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Fate vs. Mind: A Macedonian Folk Tale
Learners examine the work of Carla Bachechi as a Peace Corp volunteer in Macedonia. Individually, they read various folktales from the country and break into groups to discuss how it is different than a novel. To end the lesson, they...
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Coyote and Anansi
Students explore the structure of folktales. In this coyote and Anansi lesson, students discuss the attributes of folktales as they read versions of tales featuring coyote and Anansi. Students collaborate to write and perform their own...
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Music and Lyrics
Eighth graders analyze lyrics from songs from a variety of genres. In this musical analysis lesson, 8th graders write an essay about their life plans in which they discuss the lyrics of U2's song, "One." They tell how the writings of Dr....
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Where in the World is Cinderella?
Students read several versions of the Cinderella story and examine variations from different cultures. They consider how point of view affects a story and develop a multimedia presentation with their observations.
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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...
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Writing a Narrative
Sixth graders read the short story "Eleven". They write a narrative composition focusing on the use of voice. Students use a computer to create a pre-writing graphic organizer and type their final draft.
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Ida Tarbell: Hysterical Woman vs. Historical Facts
Students examine journalism and its different styles. In this effective communication instructional activity students create an editorial message and articulate an article.
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Heart (and Arm) of Darkness
Learners read and translate a 19th-century American ghost tale into a Japanese hanging scroll in this exciting lesson for middle-level Language Art classes. The lesson can be completed in four or five days.
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Folktales (African American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean)
Students participate in a variety of activities that are concerned with comparing different cultures through the literary genre of folktales. The stories are used to stimulate student interest and provide a context for how a society...
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Bibim Bap For Dinner
Young scholars participate in a literature analysis while reading the children's book "Bibim Bap For Dinner". The teacher performs a guided reading with the students while focusing on the skill of recognizing the main theme of the book....
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Can you Top That?
Students make connections between their own experiences and the story, "get" the author's message and be able to discuss it with other readers, and apply their reading skills and strategies. They predict what happens in the story,...
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Leo and the Butterflies
Second graders read a book entitled, "Leo and the Butterflies." They discuss the rainforest and butterflies. Students observe the pictures and predict what will happen in the story. They examine reading strategies for decoding unfamiliar...
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Rising Tensions Over The Nile River Basin
Students analyze the concept of global commons dilemma. In this investigative lesson students read an article on the Middle East Media Research Institute and answer questions accordingly.
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Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World
Students analyze fables and trickster tales from various cultural traditions. In this fable analysis lesson, students identify the elements of fables and trickster stories. Students read Aesop's fables and Ananse spider stories. Students...
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Thornton Wilder's Our Town: The Reader as Writer
Students read a play and create their own play using Thornton Wilder's Our Townas a resource. In this play activity, students analyze how theatrical elements contribute to a play's meanings and effects. Students recognize differences...
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Dawdle Duckling
Students read the book Dawdle Duckling and complete different activities about the book. Students research the wetlands, research ducks, complete an oil and water experiment, map a cove, and more.
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Memior: The Stuff of Our Lives
Fourth graders reflect upon the significance of remembered events and to keep a "notebook" of their thoughts and feelings. They read books that exemplify memior writing. They write their memiors, taking it through the writing process.
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Comparing Characters Across Two Short Stories
Ninth graders listen to a read aloud of two short stories focusing on literary devices. The write about the settings and realism of the stories, and decide each main character handles the conflict he faces with nature.
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Disease and Culture through Literary Time
Students select books to read that include disease as a plot or theme component. They fill out a matrix for the disease in their novel and write a five-paragraph paper about their book. Students use the rest of the week's classes to...
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A Little Trouble in Amsterdam
Students read A Little Trouble in Amsterdam and discuss their reading. In this reading comprehension lesson, students complete pre-reading activities and post-reading activities for the book A Little Trouble in Amsterdam by Richard...
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Batter Up
Students explore personal achievement by reading a children's book. In this story analysis lesson, students read the book Batter Up, by Sue Muller Hacking and discuss the main character in the story and the actions that she takes to meet...
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Look Around You
Pupils make predictions about a book they are reading and use their background knowledge to make inferences. In this predictions lesson plan, students complete a worksheet that they are given.
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What's the Point? A Lesson on Point of View
Fourth graders read the book, Good Dog by Alexandra Day. In this writing instructional activity, 4th graders re-write the story from a chosen character's point of view. This instructional activity can be used with many other wordless...
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"you Can't Order a Poem Like You Order a Taco": an Introduction To Poetry
Students explore what poetry is and certain aspects within it. They write their own knowledge and perceptions of poetry and the expand that knowledge and experience through listening to, reading, and writing poetry and exploring poetic...