National Endowment for the Humanities
A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify...
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What I Dream For:
Students investigate about the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., watching video clips from unitedstreaming. They identify ways that they can help make Martin Luther's dream of peace a reality. Pupils identify contributions that...
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Dream Streets
Sixth graders conduct research on the internet to discover the principles of drawing using one and two point perspectives. After examining street scenes by Edward Hopper and postcards of Main Street USA in Disney, they write about and...
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Community Symbols: Heroes and Leaders
Students research the importance of community leaders in portraits. In this art history lesson, students look at the painting "The Ascension of Simon Bolivar on Mount Jamaica" and discuss what they see in the portrait. Students research...
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My Dream Home
Students investigate the concept of a dream home and create an architectural drawing of it. They design the home with a projected budget of $500,000. They research different designs with the intent of pulling ideas for their design....
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From the Rise of the Absolute Monarchy to Democracy on the American Frontier
High schoolers use a teacher-made museum guide with questions that allow them to analyze and compare the patron art of seventeenth-century France with portraits of later periods at the Joslyn Art Museum. Students also read The Little...
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The Railroad Is Born
Fourth graders examine the proposal of Theodore Judah for the first transcontinental railroad. They analyze a map, write an obituary for Theodore Judah, and create a symbolic poster of Judah's dream for a transcontinental railroad.
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Imagery Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to the term imagery. Individually, they read "The Dream Deferred" and note examples of imagery in the poem. To end the lesson plan, they write their own poem making sure to use the five components of imagery.
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A Year
Students examine an author's philosophical look at life through anecdotes he describes as a teacher in Uzbekistan. In this Uzbekistan lesson, students analyze a literary passage in order to identify, then practice using, similes,...
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Picturing America: Images and Words of Hope from Romare Bearden and Langston Hughes
A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...
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Take a Leap!
Eighth graders discuss the flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They study artwork of various sculptors showing the concept of flight. They write a paragraph and design a papier-mache' sculpture that shows movement.
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In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...
Students explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. Students conduct further research...
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Ft. Vancouver Fur Trade: a Skin for a Skin
Students examine political presence of Hudson's Bay Company, explore economic impact of European demand for beaver pelts and the fur trapping trade, and practice counting in Chinook Jargon.
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Freedom Fighters
Students discover the accomplishments of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. In this social justice lesson, students watch "Freedom Fighters," and then read speeches or writings made by each of the men. Students write compare and...
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Invent a Holiday
Students compare their own special holidays and traditions and then use their imaginations to create their own holiday.
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Introduction to the Monomyth, an Initiation Theme
Pupils analyze the archetypal hero called the monomyth. In this archetypes lesson, students discuss the topic and view a chart of hero figures with related details. Pupils analyze the monomyth process diagram, read the story of the...
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Stephen Crane - Surrealism and the Antihero
Students analyze the work of Stephen Crane as a lesson on surrealism and an antihero. In this surrealism lesson, students complete discuss activities for the topic. Students then analyze Crane's poetry, his use of surrealism, and the...
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Amelia Earhart
Students list characteristics of a brave and daring person and describe contributions that Amelia Earhart made to aviation. They describe how Amelia Earhart contributed to the advancement of women.
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PAINTING COLORFUL STORIES INFLUENCED BY JACOB LAWRENCE
Students research the background of Jacob Lawrence and study the music, poetry, and spirit of the Harlem Community that was present during Jacob Lawrence's formative and subsequent art productions. They create a piece of artwork...
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There's a Place That Has a Race
Pupils define the term "place," collect data about Alaska and the Iditarod from several web sites, take online quiz using information gathered, and draw conclusions based upon their data collection and analysis.