Curated OER
History, African Americans, The Blues
This lesson enables teachers to use blues music to explore the history of African Americans in the 20th century. By studying the content of blues songs, students can learn about the experiences and struggles of the working-class...
Curated OER
Colorado Animals Newsletter and Directed Web Page
Students select a Colorado animal, develop a Directed Web page, and research their animal. Each member of the group combine their research and develop a Newsletter.
Curated OER
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
Learners examine historical photographs and discuss what the photograph reveals and how they can contribute to writing. In this response to literature students choose a photograph and develop a paragraph around it.
Curated OER
Introducing Tolkien and His Words
Students identify and describe the types of narratives that made Tolkien the writer he was. In groups, they examine different myths and folktale motifs. They discuss what Tolkien meant by "faerie" and "eucatastrophe." As a class, they...
Curated OER
Daniel's Story Study Guide
Students explore the concept of prejudice. In this World War II activity, students read Daniel's Story by Carol Matas. Students complete the provided study guide as they read the novel and discuss the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Dictionary Skills
Students use a dictionary to review their spelling words. They discover how to use guide words in the dicotionary to find the words. They must write their spelling word and the page and guide words found on the page where the word is found.
Curated OER
Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes
Students read the novel "Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. They Reaearch Japanese Culture and design a presentation based on information from the Sadako Peace Club link.
Curated OER
Revision Lesson
Students, through a series of 4 lessons, explore what it means to revise their written work. They revise a bland story together and then practice revising their own papers by identifying the main action and "exploding" that moment into...
Curated OER
Stadium Voices
Middle schoolers watch NEW YORK VOICES special "New York Sports: Big Shots and Bad Guys," read excerpts from famous novels/essays in hopes of understanding the feelings that sports stadiums inspire, and create a tourist brochure that...
Curated OER
The Twelve Months: A Slavic Cinderella Variant
Students locate Slavic countries and identify a few characteristics of those countries. They read and/or listen to the Slavic tale, "The Twelve Months," and compare this version with another Cinderella story.
Curated OER
Personalized Postcards
Middle schoolers create and send postcards to friends and family members. Using actual photographs, they write a rough draft and final draft of a paragraph and print it out to glue onto a postcard template to mail to their friend or...
Curated OER
Fall Similes and Metaphors
Students interpret what a similies and metaphors are. They give examples of similies and metaphors. Pupils write different similies and metaphors using fall or autumn descriptive words. Students base their comparisons on facts, once they...
Curated OER
Write Me A Picture
Pupils practice with various art techniques, such as calligraphy and painting. They create a calligraphy writing on paper given to them by their teacher. They illustrate the writing and share with the class.
Curated OER
Hoosier Artists
Students examine the paintings of various Indiana artists. Using the internet, they relate the landscapes shown to the history of the state and how it affected Native Americans. Using the information they gathered, they write story...
Curated OER
Class Memorial
Learners prepare and conduct memorial service commemorating the victims of the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
Other
Rmc Denver: Reflections on Poetry Readings
This site features a lesson plan for how middle school students can learn to reflect on poetry readings. Students and teachers will benefit from this informative resource.
Utah State University
A Mini Unit of Gwendolyn Brooks
Nice lesson plan for grades 5-6 that explores poetry and personal expression through the work of Gwendolyn Brooks. Has lots of activities but could easily be modified for time. Has nearly everything you need to do the instructional...
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Garden Lesson Plans: Japanese Garden Vocabulary: Haiku [Pdf]
A mini-unit on haiku where students learn about and write haiku inspired by Japanese gardens. This activity is intended to be done in conjunction with a visit to a Japanese garden, but this is not essential.
PBS
Pbs: The Statue of Liberty
A detailed unit plan on liberty and the role the Statue of Liberty has played in America. Six lessons are completely described including making a classroom model of the statue, creating a timeline, and analyzing a poem.
Lin and Don Donn
Lin and Don Donn: Language Lessons: Native American Lit.
Relevant resource links and ideas for lessons to teach Native American Literature also come with information on specific units, suggested lists of books, and Native American Poetry.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Shel Silverstein Classroom Activity
As part of a unit on Shel Silverstein and his poetry (specifically "Where the Sidewalk Ends"), this classroom activity provides a brief classroom project and includes lesson plan ideas, web links, and additional texts.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Poet Emily Dickinson
As part of a unit on Emily Dickinson and her poetry, this classroom activity provides a brief classroom project and includes lesson plan ideas, web links, and additional texts.