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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Introduction to Expository Writing

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Move beyond the five-paragraph essay with a instructional activity introducing young writers to various forms of expository writing. Class members examine description, cause and effect, problem solution, sequence, and comparison forms....
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Making Sense of MLA: Citing Sources and MLA Formatting

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Sheet is about giving credit where credit is due. And while there are different style sheets, the one most often used in Language Arts is the MLA. In this lesson, high school scholars learn how...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

My Love Is Like Figurative Language: Figurative Language in Romeo and Juliet

For Teachers 9th Standards
My love is like an anaconda. Huh? Scholars investigate similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification used by writers to express feelings. They examine lyrics from songs and lines from Romeo and Juliet and consider how the use of...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

If You're a Bird, I'm a Bird: Symbolism

For Teachers 8th - 9th Standards
Would a bluebird be as scary as a vulture? Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is the central text in a lesson about symbolism. After a close reading of the poem, learners consider what the raven might represent to the narrator. They then...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

It’s Never Too Late to Apologize: Character Development and Theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”

For Teachers 9th Standards
Sometimes saying I'm sorry just doesn't cut it. Scholars examine a series of apology poems, songs, and stories and consider each speaker's regrets. Using what they have learned, they analyze James Hurst's short story, "The Scarlet Ibis,"...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Just Say No!: Exploring Temptation Through The Lotus Eaters

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Teenagers face many temptations, and just saying "No!" can be very difficult. Here's a instructional activity that provides some help. Learners use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast excerpts from The Odyssey, Tennyson's "The...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Anatomy Of A Story: Story Structure

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Somebody. Wanted. But. Then. Introduce your classes to the structure that supports stories with a lesson that teaches readers how to identify the four basic components writers use to craft their tales. After identifying these elements in...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The History of Spoken Word Poetry: Historical and Cultural Perspectives In Literature

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Spoken word poetry, more than almost any other form, reveals the historical and cultural perspective of the poet. High schoolers listen to various spoken word poems, select one to research in-depth, and then apply what they have learned...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Mood and Tone at Owl Creek Bridge: Mood and Tone

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Two versions of movie trailers for the film Mary Poppins launch a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious instructional activity about how mood and tone impact a reader's experience of work. Using the provided list, readers identify the words...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Memory Haiku: The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Smell

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Scholars learn how smells evoke early childhood memories and apply that knowledge to a character from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. After finding a passage from the novel that references smells, they craft a haiku and a...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

It Wasn't Me: "The Crucible"

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Scholars complete their study of the collective fear in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" by conducting a mock trial to determine how many witches are in the class. Groups then analyze sections of the play for the literary devices used and...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

It’s My Party and I’ll Hear What I Want To: Gatsby’s Party Playlists, The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Sound

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Young scholars consider how film soundtracks can help support not only the mood but also the tone of a scene. After viewing two very different trailers for the same film, class members create their own soundtracks for two party scenes...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Motivations In "The Gift Of The Magi": Motivation In Characters

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
O. Henry's short story, "The Give of the Magi," launches a study of what motivates people to act as they do. Class members identify what they believe are the motivations of the characters in O. Henry's tale and then craft a one-page...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

That Which We Call a Rose: Connotation and Denotation in Romeo and Juliet

For Teachers 9th Standards
Words carry weight. And some words carry baggage. Scholars learn the difference in a study of connotation and denotation. Individuals sort the cards into three groupings using words from Shakespeare's play. After sharing within groups,...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Consequences of Time Travel: Analyzing Short Stories

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder" is the anchor text in a lesson that asks high schoolers to find examples of cause, effect, and foreshadowing in the tale. They then create a brochure advertising trips with Time Travel, Inc.
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Taking a Bite! Exploring Cultural Identity Through Food

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
High schoolers are asked to consider the connections between food, culture, and identity. They read articles and share what they learned in a jigsaw activity, read a short story, and make a claim about the story's theme, backing up their...
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

The Importance of Indigenous Language Revitalization

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers consider languages as representations of cultures and the importance of preserving various languages, especially the rapidly disappearing languages of indigenous peoples, in a lesson plan that tells the story of Marie...
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Activity
Curated OER

Sioux Chef Sean Sherman: A Rebirth of Native American Cuisine

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Many families have special dishes they serve during holiday celebrations and get-togethers. Many of these recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and often come with stories. Introduce your middle schoolers to the...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

You Think You Have Problems: Perspective in Multi-Genre Literature

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Young scholars are asked to reflect on how personal experiences might influence points of view and perspectives. They read poems and biographies of the poets and then match the poem to the poet. To justify their matches, learners...
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Activity
Curated OER

The Cultural Significance of Naming

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The Navajo would disagree with Shakespeare that the naming of things is irrelevant. Navajo people have to earn their names. Middle schoolers learn about the cultural significance of Navajo names in a lesson that uses a video and reading...
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Activity
Curated OER

Te Ata Fisher: The Award-Winning Chickasaw Storyteller

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Storytelling is a time-honored way to keep a culture alive. Introduce middle schoolers to Te Ata Fisher, the famous Chickasaw storyteller who shared her stories, songs, and dances across the United States and Europe. Young historians...
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Activity
Curated OER

What Exactly Is Food Sovereignty?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Something is happening here, and what it is is becoming increasingly clear. Middle schoolers investigate the connections between processed foods and health issues and the movement back, especially by Native Americans, to other food choices.
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Activity
Curated OER

Celebrate Joy Harjo: The First Native American Poet Laureate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Introduce middle schoolers to Poet Laureate Joy Harjo with a lesson that not only explains the role and duties of the Poet Laureate but also contains a video in which Harjo explains what she sees as her responsibility as a Native...
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Activity
Curated OER

Food Traditions: Making Cherokee Bean Bread

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Imagine being forced out of your home and walking over 1,000 miles with only the things you could carry. How would you survive? What would you eat? After reading about the Trail of Tears and Cherokee resilience, middle schoolers are...