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Original Rhythm Compositions for Poetry
Students create and perform original musical compositions using poetry as a basis for the creative process. This cross-curricular two-day instructional activity can be done in two 45 minute class periods. Students evaluate performances...
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Superhero Dad
Students create a superhero object for their dad. In this Father's day lesson students choose a characteristic valued in their father. They draw a superhero object to represent the characteristic and write a paragraph to explain.
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Ben Franklin Timeline
Celebrate inventions such as lightning rods, bifocals, and stoves with a Ben Franklin Day. Young historians conduct research and write a paragraph about an accomplishment of Benjamin Franklin including an illustration or collage that...
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Eugene O'Neill on Page and Stage
Students investigate the life and works of Eugene O'Neill. In this American theater lesson, students read biographical information about O'Neill and review Long Day's Journey into Night. Students then analyze the play in order to deliver...
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Halloween
Discover the origins and traditions of Halloween with a crafty lesson plan! Second graders create bats, monsters, witches, and ghosts with masks and puppets. Next, they share their work with their classmates in a fun celebration.
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Wonderful Wintertime
Students explore the seasons and how to describe them with adjectives. In this lesson about winter and descriptive language, students develop an understanding of the seasons specifically winter, and become equipped to describe them with...
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Fractured Families in American Drama
Students compare and contrast the flawed families in two plays. In this American drama lesson, students read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Long Day's Journey into Night. Students research information about the playrights and examine the...
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El Dia de Los Muertos: Mexican Celebrations
Students research Spanish speaking individuals and the holiday, The Day of the Dead, using Internet and print resources. They orally present their research. Students engage in Mexican traditions by making either a lapida (headstone) or...
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Activity Plan 3-4: Dreamy Rhymes
Students write a story about an animal using rhyme. In this literacy lesson plan, the teacher shares different versions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with the class and that becomes the basis for the creation of a picture and story for...
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Baked Polymer Clay 3D People Portraits
Students discuss methods of building forms with clay (ball and variations, snake, flat sheets). They draw a stick figure of what their sculpture may look like, including correct figure proportion.
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What Makes a Fable?
Third graders explore fables. In this fables lesson, 3rd graders use Venn Diagrams to organize information about 2 fables they will read. Students work in groups to fill out the diagrams and share their results with the class. Students...
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Mood in Music
Students portray the mood of a piece of music in a drawing. In this mood in music lesson plan, students discuss how music creates a mood. Students listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," "The Wreck of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" as...
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Draw Me a Mammal!
Fifth graders illustrate at least three art elements in a drawing of a mammal they've read about with 100% accuracy. As a review, Bloom's Taxonomy questions are asked as they prepare to sketch something they pictured in the story they read.
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A Way with Words or Say What?
Students examine Shakespearean language. For this word study lesson, students investigate the meaning of words that Shakespeare invented. Students draw and pantomime with the words prior to writing short stories that feature...
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Explorers’ Experience
Students investigate the Exploration Age. In this research skills lesson, students discover the impact of exploration as they locate information about selected explorers. Students design and create relief maps that feature exploration...
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Move It! With Simple Machines
Students explore engineering by participating in a mechanical class activity. In this simple machines lesson, students identify many simple machines that allow them to perform tasks easily each day. Students collaborate in small groups...
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Seeing the World in New Ways
Students probe their own histories to record how they have had to expand their world views. They determine "Everyone has a culture. It influences how we see the world, ourselves, and others." The explain the concept of cultural...
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A Salute to American Symbols
Students explore American symbols. In this reading and social studies lesson, students read literature regarding American symbols and describe the significance of the symbols as they research them in groups.
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Ancient Greece
Students explore the origins of modern language. For this etymology lesson, students discuss the cultural influences of Ancient Greece on modern society. Students design and complete charts that demonstrate the original and contemporary...
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Controlled Narrative Writing
Students add details to their narratives. In this narrative writing lesson, students look at a simple four sentence narrative and add adjectives and adverbs to make it more descriptive. They do this activity whole class, in partners and...
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Aztec Myths 1
Students write a diary entry or a letter from the viewpoint of a character in a myth. For this Aztec myths lesson, students define myths and read "The Heart of Copil" and "The Eagle of Tenochtitlan" and find the land of the Aztecs on a...
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Critical Literacy in the 21st Century
Listen to Sitti's Secrets and have your class discuss their opinions about Arab families. They will become familiar with the Palestinian /Arabic Culture through a critical literacy focus. Students will write a persuasive letter on...
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Science Fiction Stories
Students write a story. In this genre instructional activity, students read a science fiction story and discuss its characteristics. Students brainstorm a list of things that if scientifically changed would alter the way we live our...
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Participating in Democracy
Students analyze film clips in class. In this democracy lesson, students identify the differences between civil liberties, democracy and freedom. Students view a video regarding Japanese internment and answer study questions as well as...