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Circle of Caring
Students examine lives that have been lived for the positive good of others. In this philanthropy lesson plan, students discuss famous philanthropists and what they have in common. Students define philanthropy, discuss what caring means...
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Insects
Students study the characteristics and basic needs of insects. They compare and describe similarities among insects. They examine the body structure, covering, and movement of insects and also, examine insect life cycles in this unit of...
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Lesson Plan Three: Sense of Hearing and The Ear
Learners use their sense of hearing to observe sounds at school, label parts of the ear, and write their own version of the "Ears Hear" poem by following the example provided.
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Art and National Identity: Analyzing Painting and Literature from the Era of Manifest Destiny
Students begin the lesson by discussing the causes and effects of the movement west. Using primary sources, they develop their own definition for manifest destiny. In groups, they view examples of paintings and read poems on the topic. ...
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Magic, Sass, and Rage
Students are introduced to the characteristics of autobiographies. In groups, they read Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and develop their own rules for survival in the classroom. They bring in family photos in an...
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Scribe of Self
Seventh graders read "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. In groups, they discuss the reasons why people would write an autobiography and identify their own identity crisis. After reading excerpts of other autobiographies, they...
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I Am . . .
Eighth graders read Eloise Greenfield's novella, 'Sister'. They write their personal responses quickly, foregoing concern about usage, spelling, and punctuation at this point. They write about their day, or may write about any...
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Courageous Heroes
Students investigate the concept of a hero. In this character education lesson, students define courage and discuss heroes they know. Students brainstorm ways to describe a hero and create an acrostic poem.
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Harvest Happenings
Students explore the history of agriculture and develop a personal connection to agriculture. Students investigate how farming practices have evolved through the years and create poetry relating to harvest.
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Fly Away Home
Second graders investigate the human right of having a home. They listen to Eve Bunting's, "Fly Away Home" before looking a pictures of different types of homes around the world. They write sentences about the homes before writing an...
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Pilkey Author Study
Third graders read and hear stories by the author, Dav Pilkey and research the list of books written by this author. They become illustrators to the novel "Captain Underpants: An Epic Novel," then they create a timeline of their lives...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Polar, The Titanic Bear
Students read Polar, The Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding this true story of a toy bear that survived the sinking of the Titanic. Included are reading, art,...
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Legends of the Fifth
Fifth graders discover the difference between myths, legends, and folk tales. They summarize legends. They work together to dramatize legends and then create their own legend using the writing process. Handouts and worksheets are included.
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AFRICA: "The Orphan Boy"
Students read a story of the Masai people The Orphan Boy. They create a list of characteristics of the Masai people. They write a descriptive poem about the Masai people.
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A Country Twice Divided
Students study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson plan and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
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The Farm/Prairie
Young scholars explore what people do on the farm/prairie and the importance of the farm/prairie to our lives. Students read books and look at pictures to study about the different aspects of farming. Young scholars create a mural and...
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Thank You!
Students demonstrate appreciation for volunteer workers. In this philanthropy lesson, students create a card, picture, or poem for a school volunteer. Students use a variety of art supplies to create the appreciation gift.
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Child Survival Stories: Hope To Cope
Students brainstorm a list of the various scenerios going on their family life at home. In groups, they read about different perspectives on survival and identify ones they could use in their own lives. They share their own experiences...
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Les Mis'rables
Students read, understand, and enjoy Les Miserables. They improve their skills in literary analysis, writing, and listening. Through the study of biblical and historical allusions, symbols, metaphors, and other figurative language, they...
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I See The Rhythm : The Study of Blues and Jazz
Learners gain an appreciation for various types of music. Using the music of the past, they compare it with the music of today. In groups, they research periods in which blues and jazz were most popular and write their own piece of music...
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Nebraska's Wild Weather
Students examine the weather in Nebraska. Using this information, they describe the cause and effect relationships in the environment based on these changes in weather. They write various types of poems with weather themes and share them...
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Dateline: Troy
Students read an abridged version of The Odyssey andl write a composition comparing Odysseus or the Iliad with Odysseus of The Odyssey. Students write a speech that King Priam would make in the attempt to persuade his son, Paris, to...
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The Giving Tree
Learners investigate the virtue of kindness and giving by conducting a children's literature study of "The Giving Tree". They make a list of words to describe emotions in the story and write a journal daily while looking at the virtues...
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A Day at the Beach-Why Did We Do It?
Learners investigate pollution at the beach. In this environmental lesson plan, students participate in a beach clean-up and calculate the weight of the debris collected. Learners write a reflection in their journal about their beach...