National Endowment for the Humanities
Hamlet Meets Chushingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy
Students read texts, view film and video and conduct research in an analysis and comparison of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and the Kabuki piece "Chushingura". They focus their analysis on the theme of revenge.
Curated OER
Irony in Poetry and Prose (Fiction and Non-fiction Texts)
Middle and high schoolers examine the impact of irony in poetry and prose. In this figurative language lesson, they read instructor-selected literature and identify uses of irony. Then they discuss how irony enhances literature.
Curated OER
Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
What do you know about American Indians? Upper graders compose an informational essay based on the research they conduct. They choose a Native American group to study and, using the provided list of web links, gather information and...
Curated OER
Miss Nelson is Missing Lesson Plan
Second graders listen to the story Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall. In this literature lesson, 2nd graders predict the story's ending with drawings and discussions within groups.
Curated OER
Heroic Vocabulary: Using Decoding Strategies and Thesaurus
Develop the decoding skills of your middle and high schoolers. Scholars participate in a classroom activity that requires them to decode a word with a prefix and suffix. They apply the skill of breaking the word into parts of meaning as...
Curated OER
Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
Curated OER
Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans
Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...
Curated OER
Famous People of Japan: Literature, Politics, Film, Television, Sports, and the Imperial Family
Students research biographical information about a famous Japanese, investigating how this person has impacted Japanese and American culture. Students then create an oral report and technological presentation based on the research.
Curated OER
Literature: Yoshiko Uchida Unit
Sixth graders read the books, The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography by Yoshiko Uchida and Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki about Japanese Americans during World War II. They hold discussions, take quizzes, and write essays about the...
Curated OER
Heroes and Heroines: King David, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Napoleon
Students identify and examine four heroes from history and imaginative literature. They discuss the characteristics of a hero and share perceptions of what makes a hero. By comparing and analyzing a few historical and literary figures,...
Curated OER
Children's Literature and African American Culture
Third graders examine various stories and poems and identify characteristics that make each individual unique. After analyzing the readings, they create their own personality poems to accompany self-portrait drawings. The poems and...
University of New Mexico
César Chávez: Migrant Farm Workers and Their Leader
During the first week of instruction, middle schoolers research biographies on Cesar Chavez and make a pictorial collage of his life. For the second and third week, they maintain a seven-day diary of a farmworker and write a poem. For...
Curated OER
Vocabulary
Fifth graders review two or three chapters of a novel. In this literature lesson, 5th graders list new words, write the definition of the word on the bottom of the paper and choose a picture in a magazine that represents that word.
Curated OER
Investigating Othello: Peeling Away Layers of Meaning
Students analyze piece of literature by looking at it from one perspective and then by re-evaluating what they have discovered when other layers of meaning are added.
Curated OER
Faces of the Family
Students and teachers share their individual concept of families to begin the lesson. As they read different pieces of literature, they keep a journal of the activities and problems each main character gets into. To end the lesson,...
Curated OER
Making Connections
Learners identify the main ideas in a passage from literature, and in a painting, and justify their conclusions using logic and language arts skills.
Curated OER
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Getting Started with Literature Circles
Students complete novel analysis activities for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this novel analysis lesson, students work in literature circle groups to complete close reading activities for the novel. Students keep...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan for Granny Will Your Dog Bite and Other Mountain Rhymes
Sixth graders practice choral reading of poetry. In this creative literature lesson, 6th graders incorporate elements of performing arts into their choral readings of various poems. They discuss musical instruments, facial expressions,...
Curated OER
The Essential Brick
Students examine their position within their school and discuss qualities they need to be productive citizens outside of school. they culminate the unit by writing an autobiography that includes the concepts of responsibility, choice,...
Curated OER
Going Greek: A Companion Lesson to Accompany the Percy Jackson Series
Students explore Greek mythology by researching a specific God or Goddess. In this children's literature instructional activity, students read the Percy Jackson series of books and discuss their favorite characters. Students research a...
Curated OER
"Charlotte's Web" - Transfer of Learning Across the Curriculum: From Literature to Science
Young scholars research and write about the parts of a spider's body using educational software. They draw spiders using computer software.
Curated OER
Keep It Academic
Students study various methods to learn about religion in the classroom. In this religion study lesson plan, students read and visit links to learn about various ways of teaching religion in schools. Students learn the model world...
Curated OER
Using Picture Books to Teach the Holocaust
Students compare a photo of a child's room during the Holocaust to their room. In this WWII lesson, students read picture books and evaluate the roles of characters in the book. Students create either a poster about the roles, a movie...
Curated OER
Spain and France Influence in Europe and in the New World
Students examine the conditions in France and Spain during the Middle Ages and the Discovery of America. In groups, they compare and contrast the political situations in both countries and what effect they had on the New World. To end...