Curated OER
Creating an Original Opera
Students research the lyrical and dramatic structure of opera through Internet sources and audio examples, cooperatively discuss elements of opera stories vs. their own lives and create one-act opera based on their own life experiences.
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Ghosts of Rwanda: Reconciliation and Reparations
Students examine a specific case of genocide participation in Rwanda. Working in groups, they simulate the courtroom drama, from the positions of victim, perpetrator, and court monitor. They conclude by writing essays on the...
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Similes
Second graders explore similes. In this figurative language lesson, 2nd graders read the book Quick As A Cricket and choose a simile to illustrate.
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Conventions-Interjections
Fifth graders discuss interjections reviewing them to be words or phrases that express excitement or strong emotion. In this language arts activity, 5th graders understand that commas or exclamation marks are used to separate...
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Diary of Anne Frank: Act 1 Scene 1 & 2
Eighth graders read act 1 scenes 1 & 2 of the play Diary of Anne Frank. In this Diary of Anne Frank lesson plan, 8th graders discuss how the setting of the play affects the mood of the story and answer short answer questions.
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Impacting Indiana
Fourth graders become familiar with the culture and history of Indiana. In this James Whitcomb Riley lesson plan, 4th graders read poetry which includes the dialect of Indiana. Students analyze the poem. Groups memorize and recite...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Comparing Key Ideas and Details in Fiction and Nonfiction
Learners recognize the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts. In this genre study lesson, students discuss what nonfiction means and write the definition. Learners listen to a read aloud and vote whether the text is fiction or...
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Down by the Bay
Students work with rhyming words to add verses to a song. In this rhyming words lesson, students use rhyming words to add verses to Raffi's song, "Down by the Bay." They look for patterns and rhymes in the original verses before adding...
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What is effective communication?
Students practice a series of communicaton activities. In this communication skills lesson, students role play listening and active listening strategies to improve communication. Students write a set of guidelines for improving...
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Commas
Fifth graders discuss when a comma is necessary in a sentence. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders understand that commas are used as a pause and help the reader understand ideas better. Students find an example of each example...
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Drafting
Students engage in the writing process. In this drafting lesson, students research different types of genres to find which they enjoy reading and writing. They review the drama in a story and discuss different story prompts.
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The Crucible
Students explore the historical drama, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller looking for examples of society's mistrust of nonconformity and the injustice that can as a result of fear.
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Tales From Around the World
Students read stories. In this culture lesson, students read stories from different regions around the world. Students look for each region on the map and listen for interesting cultural details in the story. Students then discuss the...
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Tableau
Second graders view a video from United Streaming and design still frames of important parts of a story. In this story-telling from different cultures lesson plan, 2nd graders understand general vocabulary about performing. Students...
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Rooster's Night Out
Students explore folktales. For this folktale lesson, students listen to a story from another country and discuss the characters. Students retell the story using puppets and do coloring sheets. Students do a sequencing cut and paste...
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The Unraveling
Learners explore the role of tone in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this literature lesson, students perform scenes from the play inflecting the tone that they believe Shakespeare intended.
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"An American Story"--The Responsibility of Citizenship
Students describe the importance of being a responsible citizen. In this philanthropic actions lesson, students view "An American Story" and identify examples from the movie. Students discuss and recognize philanthropic behaviors in the...
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Lessons in Drama: Learning About American Political Thought
Students develop critical thinking skills so that they may produce their own written plays or music from their thoughts and feelings. They express their thoughts based on what has been presented to them over the duration of the course.
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Historical Background of Nightjohn Lesson Plan
Eighth graders use first-hand slave narratives that show conditions of slavery. They paste text into Appleworks and publish with a picture clipped from web sites. They create a group account of life during slavery to prepare for reading...
Shakespeare in American Life
Performing Modernized Shakespeare
“All the world’s a stage…” What do Leonardo DiCaprio, Heath Ledger, and Kenneth Branagh have in common? They have all starred in modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. After viewing a series clips from modern Shakespeare videos,...
Curated OER
Act It Out!
An effective way to demonstrate understanding is by synthesizing one's own work. Use a creative instructional activity designed for a unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for small groups to show what they know about the...
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Promptbook Act 2.1: Katherine vs. Petruchio
Compile a promptbook with your young theater designers using a scene from Taming of the Shrew. The lesson outlines several activities, though it doesn't provide any examples of a promptbook or text from the play. Additionally, it...
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Southern Puritanism and Tennessee Williams
Students write an essay comparing Arthur Mille's The Crucible and one of Tennessee Williams' plays. In this Tennessee Williams lesson, students discuss the influence of Puritanism on modern American drama. Lesson includes a vocabulary...
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Sophocles' Antigone: Ancient Greek Theatre, Live from Antiquity
Students analyze Antigone and its universal issues as well as explore ancient Greece. In this Antigone and Ancient Greece lesson, students read and complete activities for Sophocles' Antigone. Students reconstruct the experience of a...