Curated OER
Teaching Imagery with Gary Paulsen
Students read excerpts from memoirs written by Gary Paulsen as examples of how to write a narrative piece. They identify figurative language used and then they write a memoir of their own that contains imagery and figurative language.
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The American West: Images of Its People
Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this American West lesson, students examine photographs that reveal the cultural components of the West and then write narratives regarding the photographs.
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How Do Respect and Humiliation Shape Conflict?
Students explore the feelings surrounded by humiliation, resentment and retaliation in the context of school violence. In this character building lesson, students examine possible reasons for school violence and focus on possible ways...
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Poems that Tell a Story: Narrative and Persona in the Poetry of Robert Frost
Students read and discuss poems by Robert Frost. Students collaborate in small groups to draw inferences about speakers' character and motives and to gather evidence supporting those inferences.
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People, Not Numbers: Bringing 12 Million into Personal Ter
Students forge a compassionate link to the large numbers of people who were the victims of slavery as opposed to thinking of them simply in terms of numbers. They perform a math exercise to put the number of people in slavery into...
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Who am I?
Young scholars develop their writing skills by creating a character sketch about themselves. Students read character sketches, view portraits by famous artists, select one personality traits, and affix a mug shot of themselves into a...
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Who am I?
Students practice their writing skills by creating a character sketch of themselves. After viewing portraits, they select one personality trait and put their own picture into the painting of their choice. They include a conversation with...
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The Star of My Show
Students recognize how they are stars in their own rights. In this language arts lesson, students consider their personal achievements as they make a star mobile that includes written life event highlights.
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We Can Work It Out
Pupils read different pieces of literature and practice using narrative reading strategies to gain meaning. They use conflict resolution techniques found in literature and apply it to a real world situation. They discover how important...
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Interview! Magazine
Middle schoolers interview a subject and write a biographical sketch for a fictional magazine. In this interview lesson, students choose a person to interview and create two sets of questions. Middle schoolers conduct the interview....
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Career Research
Students research a career they are interested in. They explore print and online want ads for job prospects, interview a person currently in that career, and make a class presentation about the career.
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Ask the Oracle
Students invent an imaginary character that has the ability to time travel to China and create stories in the tradition of a traveler's tale, whereas their characters visit China's capital city, Beijing, and go to the Great Wall of China...
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Introduction to the Visual Thesaurus
Students examine the basic functions of the online Visual Thesaurus, exploring how simple words may sometimes have multiple meanings. In small groups they select words and explore the Visual Thesaurus, and write a short play using the...
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The Great Chicago Fire Survivors
Students examine documents describing the experiences of survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, and write condolence letters.
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What's in a Picture Book?
Students analyze Appalachian folktale picture books. They read and analyze various Appalachian picture books, answer discussion questions, and in small groups complete a handout, and write an essay analyzing the text and illustrations of...
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Cinematic Poetry
Eighth graders explore the genre of poetry through the creation of a multimedia presentation. Students write a poem and create an Avid presentation of their poem for the class. The poems and presentations are peer-reviewed.
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Great Explorations: To the End of the Earth and Beyond
Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...
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Through The Looking Glass
Pupils examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family to...
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I am the Walrus
Students research walruses using the library and the Internet, then write an essay from what they find in their research. In this investigative lesson plan students view a video on walruses then write an essay after researching.
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The Power of Storytelling
Students are creating their own stories to understand life. The use of history is used to help one to create one's own story. The skill of writing is emphasized as a tool to learn history.
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Dear Wife and Children Everyone
Students study the issue of slave vs. free states. They explore the actions and personal commitment of John Brown and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.
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Dear Wife & Children Every One
Students explore the struggle that Kansans had over the slavery issue. They read a letter from John Brown to his family, and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.
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The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Middle schoolers discuss their prior knowledge of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Using the internet, they research the personal, political and economic influences that made an impact on the expedition. They also discover how the...
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The Power of Journals: Going Beyond the Text
Eighth graders define and use new vocabulary and identify the reasons why Native Americans captured Europeans during the colonial period. They write their own journal entries about the topic and explain the importance of journals as a...