Curated OER
What's in a Picture Book?
Students analyze Appalachian folktale picture books. They read and analyze various Appalachian picture books, answer discussion questions, and in small groups complete a handout, and write an essay analyzing the text and illustrations of...
Curated OER
Cinematic Poetry
Eighth graders explore the genre of poetry through the creation of a multimedia presentation. Students write a poem and create an Avid presentation of their poem for the class. The poems and presentations are peer-reviewed.
Curated OER
Dear Wife & Children Every One
Students explore the struggle that Kansans had over the slavery issue. They read a letter from John Brown to his family, and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.
Curated OER
The Power of Journals: Going Beyond the Text
Eighth graders define and use new vocabulary and identify the reasons why Native Americans captured Europeans during the colonial period. They write their own journal entries about the topic and explain the importance of journals as a...
Curated OER
From Object To Story
Pupils engage in a study that focuses upon the study of artifacts for the purpose of defining the heritage of family. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a personal family...
Curated OER
Found Poetry with Primary Sources: The Great Depression
Students read a sample found poem and create one together as a class. In this Great Depression lesson, students select a topic, such as miners, and read primary source documents related to the topic. Students select one narrative as the...
Curated OER
Creating a Life Map
Students create their own life map in which they introduce themselves to each other by sharing what they are most proud of. They use a life map to expressive themselves creatively.
Curated OER
Vocabulary Game
Help scholars discover new ways to build their vocabulary. Groups create a game involving their vocabulary words. Using the jigsaw model, the groups shuffle and play the games of the other groups. Save the games and use them for other...
Curated OER
Use of Personification and Imagery in Poetry
A reading of Theodore Roethke’s dark "Root Cellar" and Sylvia Plath’s more abstract "Mirror" launches a discussion of imagery and personification in poetry. After finding examples of personification in the poems, class members craft...
Curated OER
www.Me.Com
Create a graphic autobiography integrating images and text. Working within the structure of the programs Comic Life and Photoshop, pupils integrate the Principles of Design. They focus on balance, rhythm, proportion, and text structure....
Curated OER
Character Traits: Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear
Lensey Namioka’s Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear provides an opportunity for young readers to observe how writers bring their characters to life. Each class member selects a character to trace through the novel, recording...
Premier Literacy
Point of View
Incorporate technology into a literature lesson with an innovative language arts lesson. Middle schoolers read an electronic version of original stories or fairy tales, and after determining the point of view, rewrite the tale from a...
Shoop English
Literature Terms Activity
Designed to be used with an independent reading book, this activity provides practice with identifying and explaining literary terms. While they read, individuals find instances of literary devices and elements in use in their books....
Austin Independent School District
Social Studies Strategies: Concept of a Definition Map
Model for your class members how to use a definition map to make connections between new words and prior knowledge. Although the strategy is designed for social studies classes, the approach can be use at any grade level and in any...
Curated OER
Water Words
Students define words relating to water and its use in Nebraska. They listen to the story, Snail Girl Brings Water, list the water words from the story, and create a class dictionary.
Curated OER
Famous Authors Crossword Puzzle
Learners complete a crossword puzzle using previously studied vocabulary associated with literature. Although an answer key is provided, no word list is included.
Curated OER
Exploring American Tall Tales
Young scholars explore elements of American folktales and tall tales. In this literature instructional activity, students read examples of American folktales and tall tales and prepare a monologue or news report to present to the class...
Curated OER
Harvesting the River Lesson Plan: Taking an Oral History
Students practice researching history through oral traditions. In this U.S. History lesson, students examine an online exhibit titled Harvesting the River, in which students interview someone from the story. Students utilize Internet...
Curated OER
Have You Seen Sasquatch?
Learners create a newscast documenting sightings of SasquatchBigfoot. Working individually, students research information on Sasquatch using traditional and electronic sources, including e-mail. The class produces a newscast based on...
Curated OER
Comic Book or Comic Strip Design
Students design an original cartoon character. They explain the creative process and development of a cartoon from brainstorming to final draft and study different types of cartooning. Use the correct terminology associated with cartooning
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt
Students summarize the "Tri-County Project" section of the nebraskastudies.org web site using a scavenger hunt.
Curated OER
Causes of the American Revolution
Students answer the question of: How did England impose its political and economic control over the colonies? They create a comic strip depicting the event of the Boston Massacre. Students complete a Wordstoming activity to anticipate...
Curated OER
Form, Story, and Function: Then and Now
Students compare the function and decoration of everyday objects from ancient Greece and today's world. They complete a chart imbedded in this lesson that enables them to compare today's objects to objects of the past.
Curated OER
It's About Time
In collaborative teams, young scholars create individual autobiographical presentations that help them investigate their historical background. As they collaborate and create their projects they discuss and come to realize how current...