Curated OER
Chronology: Visual Timeline
Students begin their timelines with the first narrative that they read and add to the timeline as they go. They create a list of history topics and themes that are important to the story. Students add these as sub-headings to the...
Curated OER
Anansi: A Language Arts Twist to the Trickster
Students read African folk tales to learn about story elements and writing techniques. In this writing and reading skills lesson, students listen and retell African folk tales about Anansi the spider. Students complete four lessons to...
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Peter and the Wolf: The Character of Instruments
Is your class familiar with the tale of Peter and the Wolf? If they are, they will have fun testing themselves on how well they can identify each character by listening to the piece. This presentation acts as a quiz where the class works...
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Mapas Bailados: Creating Visual Representations of Dances Using Maps
Third graders listen to "Frank the Monster..." and discuss the dance map on the inside cover of the book. They create their own dance map using sentence strips to record the types of movement.
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Philanthropy, Literature and You
Young scholars identify philanthropic acts in the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird". They create a box of items that were found in the tree from the novel as well. They write journal reflections based on philanthropic acts they have done in...
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Combining Geography and Literature by Mapping a Story
Students listen to or read a story on their own. Using the text, they describe the relative locations of the main events. In groups, they develop two and three dimensional maps of the story. They create a key and a title for their map.
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Territorial Expansion
Eleventh graders brainstorm a list of characteristics of adolescence. They use selected websites and draw a parallel between the characteristics of adolescence and the characterisitcs of Romanticism, as seen in visual art and literature.
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Critical Thinking With Fables New and Old
Explore the fables of today along with Aesop's ancient fables. Learners will understand the structure of a fable, critically think about the fable's message, and create a lesson plan that they would like to teach through a fable....
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Eric Carle Collage with Color Theory
Second graders analyze color theory and collage techniques through the creation of collages in the style of artist/author Eric Carle. Color experiments and may hands-on section allow this lesson to be very informative and fun for the...
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Children's Book Creations
Learners create a children's book version of the Japanese folk story "Momotaro Boy of the Peach" and present the story to elementary students. In this children's book lesson, learners design their book to explain Japanese culture to...
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Common Core Technology for K-5 Learners
K-5 teachers can blend fun and creativity into language arts curriculum when Common Core technology is involved.
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Mixing Colors with "Little Blue and Little Yellow"
Students mix colors to make new colors. In this color mixing lesson, students listen to Leo Lionni's Petit Bleu et Petit Jaune, before retelling the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They watch as the teacher mixes food coloring...
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Confucius Say... China Old
Students locate China on the map. In this Chinese geography, history and culture lesson, students read literature about China. Students participate in paper making, silk making and lantern making activities.
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Jazz Scenes of the Harlem Renaissance
Students identify and connect themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. They compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance. They...
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Discover Picture-Perfect Projects
Use classic, well-loved picture books as means of infusing visual and language arts in the elementary classroom.
Denver Public Schools
Kung-hsi Fa-ts' ai! – A Chinese New Year Celebration
Looking for ideas for your Lunar New Year celebration? Check out an interdisciplinary unit of study that includes lessons in counting, calligraphy, culture, geography, literature, art, and music. Kung-hsi Fa-ts' ai! (May you...
Curriculum Corner
Book Study: The Mitten
Looking for a set of resources to compliment a reading of The Mitten by Jan Brett? A fun winter resource has everything from story sequencing and writing prompts to a parts of speech sort and a mitten flap book. The activities are great...
Curated OER
The Role of the Teacher
Students study the role of the teacher in various cultures and societies through in-class discussions, literature investigations, and personal reflection. Lesson extensions include a "Living Portraits" activity and a "Student becomes the...
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Sherlock Shell and the Case of the Missing Chicken
Students read and discuss literature in class. They produce a script based upon the model shared during reading and discussion. Students shoot scenes for a final video project.
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The Flights Of The Phoenix
Students investigate the use of the Phoenix in Japanese and Chinese art while making connections to the use of the Phoenix in the book Fahrenheit 451. This instructional activity can be adapted for grades 8 through 11 but was originally...
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A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Discuss a Nero Wolfe mystery on brining criminals to justice. Secondary students will read the book A Nero Wolfe Mystery: The Doorbell Rang. They then will watch the movie depicting this story and answer discussion questions. There are...
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Exploring the Dark Heart of an Obsessive Mind
Students complete a unit of activities for "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe in part to analyze short stories, playwriting, and video production. In this Edgar Allan Poe lesson, students complete a 37 page packet of...
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The Velveteen Rabbit
First graders discuss and touch stuffed animals and a real rabbit. They complete a KWL chart about rabbits. They listen to the story The Velveteen Rabbit and discuss it. They research rabbits in the library and make a book.
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Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"
Fourth graders study Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." They explore the characters and the instruments that represent the characters. They create their own version of "Peter and the Wolf" for the purpose of introducing the...