TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Lost in the Amazon
The Lost in the Amazon curricular unit is a series of minds-on and hands-on engineering activities based in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Motivated by an adventurous theme, students discover, learn and apply a variety of skills....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Big Mo
Momentum is not only a physical principle; it is a psychological phenomenon. Students learn how the "Big Mo" of the bandwagon effect contributes to the development of fads and manias, and how modern technology and mass media accelerate...
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Brothers Grimm
Start with "The Fisherman and His Wife" and then expand criticism skills to include other Grimm's Fairy Tales. Here you'll get an art project and discussion questions and then further instruction for teaching young students literary...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Book Sorting: Using Observation and Comprehension
Critical thinking, comprehension and analysis skills are the focus of this physical activity. Good beginning to teaching different ways of looking at things.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Flying to Freedom: Tar Beach & the People Could Fly
Comparing and contrasting works and looking for underlying themes and messages are at the heart of this multicultural lesson plan. Provides links to several background resources, and suggestions for assessment.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Virtual Professional Learning Series
Our Virtual Professional Learning Series is created for teachers-by teachers-to bring together content experts and educators from all backgrounds. With an emphasis on fun, engaging, accessible, and free tools for classrooms, these...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Stress, Inc.
Students explore the physical and psychological effect of stress and tension on human beings. Concepts of stress and stress management are introduced. Students discover how perception serves to fuel a huge industry dedicated to...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Critical and Analytical Thinking About Literary Characters
Contains plans for four lessons that use the short story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry to teach about characterization using word maps. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction
Analyzing a book takes the form of creating their own when students complete this activity. The stated goal is to help students "Read like writers." Includes link to a template for student use.
PBS
Pbs News Hour: Responding to Quotes and Aphorisms
The objective of this lesson plan is to teach students about responding to quotes and aphorisms. This site features a lesson plan with detailed information.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass and American Non Fiction
This lesson plan serves as an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing and focuses primarily on teaching some basic approaches to recognizing rhetorical strategies adopted for persuasive effect in essays and non-fiction. The...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Id, Ego, and Superego in Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat"
Contains plans for seven lessons that use Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" to teach the literary elements of plot, theme, and character to high school students. It also teaches about psychoanalytic criticism concepts such as the Id, Ego,...
Penguin Publishing
Penguin Random House: A Teacher's Guide to "Great Expectations" [Pdf]
Incredibly detailed teacher guide includes vocabulary words, themes, specific student activities, critical thinking ideas, chapter-by-chapter questions and reading notes, and more. Requires Adobe Reader. [PDF]
Other
The Big Deal Book Online: Web Wednesday Archive
An archive of bi-weekly newsletters for teachers that focuses on 21st century critical thinking skills. Each newsletter reviews websites related to a particular issue, topic, or theme, with valuable teaching tools, lesson plans, and/or...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Conversations in Literature
A research based workshop by Judith Langer on bringing the joy of reading literature to your class. An excellent professional development resource, with eight videos on demand. Topics include Responding as Readers, Objectifying the Text,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Dramatizing History in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"
Critical analysis of both the historical documents and the literary texts connected with the Salem trials is key to this lesson, which includes a number of activities and some wonderful resources.
Harvard University
The Geoffrey Chaucer Page: Main Page
This site from The Geoffrey Chaucer Page provides materials for Harvard's Chaucer classes. It provides a wide range of texts and translations of Chaucer's works along with critical articles from various perspectives and general...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: In Search of the Novel
Eight one-hour workshop videos for middle and high school teachers wishing to bring novels to life in their classrooms. Features the works of ten famous novelists, including Charles Dickens, J.K. Rowling, and Toni Morrison. Free to all-...
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Irene Hunt
Discover more about the author Irene Hunt when you visit this resource. This site provides links to lesson plans and activities for the books "Across Five Aprils" and "The Lottery Rose."
British Library
British Library: Robert Browning: Creative Writing
Looking at three of Robert Browning's poems, students will be encouraged to think critically and create compositions that explore complex themes.[PDF]