National Endowment for the Humanities
Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: Concluding the Novel
As I Lay Dying is a beautiful book and a wonderful vehicle for understanding, interpreting, and comparing themes. The class reads and analyzes the novel, discusses possible interpretations, and characterizations. They compare the themes...
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Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources
Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.
Curated OER
Knowledge or Instinct? Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
High schoolers examine the relationship of man and nature in "To Build a Fire" and discuss the juxtaposition of knowledge and instinct. They investigate third person, omniscient point of view.
Digital Writing and Research Lab's – Lesson Plans
Teaching Close Reading through Short Composition/Revision
This activity may have writers evaluate short compositions, but their subjects are quite tall: great Americans. Pupils read one another's compositions and closely examine how specific phrases and diction contribute to shaping American...
Curated OER
Listening to Poetry: Sounds of the Sonnet
Students investigate how sound influences meaning in poetry by listening to sonnets. They write an analysis after listening to and reading sonnets.
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Review of a Novel Project
This review of a novel project is a great way to ensure accountability for independent reading. The assignment sheet, templates, samples, and rubrics are all part of the packet materials.
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De-Mystifying Poetry: Understanding Narrative Poetry
Tenth graders explore narrative poetry. They analyze sections of a poem and present to groups. They compose their own narrative poems using pictures as prompts. They exchange their poems and analyze their classmate's poem.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy
Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...
Curated OER
Civil War Literature Circle
Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...
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It's A Challenge!
Students write a book review stating challenges the character faced and if they enjoyed the book. In this language arts lesson plan, students fill out a worksheet provided.
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Holocaust Remembrance Day
Students view an interactive presentation on the Holocaust using the Holocaust Remebrance Day website. They first brainstorm what they already know about the Holocaust then they work through several sections of the presentation. At the...
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Newsworthy Fairy Tales
Third graders review common fairy tales and work in teams to rewrite the fairy tales as news articles. They answer questions using the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why). Student articles include eye-catching headlines.
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Our Zoo Friends
First graders plan and create a model zoo depicting the natural habitats of animals. Their models include animals and a display of written factual information about the animals. Students present their project by conductig a tour of...
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The Iditarod: The Last Great Race
Students investigate the Iditarod. In this last great race lesson, students explore and research the Iditarod race which takes place in Alaska. Students explore a variety of websites and images to gather background information. A series...
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Black Kentuckians and the Civil War
Students demonstrate how the American Civil War affected black Kentuckians socially and politically. They identify and discuss the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forced the end of slavery in Kentucky months after the...
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Flightless Birds and Scientific Research
Students study the work done by various scientists on Antarctica. In this biology lesson, students play the role of researchers who must justify the importance of their study. They create a multimedia presentation about a specific issue...
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The Alamo
Students study the Battle of the Alamo in depth. In this research skills lesson, students visit the Alamo de Parras website to examine issues related to the battle that took place in 1836. Students analyze comment strands on issues in...
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Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source lesson students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might have taken with...
Curated OER
Good Health
Students complete a unit with cross-curricular activities to learn about a healthy body and maintaining their health. In this health instructional activity, students complete 8 lessons to learn about good health, a healthy diet, healthy...
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American Literature - The American Dream: Past, Present, and Future
Students are introduced to the ideas of the American Dream at the turn of the century. They present their ideas on the American Dream at the turn of the century through a person characterized in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
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THE GAM SAAN ADVENTURE ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK IT?
Fourth graders study the lasting influence of the Pony Express, Overland Mail Service, Western Union, and the building of the transcontinental railroad, including the contributions of Chinese workers to its construction. They explore the...
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The Sunflower
Twelfth graders analyze the ethical and moral decisions made by people during the Holocaust. They role play a situation placing them in an ethical delima. They must make a choice and defend it to their peers. Readings and test...
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Israel and Palestine: The Roots of Conflict
Learners examine the causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this world conflict lesson, students research print and Internet sources about the roots of the conflict and the status of the conflict today. Learners use their...
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Achan takes the spoils of Jericho -1
Young scholars read and answer question about the chapter in the introductory lesson.