Curated OER
Shange's Novel Betsey Brown & Jazz
Students read a work of fiction and investigate literary values and structure of the work. They demonstrate understanding of the family values, cultural and historical context of the novel;
Curated OER
Nightmare on Joe's Street
Students conduct research and create an eponym dictionary. They use their imaginations to create their own monster. They have a Monster Mash day to show off their creations.
Curated OER
Perspectives in Writing
Students consider various perspectives in writing and write a short story. They view a painting and discuss its theme and the idea of personification as perspective. Choosing three different viewpoints, they write a story about the...
Curated OER
Hamlet's Soliloquy
Everyone is familiar with the beginning of Hamlet's soliloquy, "To be or not to be..." While reading Hamlet, help your middle schoolers analyze the lines that follow, but how do you help them make personal connections to the text? Use...
Japan Society
Tanabata: Japan's Star Festival
The Star Festival or Tanbata, is a holiday celebrated in Japan every year. People make tanzakus out of paper and hang them on the trees. Pupils will learn about this culturally significant holiday while creating tanzakus of their own....
Library Sparks
Bridge to Terabithia: Library Lessons
Foreshadowing, flashbacks, and imaginary places are the three topics of focus in this two-lesson plan packet written especially for the book, Bridge to Terabithia. Each lesson plan also comes with worksheets and activities to support...
Curated OER
Project Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh and Leadership
Do leaders need to be more moral than followers? Does power corrupt? Can anyone be a leader? Begin a study of leadership with a reading of excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh. After examining the ancient Mesopotamian hero, class members...
Listening Library
The Sign of the Beaver
Extend a class reading of the novel The Sign of the Beaver across all subject areas with this literature unit guide. From basic discussion questions and writing prompts, to a research project about tracking animals, this resource offers...
Curated OER
Putting the Sitcom into Perspective
Students identify and compare similar characters and situations in stories and dramas from and about various cultures, illustrate with classroom dramatizations, and discuss how theater reflects life.
Curated OER
Overture to 'William Tell' by Gioacchino Rossini
Students create an awareness of how music creates a setting in a story or legend. They identify the instrumentation, dynamics and tempo used to create various settings for a musical story. They perform rhythmic patterns from listening...
Curated OER
Home at Last
Students read about an immigrant family and participate in reading activities related to the book. In this immigration book lesson, students answer question related to immigration and the book.
Curated OER
Passage to Freedom Teacher's Guide
Students explore the main elements of the book Passage to Freedom. In this reading response instructional activity, students participate in pre-reading activities that focus on the idea of courage. Students conduct a book walk-through...
Curated OER
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Students examine the Vietnam war. They listen to and discuss the book, "The Wall," by Eve Bunting, conduct Internet research, and write a letter or send a card to U.S. military veterans in a local Veteran's Hospital.
Curated OER
Christmas Lesson Plans
Students learn about the Christmas season through music, research, and other activities.
Curated OER
Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
Curated OER
The Truth And Owning Up
Students investigate the moral obligation of telling the truth and what the implications are for not doing so. They define what a lie is and how it deviates from the truth. The skill of mending a mistake is taught to encourage students...
Curated OER
Values of Peace and Gratitude
Students engage in a lesson that focuses on the character trait of being grateful. Its connections to becoming a peaceful person are emphasized by reading a story that helps students to make cognitive connections to the subject.
Curated OER
Helpfulness / First Aid
Learners stimulate thought about equipping ourselves to be ready for life's challenges. They recognize the needs and concerns of others and reconsider existing views. They evaluate consideration for others' religious teaching and...
Curated OER
Birds, Bees and Butterflies
Students complete a variety of activities surrounding science, music and art. In this nature and animals instructional activity, students sing songs, color a picture of make a butterfly, listen and dance to music, make a butterfly,...
Curated OER
Ohlone Indians
Fourth graders use various pictures to identify the economic activities, food supply or religious beliefs of the Ohlone Indians. Students create a cooperative learning travel brochure.