Curated OER
Hope In The Hard Times - A Unit on the Great Depression
Learners examine the Great Depression through the analysis of the novel, 'Bud, Not Buddy.' They analyze photos from the National Archives website, complete a character analysis, and conduct research and summarize a topic from the Great...
Curated OER
Review of Literary Devices
Sixth graders review literary devices. They use both fiction and nonfiction texts to review metaphor, simile, alliteration, imagery, symbolism and personification. This lesson has a scripted guide for the teacher to follow.
US Institute of Peace
Simulation on The Case of “Palmyra”
War-torn Palmyra needs your help! Young negotiators play the part of citizens of opposing countries through an eye-opening simulation. The fictional countries of Siwa and Nizwa stand at the brink of war, and your class' job is to create...
Curated OER
House and Holmes: A Guide to Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
Curated OER
Life Size Characters
Sixth graders analyze character traits and create a life size character outline. In this character analysis lesson, 6th graders analyze character traits of a character using character webs and poems. Students then create a life size...
Curated OER
Everyone's an Author
Students examine variety of written pieces of quality fiction, discuss what different story elements are present and how those elements make stories as effective as they are, and create a class story.
Curated OER
The Land and the Water
Third graders read "The Land and the Water," a fictional short story and an article about John F. Kennedy, Jr. and compare and contrast fictional tragedy to a non-fiction tragedy. They fill out a Venn diagram and write an essay using...
Curated OER
A Turkey for Thanksgiving - Lesson #2
Second graders investigate realistic fiction, holiday celebrations, making tally charts. For this multi-disciplinary lesson, 2nd graders listen to a story about Thanksgiving and one about the Chinese New Year to develop an understanding...
Curated OER
Reader's Theater with a Twist
Second graders create a Reader's Theater script. In this reader's theater lesson plan, 2nd graders create their own script of a story in groups. They make props and act them out on FlipVideo and voice thread.
Curated OER
Story vs. Plot
Students, after reading and discussing the two texts by Flannery O'Connor, "Good Country People" and "Greenleaf," analyze the plot, tone, characters, themes and setting in each story. They write their own short stories dealing with a...
Curated OER
African-American History and Culture in the English Classroom
Ninth graders identify and recognize characteristics of nonfiction in literary works, explore language and culture of Gullah people, compare and contrast purposes of spirituals and quilts in terms of their relationships to escape from...
Curated OER
Summarizing Key Information
Imagine the surprise when small groups present their Evidence Charts to the class and discover that each group has studied a different version of the Cinderella story. Irish, Ojibwa, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Mexican, and...
Curated OER
Writing to Analyze, Comment and Review
In this writing to analyze, comment and review worksheet, young scholars analyze blurbs, comment on the openings and endings of novels, and review a book from their own choosing. Students answer seventy short answer questions.
Curated OER
Analyzing Textbook Formats
Students explore the characteristics of a non-fiction text. For this comprehension lesson, students are led on a guided tour of each text and identify the features of a non-fiction text. Students continue to practice locating features...
Curated OER
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD
Eighth graders study the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. In this World History lesson, 8th graders analyze and compare primary and secondary sources. Students discuss as a class the accomplishments of Columbus.
Curated OER
Paul Revere's Ride-Fact or Fiction?
Students discuss Paul Revere's ride. In this social studies lesson, students read Paul Revere's Ride and compare the differences between the poem and the historical event.
Curated OER
The Individual and His Role in Society
Tenth graders discover how various writers approach the themes of : alienation and solitude, living life "deliberately" and "phonies." Through reading, journaling, class discussion, and writing assignments they realize the power of the...
Curated OER
In Country: An Integrated Look at the Vietnam War
Students explore aspects of the Vietnam War and how it relates to the heritage of America. In an attempt to understand the level of involvement, students analyze statistics from the Vietnam war. Students watch a video, read a book, and...
Curated OER
Genres in Literature
Students analyze and differentiate between various genres of literature. They view a slideshow, take a true/false quiz, create an Idea Pad file, and create an idea map of the various genres.
Film Foundation
The Day The Earth Stood Still: The Filmmaking Process
How are films made? As part of their study of film, middle schoolers investigate the pre-production, production, and post-production process and consider the role of the director, the screenwriter, production designer, cinematographer,...
Curated OER
The Teacher from the Black Lagoon
Read and analyze the book, The Teacher From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler with your class. They will compare/contrast the two Mrs. Greens with a Venn diagram, design a new book cover, create a paper mache mask, and complete a story...
Curated OER
Operation Genesis
Students, while working in groups under the Operation Genesis project involve fictional elements of role playing to grasp geographic concepts concerning human/environment interaction. They create the physical features of a fictional...
Curated OER
The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins
Students explore the penguin life cycle. For this penguin life cycle lesson, students read the book The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins. Students look at the pictures and make predictions. Students identify facts about penguins and do...