Overcoming Obstacles
Writing Reports and Presenting to an Audience
A two-part lesson introduces learners to a six-step process for writing and presenting oral reports. Participants learn how to select, limit, and research a topic, how to organize their notes, draft and revise their reports, and practice...
Overcoming Obstacles
Reading, Listening, and Note Taking
Active listening is all about thinking, asking questions, and making connections. That's the take-away from a lesson about active listening. Participants learn techniques for identifying important information, including how to ask...
ReadWriteThink
"Three Stones Back": Using Informational Text to Enhance Understanding of Ball Don't Lie
"Three Stones Back," a passage from Matt de la Pena's best-seller, Ball Don't Lie, allows readers to practice their close reading skills as they compare the passage to an information text about wealth inequality.Â
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Penguin Edition of John Steinbeck's The Pearl
The guide to John Steinbeck's The Pearl suggests ways instructors can help readers see below the surface of the novella to the parable beneath. Through a variety of activities, readers come to appreciate the complexity of the tale.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Mark Twain's The Prince and The Pauper
Imagine how the world would be different if all diplomats' children were required to serve in the military. Or if all high school graduates were required to do two years of community service before post-secondary education. A 30-page...
Overcoming Obstacles
Managing Your Time
Wouldn't it be great to have a device that would stop time for everyone else but would let you catch up? Alas, there is not such a device yet. However, there is a way to make every minute count. That's the big idea in a lesson about time...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Walden and "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau
According to Henry David Thoreau, every citizen must object to unjust laws. The teacher's guide to Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" begins with a detailed essay synopsis to help readers understand Thoreau's rationale in the challenging...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Your Learning Style
How many different learning styles are there? Four? Five? Seven? Twelve? It depends on who you ask. But the point of this lesson is that people learn differently, and most have a way or ways that work best for them. To help identify...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac has enjoyed popularity since its debut in 1897 due in large part to the themes it addresses. Instructors planning on using the play with their classes will find much to like in this teaching guide. The...
Penguin Books
Educator's Guide: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is filled with secrets. Help readers find the clues, solve the riddles and puzzles, and unwrap the mysteries with a six-page guide that includes before, during, and after reading discussion questions and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Goals
Effort does not necessarily equal accomplishment. What's missing from the formula is a goal. High schoolers learn the importance of identifying short-term, medium-range, and long-term goals that are both realistic and challenging. After...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell's Animal Farm
Not all teacher's guides are equal, but some are pretty good. This guide for George Orwell's Animal Farm includes chapter synopses, chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, journal and essay prompts, and suggestions for various activities.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Navigating Modernism with J. Alfred Prufrock
Learners explore the role of the individual in the modern world by closely reading and analyzing T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
Overcoming Obstacles
Resolving Conflict
Win-lose, lose-lose, or win-win? The final lesson in the "Resolving Conflict Module" brings together all that participants have learned in the module. They first list and prioritize the steps in conflict resolution, then develop a plan...
Overcoming Obstacles
Creating a Win-Win Situation
As part of a study of ways to resolve conflicts, class members examine the characteristics of win-win solutions and then practice win-win negotiations. They also examine the role of a mediator in conflict resolution and then script and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Managing Anger in Conflict Situations
The third lesson in the "Conflict Resolution Module" teaches participants strategies to reduce or control their anger. Class members first list situations that make them angry and then brainstorm a list of techniques that can lessen or...
Overcoming Obstacles
Introducing Conflict Resolution
Conflicts come, and conflicts go, but it's how to resolve those conflicts that learners need to know. After identifying the states of conflict in a news article and engaging in a role-play activity, class members reflect on recurring...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Love, jealousy, hatred! Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera has it all. Whether or not you have used Gaston Leroux's novel with your classes, you will find much value in this resource. The guide includes background information, an...
Overcoming Obstacles
Problem Solving at Home
The final instructional activity in the "Problem Solving Module" focuses on finding creative solutions to problems that might arise at home. Individuals then create a storyboard that illustrates how they would apply the six-step...
Overcoming Obstacles
Problem Solving on the Job
The truth is there are consequences for actions. The third lesson in the "Problem Solving Module" asks class members to brainstorm a list of problems, select one and invent a system, process, or object that might solve the problem. They...
Overcoming Obstacles
Problem Solving in School
Scholars learn how to be part of the solution to problems high schoolers face. After identifying problems at their school, participants list cues that indicate each problem, note campus resources available to help solve the problem, and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Problem Solving Techniques
Participants in the first lesson plan of the "Problem Solving Module" discover that the techniques used to solve problems follow the same steps they practiced in the "Decision Making Skills Module." Groups focus on different characters...
Overcoming Obstacles
Learning to Be Assertive
After defining passive, aggressive, and assertive, class members role-play different scenarios demonstrating these behaviors. Individuals then identify a weakness they wish to improve and, using what they have learned throughout the...
Overcoming Obstacles
Accessing Resources
Everyone needs help achieving their goals. The trick is to figure out how to access resources that will be of help. Participants engage in activities that teach them how to identify what help they need to achieve their goals and how to...