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Headless Horseman, Heady Author
Twelfth graders explore figurative language as it appears in Washington Irving's original text, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, answer questions based on story, and write sequels to it by using the different types of figurative language...
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Classes For The Masses
Students explore how class is represented in the media by developing ideas for television pilots that deal with class issues. They compile short lists of television characters from working, middle and upper classes.
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Smells Like Christmas, Exploring the Nose
Learners discover that the sense of smell helps us to enjoy life and explore unsafe conditions. They smell Christmas by making gingerbread ornaments.
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Behind the Cover
Students develop questions they would have liked to ask an author about their written works. They read an article about their forefathers and research a back story to a written work of their choice. They create posters to illustrate the...
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Poetry through Jazz, Rap, and Hip Hop
Students explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs with the...
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The Notorious Hope Diamond: What Makes an American Legend?
Learners view and discuss a video on the legend of the Hope Diamond then compare and contrast other tales such as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed. They analyze basic characteristics of these legends then use descriptive...
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Poetry of Abraham Lincoln
Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...
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Poetry In Motion
Fourth graders read and analyze poetry and examine the process of writing poetry. They read and analyze the poem "From a Railway Carriage" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and answer comprehension questions. They identify the similes,...
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Creating Dramatic Monologues from The Grapes of Wrath
The characters in The Grapes of Wrath come to life through an activity that asks groups to craft a dramatic monologue for a character in John Steinbeck's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Writers are challenged to...
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1984, by George Orwell - Fact or Fantasy?
Students read 1984 by George Orwell. They research a country who has dictators similar to Oceania's leaders and create a outline for a paper. In addition, they create a web page from their information.
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Discovering Peace
Students explore vocabulary related to peace. In this peace lesson, students define the word "peace" and create a poem about peace. Students create a "peace quilt" as a follow-up activity.
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Gifts of All Sizes
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this stewardship lesson, students consider human capacity for generosity as they read folktales from different cultures that feature characters giving of themselves.
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Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning activity, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
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Chinese Calligraphy
Students explore Chinese calligraphy. In this art and social science activity, students copy the Chinese character ideograms in order to create words or phrases.
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Sticks, Stones, Sinews and Stuff: How Early People Used the Environment to Meet Basic Needs
Students create an artifact. In this early survival lesson, students use found objects to create an artifact that could have been used to help early people meet their basic needs.
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Language Arts Exploration
While an interesting lesson idea involving the exploration of a story about an Asian American boy named Imduk, a teacher would need to have assess to the Scott Foresman reading program to make this work. If not, a teacher could use...
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Back to School Alphabet Activity
In this back to school worksheet, students arrange 20 words that pertain to the beginning of the school year in alphabetical order. Note: Although these are common nouns, the words are capitalized.
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Longfellow Amongst His Contemporaries: the Ship of State Dbq
Young scholars evaluate the ship of state metaphor in relation to the historical events in America from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. They synthesize ideas presented in ten different primary source documents and compose an...
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The People and Philosophy Behind Our National Parks: A Biographical Curriculum Unit
Students discover the interaction of American Literature, politics and the environmental movement. They explore the changing concept and philosophy of wilderness, and explain the development of The National Park System. They read...
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Looking for Heroes
Pupils explain the importance of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March and the long term impact in the US of non violent civic participation.
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Uncle Tom's Cabin as Anti-Slavery Argument
Pupils read and discuss how African- Americans are depicted in slave auction announcements. They research how Harriet Beecher Stow responds to the sale of slaves.
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Stowe's Reviewers
Young scholars read, evaluate and respond to both positive and negative reviews of Harriet Beecher Stow's, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
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Vocabulary and Latin Phrases Integrated into the Core Knowledge Sequence
Students organize the vocabulary roots and Latin phrases from the Core Knowledge Sequence. In this word study lesson, students complete a 57 page packet of activities to increase the vocabulary base of Latin phrases.
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Stadium Voices
Students watch NEW YORK VOICES special "New York Sports: Big Shots and Bad Guys," read excerpts from famous novels/essays in hopes of understanding the feelings that sports stadiums inspire, and create a tourist brochure that highlights...