Curated OER
The Ultimate Survivor Using Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
What items would you need to survive if you were stranded in a remote place? Using chapter 10 of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, middle-schoolers work through a Six Trait writing activity to create a story about their own survival in a similar...
Prestwick House
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Planning an adventure with ol' Tom Sawyer? Revist Mark Twain's classic tale with a review crossword puzzle on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Curated OER
Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Spark Notes
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt: Study Guide - Essays
Use an online interactive literature instructional activity to test comprehension and critical understanding of the book, Homecoming. Learners respond to eight short answer and essay questions about Cynthia Voigt's novel. Answers to...
Curated OER
Flowers for Algernon: RAFT
Should Charlie undergo an operation to increase his intelligence? A mini-instructional activity for a unit on Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon uses a RAFT activity, which prompts learners to write a letter to Charlie's doctors...
Curated OER
This July, Beware the Ides of March
A thematic unit on Julius Caesar is a great way to study ancient Rome.
Curated OER
Things Fall Apart: Research, Writing & Presentation Project
A great resource for your unit on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Small groups conduct research about related topics (list included), write papers, present PowerPoint slide shows, and take a student-created test. Fill in a few...
Curated OER
Civil War Perspectives
Fifth graders have a debate and defend one of the three different perspectives of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 5th graders defend either the North, the South, or the Neutral perspectives.
Curated OER
Express Yourself Lesson Seed 3
If you're looking to set your class up for writing effective arguments, try out this idea. While originally created with freedom as a guiding idea, the activity could easily be adapted for other themes. As a class, create a chart of...
Curated OER
Jacob Have I Loved
Students examine visual images about the novel, Jacob Have I Loved. They compare pictures from "America from the Great Depression to World War II" that are described in the book and other studies of the Chesapeake Bay. They present their...
Curated OER
Dante's Peak Movie Review
Middle or high school volcanologists watch the 1997 film, Dante's Peak. They make observations as they watch and then write a movie review, focusing on what was accurately represented. They also point out what facts were stretched by...
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Identity Lesson 7: Logical Fallacies
What are the effects of competition in an academic environment? The competition between the main characters in A Separate Peace motivates a series of activities that asks readers to take a stance on competition, and then to develop a...
Prestwick House
A Raisin in the Sun
Or does it explode? Discuss the ultimate deferred dream in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun with a handy crossword puzzle that reviews key names and details from the play.
Curated OER
Dracula
Students read the book, Dracula and complete a variety of listed activities including: class discussion, vocabulary study, rewriting a section of the book in modern language, drawing characters, making a family tree of the characters, etc.
Curated OER
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
In this story structure activity, students read the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and identify the characters, setting and main themes of the book. They answer a list of study questions about the book.
Curated OER
African Novel Study
Seventh graders participate in literature circles as they read African novels. They read, work on word studies, and complete comprehension activities. They share their reading with other literature circle groups in the class.
Curated OER
The Red Badge of Courage: A New Kind of Realism
Learners research the Civil War and make connections between the war and the interpretation of the war in the novel The Red Badge of Courage to help them understand realism. In this Civil War recounting lesson, students complete several...
SparkNotes
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: Study Guide - Mini Essays
In this online interactive literature activity, learners respond to 9 short answer and essay questions about J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. Students may check some of their answers online.
SparkNotes
Paradise Lost by John Milton: Study Guide - Mini Essays
In this online interactive literature instructional activity, students respond to 7 short answer and essay questions about John Milton's Paradise Lost. Students may check some of their answers online.
Curated OER
The Cajuns: Natives with a Difference!
Students examine the immigrant experiences of various culture groups. Using this information, they work together to compare and contrast these experiences with those of the Cajuns. As a class, they define ethnic group and research the...
Curated OER
Author Study: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Students read novel, Little House in the Big Woods, explore web sites and other resources devoted to author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, complete Venn Diagram showing ways they and author are alike and different, and create diorama, read...
Reed Novel Studies
Freckle Juice: Novel Study
Is the grass always greener on the other side? Andrew from Freckle Juice seems to think so! He admires his classmate's freckles and wishes he had some of his own, so he purchases a special juice to get them! While reading through the...
Curated OER
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Before Reading Strategy
Spark interest in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with an anticipatory exercise that begins with a brainstorm around the words heroic and good boy. Pupils then complete an anticipation guide, discuss the results in groups, and...
Novelinks
Man's Search for Meaning: K-W-H-L Strategy
Prior to reading Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, class members use the provided worksheet to list what they know about the Holocaust, what they want to know, and how they will find the information they seek. After...