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Website
Other

Dan Gutman, Children's Book Author

For Students 3rd - 5th
The children's author Dan Gutman hosts this website devoted to his baseball stories. It even includes rejection letters, an original poem, and some book excerpts, and some puzzles and games.
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Website
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Preface to Sancho: An Act of Remembrance

For Students 9th - 10th
Paterson Joseph describes how his research into Black British history led him to write his first play, Sancho: An Act of Remembrance. In this one-man show, Paterson Joseph inhabits the life of Ignatius Sancho, the 18th-century composer,...
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eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: My Discovery of England by Stephen Leacock

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the full text of "My Discovery of England" by Stephen Leacock who is known for his humorous writings.
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Primary
Aaron Shepherd

Savitri, a Tale of Ancient India (Reader's Theater)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A reader's theater version of a folktale from India has been adapted by children's book author Aaron Shepard from his picture book "Savitri." For ages 9-15, the story's female hero is full of determination, courage, and devotion....
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Website
Aaron Shepherd

The Gifts of Wali Dad, a Tale of India and Pakistan

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
A reader's theater version of a folktale from India and Pakistan adapted by children's book author Aaron Shepard from his picture book "The Gifts of Wali Dad." For 15 players, ages 8-13, it contemplates questions of generosity....
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Primary
Aaron Shepherd

The Battle of Song, a Hero Tale of Finland (Rt)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A reader's theater version of a Finnish folktale adapted by children's book author Aaron Shepard from his picture book "The Maiden of Northland." For eight players, ages 11 and up. Performance length is six minutes. You will find links...
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Primary
Aaron Shepherd

The Magic Brocade, a Tale of China (Reader's Theater)

For Students 9th - 10th
A reader's theater version of a folktale from China for nine players, ages 8-15. It touches on themes related to following one's dreams and the creative process. Adapted by children's book author Aaron Shepard from his picture book "The...
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Primary
Aaron Shepherd

Resthaven, an African Story (Reader's Theater)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This reader's theater version of a folktale from Africa has been adapted by children's book author Aaron Shepard from "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer. For six or more players ages 12-15. Performance length is 10 minutes.
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Unit Plan
ACT360 Media

Act Den: Power Point in the Classroom

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A humorous and detailed tutorial for using Microsoft PowerPoint 2000. Includes meeting PowerPoint, creating slides, making changes, adding images and charts, adding motion and sound, timing and rehearing for a presentation. Tutorials can...
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Handout
Other

Alpha Dictionary: Do I Have to Pay Syntax?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A humorous explanation of syntax and sentence structure, and how meaning in language is made up of so much more than words.
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Unit Plan
Washington State University

Washington State University: American Authors: Notes on Anne Bradstreet

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn interesting facts about Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612-1672 CE) and her writing. The notes provide good background information to accompany reading and studying of her works.
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eBook
World Wide School

World Wide School: Etext of Autocrat of the Breakfast

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides the complete etext for Oliver Wendell Holmes's story, The Autocrat of the Breakfast-table
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eBook
World Wide School

World Wide School: Etext of the Bridge Builders

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides the complete etext for Rudyard Kipling's story, The Bridge-Builders.
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eBook
PBS

Pbs: Benjamin Franklin: An Extraordinary Life: First Silence Dogood Letter

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the text of the first letter Franklin wrote to the "New England Courant," in 1772, under the Silence Dogood pseudonym.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: My Robot and Me

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
For this activity students are asked to come up with ways a robot could help them. They are then required to write a humorous story about that robot and present it to the class. This activity encourages students to be creative while also...
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PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Pun

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson introduces puns in writing. This tutorial lesson shares a short slideshow with the lesson's content.
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Handout
Other

Oxymorons

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Fifty-one oxymorons and a writing sample using the literary device throughout. Interesting and funny resource for learning oxymorons. Shows examples of oxymorons we use in everyday speech.
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Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Ken Burns: American Lives: Mark Twain

For Students 9th - 10th
In his time, Mark Twain was considered the funniest man on earth. Yet he was also an unflinching critic of human nature, using his humor to attack hypocrisy, greed and racism. In this series, Ken Burns has created an illuminating...
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eBook
Indiana University

Wright American Fiction Collection: Mark Twain

For Students 9th - 10th
The full texts to Twain's lesser-known works can be accessed from this site such as "Celebrated Jumping Frog" and "The Innocents Abroad." Read facsimiles of the original books or plain text versions.
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Introduction to Speech

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a comprehensive unit introducing speech including key words, lessons, discussion of audience, purpose, analyzing speeches, speech components, planning a speech, quizzes, and a final assessment with rubric.
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Excerpt From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Chapter 12

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
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Professional Doc
AdLit

Ad lit.org: Discussion Guide: The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Candace Fleming writes contemporary stories built around Aesop's fables in The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School. No one wants to teach the fourth graders until the amazing Mr. Jupiter comes along. He undertakes the task...
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Website
Other

History of Haiku: Basho Matsuo

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes Basho's writing style, including his sense of humor. It also provides several examples of his poetry.
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Article
Other

Jiskha: Persuasive Techniques

For Students 9th - 10th
Short definitions of techniques that persuade: bandwagon, glittering generality, and more.