Curated OER
Introducing Literature Circle Roles to Students
Students read a narrative selection and select a literature circle role. In this reading comprehension lesson, students work in groups to identify vocabulary, make text connections, or other reading comprehension strategies. Students...
Japan Society
The “I” Novels in the Context of Early 20th-Century Japan
Although this lesson plan covers the rather obscure topic of the Japanese "I-novel", it also includes a great deal of historical information and material for an in-depth discussion of universal literary concepts. Specifically, young...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad
Fourth graders participate in a literature circle after reading a book about the Underground Railroad. They discuss their selected book with their literature circle group, and complete a handout about their role in the circle. Students...
Curated OER
Elements of Fables
Students explore the attributes of fables. In this literature lesson, students read several fables and identify the moral lesson, characterization, and figurative language in each. Students then retell their favorite fables in their own...
Curated OER
River Reading Circle
Young scholars participate in a reading circle as a means of studying river-related poetry. They meet in small groups to discuss provided poems about the Mississippi River and use written or drawn notes
to guide their part of the...
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Children's Literature Meets Learning Theories
Students examine learning theories and principles through children's literature. In groups, they select theories and create multimedia presentations exemplifying them. Students discuss the various themes related to human growth,...
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It's All Part of the Story
Students explore storytelling through pantomime, improvisation, and dramatization. They watch an online video, discuss Native American earth stories, role-play various situations, explore websites, and present an oral story to the class.
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Pirate Unit
Students complete a unit of lessons on pirates. They read and analyze the novel, 'The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates,' define key vocabulary terms, participate in a literature circle, and write a report on pirates.
Curated OER
Teachers See the Truth but Wait: Teaching Short Stories with Literature Circles
Students use literature circles to analyze four short stories from the Realms of Gold, Volume 3. In this literature circle lesson, students are assigned a role in the literature circle to improve their critical thinking skills for...
Curated OER
How Tragic!
Learners study and interpret a classical tragedy and role play a character from the play. In this tragedy lesson, students discuss a specific work to discover the form, structure, and characteristics of the genre and interpret the...
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How Tragic!
Tenth graders read and study, in-depth, a specific classical tragedy, in this case, Oedipus. They explore strategies from making meaning out of or interpreting texts, as well as strategies for determining how authors create meaning in...
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Discovering the Journal of Augustus Pelletier
Students explore journals. For this Discovering the Journal of Augustus Pelletier lesson, students read the historical fiction book and conduct research activities to validate events in the plot that reflect the Lewis and Clark...
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Literature Circles: The Cay and Timothy of the Cay
Middle schoolers read and discuss The Cay or Timothy of the Cay with other students. They complete Literature Circles role sheets. Middle schoolers map the journeys of Timothy and Phillip. They put the events of the stories on a time line.
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Land as a Valuable Resource
Learners investigate why the soil is important to our lives. In this natural resources lesson plan, students have a farmer as a guest speaker. Learners begin to understand how farmers use and protect our natural resource. Students write...
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Literature Circles in Action
Learners form cooperative groups to read, discuss, and respond to a novel. They select a novel from offered choices or by criteria given by teacher and complete a culminating project on the novel from such choices as: creating a...
Curated OER
Indiana Travel Guide
Fourth graders, after exploring and researching the state of Indiana, create a travel guide about the state of Indiana including its capital, major rivers, governors and two famous people from the state. They utilize a variety of art...
Curated OER
Indiana Travel Guide
Fourth graders share their information about their home state. In this research lesson plan, 4th graders use graphic organizers to make a travel guide about the state of Indiana. This lesson plan could be modified for use with any state,...
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Cooperative Conjectures
Learners compare and contrast how animals have coexisted with humans. They also identify industrial changes and how animals were affected. They use the internet to research information and present their findings to the class.
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The Four Seasons
Students examine four paintings by Robert Harris and identify the season portrayed. Using the characteristics for each season, they write a poem and create a drawing of their own. In groups, they describe the different types of...