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Tall Tales
Young scholars examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their...
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Reading and Activity Suggestions for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Students learn about characterization techniques in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. For this Adventures of Tom Sawyerlesson, students write a description of one character through the eyes of another character and identify scenes that give...
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Truman Capote: Other Voices, Other Rooms
Young scholars read and analyze Truman Capote's autobiographical short story, "A Christmas Memory." They discuss writing styles, conduct Internet research on Truman Capote, write a book review, and write a short story based on one of...
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Literature of the Ancient World
The literature of the ancient world can provide a motivating way for students to explore history.
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Immigration: A History
Studnets trace how immigration patterns have changed in America's history. They analyze the relationship between economic growth and immigration.
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Bad Brother
Learners deal with the historian's dilemma of how to write about people in the past who committed wicked deeds. They analyze a well-known cartoon, "Satan Tempting Booth to the Murder of the President."
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This Guilty Land
Students investigate the actions and motives of John Brown. In this abolition lesson, students discover details about Brown's background as a free-state and abolition supporter. Students discuss his role as that of a martyr or terrorist....
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The Constitutional Convention: Four Founding Fathers You May Never Have Met
Middle schoolers read biographies of their assigned Founding Father. They present an oral argument that their assignee deserves to be better known by making connections between regional politics and postions defined by character.
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Tall Tale Rollers
Students explore American tall tales. In this tall tale lesson, students discover the six characteristics that are included in tall tales. Students survey their class to find each student's favorite tall tale character and organize the...
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Impacting Indiana
Fourth graders become familiar with the culture and history of Indiana. In this James Whitcomb Riley lesson, 4th graders read poetry which includes the dialect of Indiana. Students analyze the poem. Groups memorize and recite stanzas...
Orange County Department of Education
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Fifth graders read Dear Mr. Henshaw and identify the character trait of self-respect as exhibited by Leigh throughout the story. They evaluate the author's use of letters to tell the story and discuss how the story would be different if...
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Take Responsibility
Students examine the importance of responsibility. In this character education instructional activity, students participate in a group discussion to explore and define responsibility.
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Come On, Rain!
Students read and analyze the story. In this language arts instructional activity, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Students...
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Contrasting Characters
Students analyze characters in a story and contrast them in terms of their appearance, education, family, religion, and more. In this characters lesson plan, students fill out a worksheet provided.
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Comic Book or Comic Strip Design
Students design an original cartoon character. They explain the creative process and development of a cartoon from brainstorming to final draft and study different types of cartooning. Use the correct terminology associated with cartooning
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Character's Qualities
Sixth graders analyze the a character's qualities and the effects of these qualities on the plot and the resolution of the conflict in the story "The Pigman and Me." They develop a list of the qualities, discuss if these qualities were...
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"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"
Seventh graders read Sherlock Holmes silently and work together to demonstrate an understanding of the story. They participate in small group and whole class discussions and analyze Holmes' method of deducing details about an object and...
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Into the Wild: Creating Characters
Students analyze well-known fairy tale characters to learn about characterization. After choosing two fairy tale characters and determining what the characters most want and most fear, students switch characters and stories. They...
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Screwing Courage in Macbeth
Students read, analyze, and act out the scenes 1.7.29-79 of the William Shakespeare play, "Macbeth." They discuss motivation, tactics, and obstacles, and improvise scenes suggested by the class.
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Robin Hood: England's Man of Mystery
Students study the tale of Robin Hood to further their knowledge of character traits, improve their vocabularies, and increase their knowledge of the Medieval Ages. In this Robin Hood lesson, students complete 14 lessons that help them...
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Shakespeare's Othello and the Power of Language
Students explore the basis of Iago's persuasive power by analyzing Shakespeare's use of rhetoric and figurative language. For this Othello lesson, students analyze Iago's rhetoric in monologues and dialogues with other characters....
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To Be Or Not To Be... (Hamlet)
Students complete a unit of lessons on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. They analyze the plot, themes, and characterization, relate songs to thematic issues, develop plot summaries and translations, and compare the play to a movie version.
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The Effects of Counseling on The Potential Drop-out
Tenth graders analyze information from students who have left school before graduation, and utilize the information as a strategy designated to lower the drop-out rate of the at-risk students. They design a rubric, create a web page, and...
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Nutrition 3: Got Broccoli?
Students discover why the human body needs food in order to survive. In groups, they analyze advertising for the foods they eat the most and try to identify the nutritional value of them as well. They complete a worksheet showing them...