Curated OER
Creating Characters
Students examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Students then use the methods of...
Curated OER
Truman Capote: Other Voices, Other Rooms
Students read and analyze Truman Capote's autobiographical short story, "A Christmas Memory." They discuss writing styles, conduct Internet research on Truman Capote, write a book review, and write a short story based on one of Truman...
Curated OER
Writing Mythological Narratives
Students compose a creative writing piece based on a painting of a mythological scene. In this creative writing lesson, students write about the scene in the painting and tie in their original stories into tales from the life...
Curated OER
Arthur Miller and The Crucible
Students investigate the dramatic elements of The Crucible. In this drama activity, 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...
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln and the Five-Dollar Note
Students study Presidential history by researching Abraham Lincoln. In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss the changes in the 5 dollar bill and create a timeline of Abraham Lincoln's life. Students complete a puzzle...
Curated OER
Exploring A Streetcar Named Desire
High schoolers investigate the dramatic elements of a Streetcar Named Desire. In this drama instructional activity, students explore the theme of the Tennessee Williams play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the...
Curated OER
Creating Comic Strips
Students recognize the elements needed to create a comic strip. In this comic strip lesson, student understand that comic strips need words and pictures. Students find differences and similarities in comic strips. Students describe how...
Curated OER
Creating Characters
Students identify simple pictographs and ideographs from Chinese writing. They create their own images, and combine characters to communicate ideas to one another, introducing basic foundations of how elements of the Chinese writing...
Curated OER
Half Man, Half Limping Rabbit
Students examine the possible advantages of mortality over immortality. They explain how or why change can be a powerful and positive force and that sometimes the beauty of a country, or of a culture, is not always obvious to the people...
Curated OER
Celebration
Young scholars identify the different ways in which different countries celebrate and why, including story, dance, music, and exchanging gifts. Then they develop a basic standard of non-verbal communication through either dance, mime,...
Curated OER
Elements of Fables
Students explore the attributes of fables. In this literature lesson, students read several fables and identify the moral lesson, characterization, and figurative language in each. Students then retell their favorite fables in their own...
Curated OER
A VIEW FROM THE TOP
Students explore the idea of aerial photography through the story of Amelia the Pigeon. They view an actual aerial photograph of their school or home, and then write a story describing what Amelia would see if she flew over their school...
Curated OER
TOTAL LITERATURE SERIES
Fifth graders listen and react to the book Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. They write in their journals every day approximately one page or more as a reflection on the reading.
Curated OER
Scaling the Blues
Learners identify musical characteristics of blues music and define the term 'scale.' They identify chromatic, major, pentatonic, and blues scales and label each key on a keyboard using letter names, sharps and flats.
Curated OER
Building Friendships
Students engage in four separate friendship-building activities. They develop social skills and ethical responsibility by role playing and interacting with each other through reading, art, music and dance.
Curated OER
Once Upon a Thank You
Students are encouraged to revisit their favorite books and recall just what it was about the author who wrote each book or the characters they created that made the story so special. They then celebrate their chosen authors and/or...
Curated OER
Looking At People in Portraits
This resource can be adapted for all grade levels! Intended for learners within easy access of the Getty Center, you could still set up a gallery in your own classroom to achieve similar results. Included is a writing prompt, a...
Curated OER
Trust Circles
Students compare communities to which they belong. In this social studies and language arts lesson, students discuss trust and use a Venn diagram to compare two communities to which they belong.
Missouri Department of Elementary
Think Positive!
Following an attention-grabbing read-aloud, scholars brainstorm ways they can change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Small groups plan and perform a skit that showcases one of the new ideas to uplift one's feelings....
Missouri Department of Elementary
Keep Finding the Positive
Group members take on roles to create a positive classroom community. Learners perform their role—leader, recorder, presenter, timekeeper, encourager, and collector—in preparation for a formal presentation of their positive thinking...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Are You Balanced?
Balance scales create a strong visual of how an individual prioritizes one's self alongside their commitments to the community, school, and home. Scholars complete a graphic organizer then discuss their findings with their peers. A...
US Institute of Peace
Making a Difference: Becoming a Peacebuilder
Being an agent of change is no easy task! What are some of the common challenges that peacebuilders face every day? The 14th portion in a series of 15 explores the lives of peacebuilders. Grouped pupils discuss these challenges before...
Curated OER
Novel Jeopardy
Play a classroom version of the classic game show Jeopardy, to review and discuss the novel your class has been reading. Questions about plot and other story elements are written on cards and given point values. Divide the class into...
Curated OER
A Chicken's Life
Here is a set of comprehension questions that go with the story "A Chicken's Life." Learners answer each of nine questions by filling in the blank with the correct word then, they complete ten additional comprehension questions that...