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Performance Evaluation
Students evaluate in class performance of music previously prepared by the ensemble. The rubric and assessment criteria are adaptable to any orchestra setting which allows the teacher to choose music to be assessed. Critical thinking...
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Bad Brother
Students deal with the historian's dilemma of how to write about people in the past who committed wicked deeds. They analyze a well-known cartoon, "Satan Tempting Booth to the Murder of the President."
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Story Mapping A Favorite Book
First graders create a diagram of a story by using the computer program Kidspiration. In this diagramming lesson plan, 1st graders will pick a book to write about. They then will plug in story elements of the book into the computer...
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Heaven or Ground Hog Day?
Students discover the ideas of enlightenment by reading historical poetry. In this philosophical lesson, students read poems by Sir Walter Scott and Sergeant Joyce Kilmer while discussing the themes of the writing with classmates....
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Reading on the Farm
Second graders study farm life. In this writing lesson, 2nd graders listen to "Pigaroo" and write their own story about farm life.
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Cashing In on Cartoons
Students examine the popularity of cartoon characters in marketing strategies. They work on developing their own cartoon characters that could be used for a licensing plan.
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Sense-itive Issues
Students consider the difficulties of adapting to the loss of different senses. They work in small groups, each developing a fictional superhero who experiences a loss of one of sense and must compensate for it with his or her other senses.
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Playing with History
Students consider the elements that make computer games compelling, then use these elements to develop game 'narratives' based on historic events.
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Mixed Blessings
Students investigate the recent federal appeals court decision finding the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. They further investigate the notions of constitutionality and separation between church and state by analyzing a patriotic...
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Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," from The Jungle Book, offers young readers a chance to examine how Rudyard Kipling uses setting and personification to bring to life the brave mongoose who battles cobras to protect his family. Class members...
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For Richer or for Poorer
Students read about one cross-class marriage and create scenes to dramatize interactions among the family members and consider how class shapes relationships. They imagine the issues faced by cross-class couples by writing a short story.
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Members Only
Students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of private communities and the lives led by their residents. They design ideal planned communities for people featured in other Class Matters articles.
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The Amistad Case
Young scholars analyze the Amistad case and how it impacted slavery in the United States. They, in groups, receive a document, answers the focus questions and presents their findings to the class.
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Rewrite, Revise, Recycle
Students examine different pieces of literature that have a similiar theme. They read an article about reusing ideas for television shows. They work together to create their own program proposals. They also create backstories for one of...
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Literature: Oliver Twist In The Classroom
Students view the Masterpiece Theatre presentation of Oliver Twist. the lesson includes plot summaries of the three episodes as well as before and after viewing activities. In addition, there are discussion and activity suggestions to...
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Reader's Theater: Presenting Asian Folktales
Students create and perform folktale plays. In this reader's theater and Asian literature lesson, students work in groups to rewrite Asian folktales into scripts and perform the folktales for their class in a Reader's Theater. Lesson...
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Intermediate Vocabulary Practice
In this recognizing vocabulary words in context worksheet, students read sentences and choose the vocabulary word in parenthesis that correctly completes the sentences. Students choose 12 answers.
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Anti-Dogfighting Curriculum: Media and Propaganda Extension Lesson
Students investigate the different types of propaganda. In this media analysis lesson, students define and investigate the various types of media propaganda. Students observe how advertisements may not show how the item advertised may...
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Pasta Punctuation
Fourth graders put elbow macaroni where commas and quotation marks are supposed to be in sentences. In this punctuation lesson plan, 4th graders use the pasta to define where punctuation is missing in sentence strips.
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Don Quixote Quiz
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions about Cervantes's Don Quixote. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
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The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions about Mann's The Magic Mountain. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
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Halloween Literature Unit: Little Critter’s Halloween
Students are read Happy Halloween Little Critter, by Mercer Mayer. In this emotions lesson, students discover how their mood is often affected by their feelings. They discuss the story as a class and then work independently on a...
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Evaluating a Book By Its Cover
Students practice using predictive strategies before reading a book. In this literacy activity, students identify the theme and characters of the novel based on the cover illustrations.
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Looking at the Man in the Mirror
Learners reflect on their behavior by listening to an audio tape of Michael Jackson's song, "The Man in the Mirror."