a list written by the teacher.
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Bound For Oregon
Students find 20 words that are new to them. They write the definition and drawing or symbol to help them remember the meaning of the word. Students use the context of the word from the book to help figure out the meaning of the word.
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Past School Practices
Students research the history of a school system. For this school system lesson, students list the grade levels and subjects taught in their school and interview their teachers and administrators. Students collect past photographs of...
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Curiouser and Curiouser!
Young scholars imagine that they are casting directors for a student story-turned-movie, and assess considerations for making the book's characters as accurate, interesting, and fun as they are in the original piece.
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Flow of Information
Students examine how information follows a linear path. They identify types of sources they need to consult and where it falls in the information flow, simulate the role of historians, and generate a list of sources for a topic.
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E-mail Abbreviations
Students identify an abbreviation or acronym for communication purposes. Students write various messages using each correctly. Students make a list of the most common abbreviation and acronyms used currently.
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Literary Wizardry
Students discuss what they already know about the Harry Potter series. After reading an article, they examine a critic's reaction to the latest book in the series. As a class, they brainstorm what parts of their school day could use...
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Catherine, Called Birdy: April and May
Students create an etiquette book for women of Medieval times. In this Catherine, Called Birdy lesson, students discuss the setting and work in small groups to list things expected of women in the 1200s. Students then...