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Introducing Biographies-Getting to Know You
Students study biographies as a nonfiction genre while examining a variety of examples. Next, they access and complete an online tutorial about biographies. They choose one person that interests them to conduct further research using a...
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The Middle Passage
Fifth graders explore slavery conditions by viewing a video clip on the Internet. In this slave ship instructional activity, 5th graders discuss the transportation of black men and women from Africa to the United States in the 1700's and...
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The Three Bears
Students explore the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In this Goldilocks and the Three Bears lesson plan, students study aspects of reading through the story with companion rhymes. Cross curricular activities are included.
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Assignment #5 Sci-Fi Analysis
Class members select a science fiction novel for independent study. To verify they have completed the reading, they write a summary, a critique, and an outline of the plot for a sequel or prequel. They then deliver a five-minute speech,...
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Finding the Main Idea
Being able to identify the main idea in a text is an essential comprehension skill. After the term is defined, viewers examine a series of paragraphs and are asked to identify the main idea and the supporting details.
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An Amazing Trip Through Fun Trivia
Similar to an online version of Trivial Pursuit, learners answer a variety of questions about history, hobbies, celebrities, and more. This is a great way to help learners hone their Internet research skills.
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Language Arts: Character Comparison
Fourth graders, using Kidspiration, compare and contrast the two main characters from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. They use a teacher-created template to describe their characters. Students then create their own character analysis.
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Language Arts: Character Analysis
Fourth graders identify the character traits of Peter in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. They find quotations in the story that illlustrate the traits. Students use Kidspiration to write their reports on a template.
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Don Quixote
Students examine the use of metaphors in literature. For this literary devices lesson, students read poems that feature extended metaphors and compare them to the metaphors used in Don Quixote. Students then try their hand at writing...
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Music from a Place Called Half Moon
Students read the novel, Music from a Place Called Half Moon. They are assigned chapters to analyze for literary elements and to assign titles to the book chapters.
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Personification
Fifth graders read opening pargraphs in their books and discuss with their peers the meaning of personification. They then identify three instances in the poem "Desert Tortoise" of similarities between humans and animals citing...
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Through the Looking-Glass Chess: Create Your Own Games!
Sixth graders research chess in relation to the metaphors in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass. They read the novel and note references to chess and research the history of chess and how to play the game. In groups, they create...
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Pound A Poem
Students participate in various poem-related lessons to learn how they can make a difference in the lives of people they don't know. In this poetry instructional activity, students discover that this pound a poem competition is about...
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Good Will - Three Chinese Stories
Students listen to The Seven Chinese Brothers and identify tall tale elements in it. They brainstorm ways they could help each other in school. They create a banner reflecting the style and art of Chinese decorations and clothing in the...
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Folktale Unit Outline
Seventh graders analyze grammatical structures and identify literary elements in a variety of texts. Through the genre of folktales, ancient or indigenous cultures are studied.
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Writing Similes
Fifth graders identify and write similes. They define simile and discuss different examples, and with the help of a thesaurus, write original similes that compare the colors of crayons to objects or feelings. Students copy their rough...
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Use of the Simile
Fourth graders identify and write their own similes. In this literary devices instructional activity, 4th graders define and identify similes. The teacher scaffolds the instructional activity so that all students can write their own...
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Onomatopoeia
Fifth graders investigate onomatopoeia. In this reading lesson, 5th graders create a list of onomatopoeic words from books read and brainstorm words of their own in small groups.
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Patterns In Poetry: Images (Part 3)
Students explore imagery in poetry. For this poetry lesson, students examine how the use of metaphors and similes aid in reading comprehension. Multiple resources are provided.
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The Sequential Teaching of Writing Skills at Grade Eight
Eighth graders are introduced to the techniques to write properly. As a class, they practice writing complete sentences and discover how to avoid run-on sentences. In groups, they review action and state of being verbs and practice...
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Self-portrait Poem
Students practice naming various features or parts of their bodies using similes and vivid adjectives. The format is extended to poetic expressions as they develop a self-portrait and extend the creative experience through art.
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Mixing Metaphors with Politics
Students discuss different literary devices and use them to write summaries of New York Times articles dealing with international news. They reflect on the effectiveness and appropriateness of sports metaphors in the political arena.
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Exploring Color Vocabulary
Students explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize the...
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Geometric Figures-Triangles
Fourth graders explore triangles. In this math lesson, 4th graders discuss the different types of triangles. Students create triangles using wiki sticks. Students complete an online matching game.