Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Creating Narrative
Plot, setting, characters, and conflict are common to both drama and narrative stories. Kids create narrated tableaus that show their understanding of the plot, setting, and conflict of a story they've recently read. The lesson plan...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Sequence of Events
Are you in need of a new way to teach learners sequence of events and how to interpret a character's external motivations? Why not engage them in dramatic play? The class will use tableaux to convey the sequence of events in a familiar...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Crow Boy
There is a difference between actions, motives, and the appearance of a character in a narrative text. Fourth graders explore character analysis through the dramatic arts. They create a series of movements, tableaus, and pantomimes to...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Angles on Kandinsky
Not only is Wassily Kandinsky fun to say, his art contains tons of angles. Learners discuss Kandinsky's music-inspired abstract art and four types of angles. They search one of his paintings for obtuse, right, straight, and acute angles,...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Spontaneous Inventions
Reading out loud can be a real thrill for some, and a real issue for others. Teach your class that reading with inflection and fluency can be as easy as singing a song. They'll first analyze two Bobby McFerrin songs for intonation,...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Comparing Themes
The tale of "Lon Po Po" is a Chinese story, very similar to the European tale of "Little Red Riding Hood." Learners make cross cultural comparisons between the two tales, focusing on themes common to both. They review story elements such...
Curated OER
Lesson: Writings from a Room with No View
Learners examine art by considering how the subject matter and artists design choices affect the viewer's experience. They use the provided close-up images and notes to analyze the painting, Poppies. Afterward, they use the painting as a...
Curated OER
Deconstructing Disney
Tenth graders analyze animated Disney movies. They demonstrate their awareness of how the artful use of language can affect and influence others. They evaluate how both genders and cultures are portrayed in mass media.
Media Smarts
Unit Two: Celebrities and World Issues
Develop media smarts by considering the power of celebrity involvement in world issues. A look at the work of such celebrities as Angelina Jolie, Oprah, and Bono prepare learners to develop their own media campaign for a global...
Curated OER
Daily Life in Spanish St. Augustine 1565-1763
How do we know so much about the past? A student-crafted presentation provides viewers with images of artifacts from St. Augustine, Florida that give historians and archaeologists clues into lives already lived.
Curated OER
36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
Curated OER
Campaign Ad Critique
Students analyze current campaign TV ads and literature. They identify the ad by "type." They learn to look beyond the ad to understand its intended purposes and its real content.
Curated OER
What's Missing Here? - Necessary Information
Take your third graders' problem-solving skills to the next level. Six word problems need a solution, but they aren't solvable in their current forms. Learners explain the piece of missing information that they need to solve the word...
Curated OER
Consumerism: No Purchase Necessary
Learners read a script that helps them understand the ins and outs of consumerism. They watch a video (not included), and engage in two additional activities. The lesson engages critical thinking skills and brings awareness to the...
Curated OER
The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815
Here is an interesting and somewhat interactive presentation. Covering the French Revolution, the slide show begins with a timeline of Napoleon's rise to power and ultimate fall. Main ideas for each event are then outlined with critical...
Curated OER
Blue Water: Telling a Story or Baffling?
Some art can be difficult to interpret. Critical thinkers analyze the forms, techniques, purpose, and meaning found in the abstract piece, Blue Water. They engage in small group discussions in order to form a hypothesis as to the nature...
Curated OER
Lesson: While on My Vacation
Drawing, writing, and analyzing, that is what's on the menu. Young artists draw a corner of the classroom, analyze the painting, Poppies by Andrew Dasburg, and then write a postcard describing their vacation to an imaginary hotel that...
Curated OER
Joan of Arc
Here is an online quiz, complete with answer links. High schoolers respond to nine short answer questions about Joan of Arc, her battles, and even the voices in her head. The best part, they can check their own answers.
Curated OER
Lesson: Struggle and Transformation: Jaguar & Adolescence
To break down complex themes, discuss a sense of self, and learn a bit about Mayan culture, learners start through art analysis. They analyze a Mayan incense burner, discuss themes, and then write a short story that includes themes from...
Curated OER
Lesson: The Significance of Symbols in Japan
A fabulous Samurai suit of armor is the inspiratoin for a creative reseach project and presentation. Kids research the symbols found on the Samurai armor, describing the symbols meaning or significance in Japanses culture.
Curated OER
Lesson: The Shadow Spirit Sidekick
Who doesn't need a sidekick or protective spell? Kids examine a clay vessel from ancient Colombia as they discuss the idea of sidekicks or protective magic. They then illustrate a comic strip that represents the concept of protection in...
Curated OER
Lesson: Modern Day "Royalty"
The life-sized statue of St. Ferdinand, King of Spain represents royalty as it was seen in the past. Learners explore who is considered royalty in modern times and compare them to royalty of the past. They make a collage representing...
Curated OER
Lesson: A Garden for Monet
To better understand artistic style and expression, your class compares two different paintings. They analyze each painting for style, technique, similarities, and differences. They then experiment with a variety of art materials and...
Curated OER
What Is Your Favorite Place?
Good writing can come from personal places. Budding online authors read an excerpt from a narrative-style newspaper article and then respond to several related writing prompts. They compose blog responses that use vivid imagery to...