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Biography Chat
Young scholars profile a mock television talk-show format to conduct mock interviews with famous people in history. Students read biographies of famous people in history. Young scholars assemble questions for interviews.
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Gold Rush California and its Diverse Population
Young scholars compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. In this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math lesson, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population and...
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Traveler: Webelos Activity Workbook
This three-page worksheet is designed to be used by the Weblos of Boy Scouts of America. They are given 13 choices of academic activities that involve the use of maps, geography, math, and money. They must complete five of the activities...
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The Cowboy Life
Travel back in time to the 1800s and research the Old West! Elementary and middle schoolers work with a partner to complete at least four activities from a list provided by the teacher. They use these activities to present their...
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Yellow Pages Ad-dition
Students determine the revenue generated by sample pages from the Yellow Pages. They discuss the value of advertising a business in this venue. They use the local telephone directory and some fictitious ad rates to lead their inquiry.
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Tone and Mood
How are mood and tone similar? Different? Help your readers understand the difference between the two with this helpful guide. On the first page, they read the definition for both tone and mood and identify words that are describe each....
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Deconstructing an Advertisement
Bring in a stack of magazines and distribute this advertisement analysis worksheet to your emerging analysts. As your class members ponder an ad, they answer a series of questions to help them perform a complete analysis. They consider...
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Literary Newspaper: Candide
Prejudice? Religious intolerance? Political sedition? Class distinction? Plight of women? Voltaire satire, anyone? A literary newspaper offers an opportunity for readers of Candide to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections as...
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Tintin and I: Primary and Secondary Sources
Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...
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Explore Brothers and Sisters throughout Literature
Celebrate Brothers and Sisters Day on May 2, 2013 by studying sibling pairs in literature.
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8 Parts of Speech
Here is a terrific presentation to use as you are introducing the eight parts of speech to your class. Each of the parts of speech gets a thorough introduction, and many examples are given. There is a strong interactive component to this...
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Northwest Coast Indians: Spring and Summer Salmon
Here is a fabulous lesson plan about the cultures of the Northwest Indians. Through an exploration of a story about the Salmon People, learners study the practice of harvesting salmon and the cultural importance of salmon to the...
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Exploring Minerals
I love this geology lesson plan. Third and fourth graders look at the connections, and the differences, between rocks and minerals. Learners are charged with identifying specific rocks and minerals, learning how to properly use...
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Modern Minstrelsy: Exploring Racist Stereotypes in Literature and Life
Satires may be designed to expose a bias to ridicule but if misunderstood can they reinforce that bias? Langston Hughes poem, “Minstrel Man” opens a discussion of racist stereotypes, the minstrel tradition, and the musical, “The...
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Toulmin Argument Essay
After viewing a Prezi presentation on Toulmin’s argument, (claim, reason, warrant, backing, grounds, qualifiers, rebuttals), groups re-examine the format, and then individuals craft an argument essay in response to Lord Chesterfields...
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Character Analysis and The Crucible
Readers of The Crucible use a SATDO chart to collect evidence they will use to craft interpretive statements and an analysis of one of Miller’s characters. Background information on the play and about Miller, links to handouts,...
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Graphic Novel Writing Workshop
Khaled Hosseini’s video “Using Real People and Events” motivates learners to reflect on their own experiences and to use those experiences as the basis of a graphic novel that expresses a universal truth. The richly detailed plan...
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How Old Is Illinois?
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...
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Another Argument at the Dinner Table?
Here is an interesting activity on discursive text. Learners read a short essay that expresses two opinions regarding choices of foods to eat by young people. After reading the text, pupils must fill out the activity. It has them write...
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A Teacher's Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry
Seven poems paired with seven original works of art provide learners an opportunity to draw connections between literary and artistic interpretations. Designed to augment a study of the Holocaust, each pair is accompanied by discussion...
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Fractions IV - Equivalent Fractions by Monica Yuskaitis
Comparing equivalent fractions is one of the most difficult math concepts to teach to youngsters. How can numbers that look so different actually represent the same thing? This presentation takes a lot of the mystery out of equivalent...
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Hyperbole Lesson Plans: Ideas for the Art of Exaggeration
Hyperbole lesson plans and ideas that make figurative language instruction relevant to students' lives. Discover how to help learners better understand the figurative concept of hyperbole. A fantastic article which includes multiple web...
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How to Implement Project Based Learning to Engage Students
Can a math teacher employ project-based learning? Learn how one great math teacher uses PBL to design math projects that provide learners with a more challenging and holistic learning experience. A wonderful article, that includes three...
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The Mighty Apostrophe
Here is a well-designed presentation on apostrophes and their many uses. The apostrophe is used in many different ways, and this PowerPoint does a great job of showing how it's used. There is a nice interactive component built in, and...