Curated OER
Gunfighters of the Old West
Students identify, through specific character traits, several of the major gunfighters of the Old West. They create a new composite character from preexisting and famous persons and their own imagination.
Curated OER
Language Arts: Women in History
Pupils read excerpts from Amelia Earhart's autobiography, "The Fun if It," and identify her character traits. To aid visualization of her transatlantic flight, they search books and the Internet for photos related to Earhart's flights....
Curated OER
Writings on a River
Students identify words that can be used to describe Mark Twain's character Tom Sawyer. Students explore stage production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by reading and discussing "An Older (and Calmer) Tom Sawyer". They develop their...
Curated OER
Hector's World Cyberbullying: You're Not Alone
Students watch an episode of Hector's world regarding cyber-bullying and begin to understand what hurtful actions are in relation to someone's feelings. In this Cyber-bullying lesson, students are introduced to the idea of good character...
Curated OER
Macbeth - Analyzing Characterization in Drama
The writing activity in this lesson could be used to assess student understanding of previously taught concepts of how language reveals character.
Orange County Department of Education
The True Story of Abbie Burgess
First graders read a story about Abbie Burgess. They identify at least three specific actions exhibiting traits of courage and responsibility. Students explore ways children and adults become heroes by helping others out in a time of...
Curated OER
Hero Stories Teach
Students create a slogan. In this heroes lesson, students identify traits from hero stories that match traits of real life heroes. They discuss what lessons they can learn from heroes about courage and come up with a one line slogan that...
Curated OER
Defining Trustworthiness
Middle schoolers explore the trait of trustworthiness. In this character education activity, students discuss the attributes of people they trust. Middle schoolers create a group definition of trustworthiness.
Curated OER
Earning Trust
Middle schoolers explore trustworthiness. In this character development instructional activity, students brainstorm communities to which they belong and generate common traits of these communities. Middle schoolers discuss how trust is...
Curated OER
Surprise at Pearl Harbor
Students review the concept of courage and relate it to their daily life. As a class, they are introduced to the events of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Using a map, they locate Hawai'i and label the islands. They use the internet to...
Curated OER
Playing By The Rules
Students investigate the meaning of honesty. In this character education lesson, students brainstorm school experiences where they have the choice of being honest. Students illustrate and describe actions related to honesty in a journal.
Novelinks
The Good Earth: Biopoem Strategy
To gain a better understanding of characters in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, kids create a biopoem for one of her characters.
Curated OER
Out of the Dust
Seventh graders read a book of poems called "Out of the Dust". In groups, they research the Dust Bowl and how it affected people living through the Great Depression. Using the text, they identify the theme and key turning points and...
Curated OER
Short Stories Through Multimedia Presentations
Ninth graders summarize and paraphrase a short story read in class. They identify the six story elements of character, setting, plot, conflict, solution, and tone/mood. Students create a PowePoint presentation that illustrates the...
Curated OER
Wanted Dead or Alive: The Entrepreneur of the Year
Students investigate entrepreneurship as it relates to careers. In this career planning lesson, students create goals leading up to their career of choice. They identify the characteristics necessary ti be successful in the business world.
Curated OER
Historic Heroes
Students recognize traits of heroes as depicted in music, art and literature. In this cross curricular lesson, students evaluate and analyze various works fo art from different cultures that depict heroes.
Curated OER
Inspired by Muses, Graces and Fates
Students examine how artists express the Muses through the arts. In this art and history lesson, students work cooperatively to identify the Greek Muses, Graces and the Fates. Students will identify the attributes of each, participate in...
Curated OER
Geometry and Quilting
Fourth graders combine geometry and language arts skills while examining quilt-making. After identifying the geometric shapes contained in quilts, they write stories to encompass the quilt border. Students conclude by creating and...
Curated OER
Event in Time
Learners, after describing and identifying a variety of major consequences and sequences of major historical events and developments in American History, create a mobile on a specific event in history. They follow specific instructions...
Curated OER
The Outsiders: Chapters 1-2 Questions
In this fill-in-the-blank activity, students identify specific details of the first two chapters of The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. Graphic organizers are provided for two of the questions in order to help the student organize...
Curated OER
Heroes
Students explore reading comprehension strategies. In this character development and reading comprehension instructional activity, students brainstorm common traits of "heroes." Students read Heroes, then identify the personal conflicts...
Curated OER
Dramatizing Fables
Students familiarize themselves with fables by listening to several of them. They define fables. They identify the moral of a specific fable. They identify characters, plot and sequence of events. They create a mask of a character in a...
Curated OER
Text Under the Microscope
Learners explore plot, setting, point of view, and theme. For this literary elements lesson, students read "The Cask of Amontillado," by Poe and the War of the World script by H.G. Wells. Learners identify and define the...