Curated OER
Sk8er Boi (Skater Boy)
Learners listen to and analyze the lyrics for Avril Lavigne's song, Sk8er Boi. They discuss and interpret the vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and various grammar structures used in the lyrics.
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Censorship In Fahrenheit 451
Tenth graders explore the concept of censorship through a reading of Fahrenheit 451. They discuss the issue and its relation to contemporary society. Students work in groups to debate the pros and cons of censorship in our society.
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Analyzing Poetry with TPCASTT
Middle schoolers read a poem and complete a TPCASTT chart. They make a prediction about the title (T) , paraphrase each line (P), identify poetic devices and nuances (C-connotation), explore mood and tone (A-attitude), point out shifts...
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Poetry and Hip Hop
High schoolers compare and contrast the genres of poetry and hip-hop. They view a poetry slam and write about it in their journals. Learners view a Lauryn Hill music video and respond to it in their journals. They compare and contrast...
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Esperanza Rising: Lesson 2
Sixth graders explore adversity. For this summarizing lesson students compare their culture to the Hispanic culture. Students reflect on a time they were met with adversity. Students summarize Chapter 1 of Esperanza Rising.
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Realism and Fantasy
Second graders listen to the story, Bruno the Baker, where some parts seem real and some seem fake. They must identify the parts of the story as realism or fantasy. An interesting way to teach young readers these two concepts.
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Collaborative Writing
Collaborative writing projects can be a lot of fun for students. They use a Scholastic Story Starter and the class blog to write a creative story containing basic story elements. The web link to Scholastic is included but non of the...
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What Were They Thinking Then, What Are We Thinking Now?
Choosing an issue from a play or novel, researchers find two primary sources from different time periods to compare how people's views have changed. Many questions are listed to guide young writers. In the end, learners produce a...
Denver Art Museum
Putting Images into Words
Engage your class in art analysis of Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie. Using this work of art as inspiration, writers compose a poem or short story. After a peer review session, the teacher conveys information about the work of art as...
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Poetry in Motion
Students choose a poetry theme. They write a poem, illustrate it with digital images and record it using a digital video camera.
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Cat in the Hat
Explore the book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss with your class. They will design a pattern for the cat's hat. They will create color pattern designs with candy and frosting. In the end, they will describe their pattern.
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Alphabet Sideshow
Students practice sound and recognition of letters in alphabetical sequence. They gain an understanding of letter sounds and order. They create a slide show with graphics and text. They present their slide show to the class.
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Tyrone, the Horrible
Read a Hans Wilhelm story and complete creative writing activities. Start by reading Tyrone, the Horrible and discuss the behavior in the book. Then split your class into groups to create a "bully" situation and discuss possible...
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Teacher of the Year
Now is the time to identify the great teachers in your school! Discuss the characteristics of persuasive writing and analyze an example. Then, each pupil chooses a teacher who they feel should be named teacher of the year. They plan and...
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Word of the Day
Students practice using their new vocabulary word by creating an original iMovie project based on that word.
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Poetry From Photos: A Great Depression Activity
Students view photographs of migrant families during the Great Depression, try to interpret the photos to answer questions about the subject's life, and then write a Cinquain poem based on their interpretations.