K20 LEARN
Writing Is Elementary, My Dear Watson: Writing Paragraphs With Evidence And Reasoning
Did Smitty do it, or is he a victim? Sleuths apply their observation and reasoning skills to build a case for an argumentative paragraph. Class members closely observe a cartoon, make a claim, cite evidence from the image, and support...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 8: In The End
To end the unit, groups use the Honeycomb Harvest strategy to show connections among a character, symbols, and themes in the novel and then create an Anchor Chart for the character that includes a symbol that best represents him. They...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 7: Good To Be Bad
The seventh lesson in the Lord of the Flies unit asks scholars to consider whether or not an individual can overcome the worst thing they have ever done. Groups read different articles related to the question, share their expertise in a...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 4: Bad to the Bone
Is the nature of humans inherently good or evil? That is the question scholars consider in the fourth lesson of the Lord of the Flies unit. In a Four Corners activity, they examine statements about human nature and stand by the poster...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 6: I've Got The Power
Readers of Lord of the Flies consider the symbols of power William Golding uses in his dystopian novel and support their choice with evidence from the text.
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 3: Behind the Mask
After watching a video about masks from many cultures, class members research the history of masks and build a Driving Question Board. Individuals then create a mask for a character from The Lord of the Flies, justifying elements of...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 2: Leader of the Pack
The second lesson plan in the Lord of the Flies unit asks scholars to consider the characteristics of a good leader. After generating a list of these qualities, they annotate a passage from the novel highlighting the leadership qualities...
K20 LEARN
Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 1: I'm A Survivor
What three readily available things would you grab in case of an emergency? That's the question that launches a unit study of William Golding's The Lord of the Flies. After sharing their choices, class members read Golding's rationale...
Learning for Justice
Cliques in Schools
Band geeks, jocks, preppies; every school has its groups. Middle and high schoolers identify the various friendship groups and cliques in their school and consider these groups' positive and negative traits. After completing a Clique...
Learning for Justice
Looking Closely at Ourselves
A thoughtful discussion about self-reflecting leads to a conversation about skin color and making a list of words associated with "beauty." Budding artists use a mirror to examine their features and create a self-portrait. Peers critique...
Anti-Defamation League
Don't Let Hate Ruin the Fun: Youth and Online Games
Gamers unite! Take action against bullying and hate speech in online video games! After reading data that reveals the extent to which various age groups experience hate and, or harassment while playing video games online, groups develop...
Anti-Defamation League
Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) is the subject of the lesson that asks groups to research the stories of five different women and share their insights in a jigsaw activity. Participants then craft...
Anti-Defamation League
Teens, Tech, Connect: How Technology Impacts Teenagers' Friendships
To understand their time spent online, class members chart their use of technology during early morning hours, during school, after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. They then read several reports about how social media...
Anti-Defamation League
Bias, Bullying and Bad Behavior in the NFL
A 2014 case of locker room behavior in the National Football League offers high schoolers an opportunity to get involved in the conversation of bullying and abuse. Class members read about the case and analyze quotes that reveal...
Learning for Justice
Showing Empathy
A short social-emotional learning instructional activity teaches high schoolers how to show empathy toward others. After completing a short survey that has them assess their understanding of empathy, the class learns specific behaviors...
Learning for Justice
Standing Up Against Discrimination
Expert groups investigate five teens who stood up against discrimination they faced and then report their findings in jigsaw groups. The class drafts proposals for actions the school could take to stop discrimination.
Anti-Defamation League
Cyberbullying and Online Cruelty: Challenging Social Norms
"Everybody does it!" is often the clarion call to justify cyberbullying. Here's a lesson plan that encourages high schoolers to challenge these behaviors. Participants examine images, watch videos, and engage in discussions designed to...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson
A lesson spotlights the poem "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson. Scholars discuss their favorite foods and then examine a lively picture of a family preparing tamales. After listening to the poem twice, learners participate in...
Teaching for Change
Latino/Hispanic Heritage Resource Packet
Here's a must-have resource for Latino/Hispanic heritage month, September 15 through October 15. The 18-page packet includes suggestions to guide your planning, quizzes to test knowledge of heritage facts and immigration myths, and...
Anti-Defamation League
Addressing Hate Online: Countering Cyberhate with Counterspeech
Cyberbullying is the focus of much discussion. Here's a instructional activity that offers suggestions for addressing cyberhate. After groups examine different examples of cyberhate, the class adds their suggestions to a list of ideas...
Academy of American Poets
On "El Florida Room" by Richard Blanco
Scholars of all ages examine Richard Blanco's poem, "El Florida Room." Looking closely at pictures, pupils look for details that stand out to them, then read the poem. A whole-class discussion allows learners to reflect on what they...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "When Giving Is All We Have" by Alberto Ríos
What makes giving meaningful? Class members discuss this question, then listen to Alberto Rios reading his poem, "When Giving Is All We Have." Finally, the class considers what the poet says about the question.
Academy of American Poets
Incredible Bridges: “Translation for Mamá” by Richard Blanco
Who or what do you miss? That's the question that launches an activity that asks writers to craft a paragraph filled with sensory details that shows how they feel. Next, they listen to Richard Blanco reading his poem, "Translation for...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "When There Were Ghosts" by Alberto Ríos
Before cell phones, tablets, and computers with access to YouTube, before gleaming multiplexes and even before television, there were small theaters with Saturday night black and white movies. Alberto Ríos's poem "When There Were Ghosts"...