Curated OER
Compositional Techniques: Are There Similarities Between
Young scholars recognize how chromatic scales create tension and pentatonic scales create relaxation as compositional techniques used to create tonality. Also, students aurally recognize the use of mixed or alternating meter as a means...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Curated OER
Poetry in Motion
Students choose a poetry theme. They write a poem, illustrate it with digital images and record it using a digital video camera.
Curated OER
Puerto Rico: The 51st State?
Students explore Puerto Rico. In this Puerto Rico current events lesson, students conduct a Webquest to answer questions about Puerto Rico's culture. Students discuss whether Puerto Rico is a country or a state, and defend...
Curated OER
Exploring Literary Genre Through Latin American Literature
Students explore poetry and its meaning. After reading poems, students explore the literary elements such as the setting, character, problem, events and resolution. They compare and contrast descriptions given in poems. Students...
Curated OER
Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Students explore fiction and nonfiction writing. They identify the elements of fiction in a short story and identify the criteria necessary in a nonfiction piece. Students distinguish the author's purpose in an expository text,...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Chasing Vermeer - A DaVinci Code for Children
Students read the mystery novel, Chasing Vermeer, research the artist and his works. Through observation of his works, they create their own pencil sketches of selected paintings. Finally, students simulate Vermeer's interiors with...
Curated OER
Design a Book Jacket
Students analyze the book jackets of books and then design one based on the typical characteristics of book jackets.
Curated OER
Perspective on the Slave Narrative
Students work with the slave narrative as a resource for historical study and evaluate it as a work of literature; students then examine the narrative in the context of political controversy as an argument for abolition.
Curated OER
Lyddie
Seventh graders read the novel, Lyddie, while studying the reform movement. They complete assignments for each chapter and write essays about Lyddie's development through the novel.
Curated OER
Myths, Folktales & Fairy Tales
Students relate the myth genre to history and culture. In this myths lesson plan, students compare culture in the past and present. Students answer critical thinking questions and discuss the unique characteristics of...
Curated OER
Creating Comic Strips
Students explore genre of comics, view variety of comic strips, discuss components of comic strips, examine conventions of comic strips, analyze online comic creator interactive and create planning sheet for using the tool, and apply...
Curated OER
We're Building Heroes
Students discuss their ideas of the qualities a hero possesses. In this attributes of a hero lesson plan, students construct a hero puzzle and identify qualities of a hero in storybook characters.
Curated OER
Something Fishy Going On
Young scholars create a video animation of how Swimmy gathered his fish friends together to form a great big fish that would frighten the predator tuna away. In art class each child create a small red fish which gets displayed in the...
Curated OER
Sequential Curriculum for Advanced Writing Workshop
Twelfth graders engage in a ten-month long elective course focusing on college board review and an advanced writing workshop. Both course components focus on thinking and reasoning skills. Various approaches include sentence combining,...
Curated OER
One Story, Many Tales
High schoolers compare and contrast Cinderella stories. In this folktale instructional activity, students discuss the attributes of the genre and then read and research different cultural versions of the tale. High schoolers present...
Curated OER
Connecting Literature, Writing and Music
Young scholars assess the impact of music to portray emotions and tell stories. Examples are taken from the life of Rosa Parks and a piece of band music called "A Movement for Rosa". Evaluation is accomplished through in-class...
Curated OER
All About Bugs
Students read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and practice the days of the week. In groups, they create a puppet show, design cards of the "days of the week," draw their favorite part of the story, create a visual representation of each...
Curated OER
Poetry Writing
Students compose a piece of poetry modeled after the poetry of Carl Sandburg and share their poem(s) with their colleagues. They use a cluster diagram to organize their thoughts and brainstorm their ideas.
Curated OER
Language Arts: Biography and Autobiography
Students examine autobiographies and biographies through a series of reading and writing exercises. By writing journals during this semester-long course, they improve writing skills and discover their own voice. Among other activities,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Edible Cell
Young scholars identify cell parts and their function. In this animal cell lesson plan, students view a video clip and discuss cell components. Young scholars create an edible replica of an animal cell using food items.
Curated OER
TOTAL LITERATURE SERIES
Fifth graders listen and react to the book Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. They write in their journals every day approximately one page or more as a reflection on the reading.
Curated OER
Enjoying Latino Music
Students view different musical instruments from around Latino world, predict what sounds instruments will make based on their appearance, listen to and evaluate music from different Latino genres orally or in writing, and make...