John F. Kennedy Center
Folktale Theatre
Introduce your middle schoolers to a performance and movement activity that uses their favorite stories from fairytales and folklore. They practice basic acting skills, create dialogues with a partner, and then as guided practice,...
Curated OER
A New Point of View
Analyze point of view and how it affects a literary work with this lesson. Middle schoolers create a written piece that focuses on point of view. They review the literary term "point of view," and explore examples of the term in text....
My Access
“Banning Books” Lesson Plan
To Kill a Mockingbird, Hunger Games, Brave New World. Welcome to Banned Books Week. As part of a study of censorship and book banning, class members investigate censorship, the purposes of censorship, and First Amendment rights,...
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The Raven
After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.
Joel Heck
The Life of C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis is considered one of the greatest Christian writers of all time. A slide show presentation provides an overview of his life and work. It includes multiple perspectives to give your class a well-rounded view of an amazing author.
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Horror Tales: What Makes Them Spooky?
Before you jump into this lesson, be aware there is little to work with. That being said, the ideas are solid and will be brought to life with a little Halloween spirit. Learners examine horror as a sub-genre, and contemplate what makes...
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Poetry Analysis Device: TPCASTT
Students analyze the key elements of poetry using a mnemonic device. The device: TPCASTT (title, paraphrase, connotation, attitude, shifts, title and theme).
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House and Home
Students read the first chapter of the book "House on Mango Street". They take notes and reflect on quotes that were meaningful to them. They discuss their observations and write an essay emulating the writing style from the book.
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Thank you Ma'm Langston Hughes-Devoloping the concept of Theme
Students complete various activities linked to several stories and movies, to reinforce the concept of theme in a story.
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Chiune Sugihara, Living by Gandhian Principles
Seventh graders read about Chiune Sugihara and analyze the moral situations he faced. In this morality lesson, 7th graders read chapters from A Special Fate, Chiune Sugihara: Hero of the Holocaust and analyze his moral decisions in the...
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Science Fiction
Students write a science fiction story. In this science fiction lesson, students read selections of science fiction and compare them to supernatural stories from the Bible. Students identify themes and discuss elements that are common...
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Native American Culture: The Light in the Forest
Seventh graders read the novel, The Light in the Forest. They work in groups to research and create artifacts for a Native American Living Museum. They complete a Powerpoint presentation of their virtual museum to classmates.
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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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Literature Circles: The Cay and Timothy of the Cay
Students read and discuss The Cay or Timothy of the Cay with other students. They complete Literature Circles role sheets. Students map the journeys of Timothy and Phillip. They put the events of the stories on a time line.
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Finding Buck Henry
Pupils read and demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process via the novel "Finding Buck Henry." They recognize complex elements of plot. Students analyze devices used to develop characters in...