Curated OER
Identifying and Using Parallelism and Balance in Literature
Analyze the use of balanced sentences and parallelism in a narrative. Included in this resource is a narrative about serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan titled, "The Train Ride Home". Middle and high schoolers review...
Curated OER
Denial on Trial
What is the "Faurisson Affair”? What is “Holocaust Revisionism”? What does freedom of speech entail? Do revisionists have a right to voice their ideas? Such questions are at the heart of a richly detailed, thought provoking lesson plan...
Curated OER
What Has Brown Done for You?
Learners review the facts of the court case Brown v. Board of Education. Next, they research recent court cases that uphold contrasting views on the landmark decision. They write opinions about these recent court cases from a 1954...
Curated OER
New York City Delights: The Taxi Cab
You set the rate! Step into the shoes of a taxi driver in New York City, and also pretend to be a person who uses taxis to get around town. The class will conduct collaborative research to learn about the history of taxis. Then, they...
Curated OER
Thank You Notes
Learners investigate the history of presidential proclamations and develop their own Thanksgiving Proclamations, highlighting current issues and sentiments.
Curated OER
Pig Products
How do you feel about cloning? This issue is highly debated, so educate your class before they participate in a similar debate! Read a New York Times article related to the use of cloned pig organs for human transplants. Groups develop...
Curated OER
Justice Is Blind, Colorblind That Is
It's so interesting to see kids respond to articles about education. To start the day, prompt learners to discuss the words colorblindness and diversity. Then, split your class in two and have one side read an article from 2007 and...
Curated OER
The Two Sides of the Declaration of Independence
Budding historians read six documents related to grievances that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. They then craft an essay in which they discuss the perspective of both the colonists and the king. This DBQ could be...
Orange County Department of Education
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Fifth graders read Dear Mr. Henshaw and identify the character trait of self-respect as exhibited by Leigh throughout the story. They evaluate the author's use of letters to tell the story and discuss how the story would be different if...
Curated OER
Dive into Reading During National Book Month!
Cultivate a passion for literature with fun, easy to incorporate reading activities.
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Seventh Grade
Having a hard time defining bullying with your seventh graders? Discuss the different types of behavior one would see in a bullying situation with a series of lessons, worksheets, and group activities.
Curated OER
Explore the Written Word with National Postcard Week
Develop writing and analysis skills with a celebration of the postcard pastime.
Curated OER
Written Document Analysis
In this primary source analysis activity, students examine types of written documents and respond to 6 analysis questions about them.
Curated OER
Poetic Elements
Poetry is all about sound and rhythm. The sound of the words, the rhythm of the lines, and the emotional atmosphere created by these elements and the literary devices poets use, compress whole stories into a few stanzas. The specialized...
Curated OER
Position Wanted
Learners share their opinions about local job opportunities for people their age. After reading an article about hiring trends, they discuss Google's answer to filling jobs. Class members research and report on an employer that offers...
Curated OER
Time's Up
How was your year? Create an individual timeline that document learners' personal history from the previous year. After reading an article about celebrating New Year's in Japan, pairs interview each other to gather information about...
Curated OER
She's All Over the Map
Young scholars consider female authors and their literature. Working in partnerships, they research and map the life and work of a Nobel Prize-winning female author of their choice. Students write individual letters expressing their...
Curated OER
Voice Trait: Who Is Talking?
Students recognize the difficulty of knowing who wrote a letter from the envelope. In this writing "voice" lesson, students understand the meaning of voice in writing and detect who the writers are in a worksheet.
Curated OER
First Class Mail
Students read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and write a friendly letter to Elizabeth George Speare, the author, discussing their points of interest in the novel with her.
Curated OER
Exploring the Self
Learners use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their own...
Curated OER
Letters From The Diaspora
Students investigate the concept of mass migration and conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create letters written from the perspective of a person who may have migrated during the time period.
Curated OER
Pay to Learn?
Pupils discuss the concept of schools paying students as an incentive for scoring higher on standardized tests. They debate the key issues of this question and write a letter to the local board of education expressing their position.
Nikola Tesla documentary student worksheet
PBS documentary: Tesla - Master of Lightning; this worksheet will keep the students engaged while watching this excellent documentary about Tesla. The documentary can be found on Netflix or YouTube. It will take two class periods to...
Curriculum Corner
Spring Fun Literacy Centers
Looking for spring-themed literacy centers? Look no further because here is a resource packed full of literacy skills practice, including spring verbs, ABC order, spring synonym match, spring phrases, abbreviation match, and a sentence...