Curated OER
Letters From Rifka
Small groups read assigned chapters from the book, Letters to Rifka, then work together to fill out comprehension worksheets associated with their chapters. This fine, 13-page lesson culminates with each group getting together to meet...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Literary Humor
Young scholars examine Nathaniel Hawthorne's style of humor and compare it to other humorists. They discuss the purpose of literary humor and determine how it develops characters and plots in stories. They analyze the use of different...
Curated OER
Story Setting - The Art Lesson by Tomi dePaola
Students read the book The Art Lesson by Tomi dePaola and analyze the story. In this setting lesson, students discuss the importance of the setting and how it helps us understand the story. Students answer questions and chart their...
Curated OER
Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Character
Students read a variety of Cinderella tales from different cultures. They discuss the differences in character, plot, and conflict resolution in the stories from different countries.
Curated OER
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Explore Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in this literature analysis lesson. Middle schoolers read and summarize the plot of the story. They then adapt passages for a contemporary audience and analyze the...
Curated OER
"Et tu, Brute?" - The Characters, Conflict and Historical context of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Students analyze the Shakespearian play, "Julius Caesar" in this seven lesson unit. Through readings, hands-on projects, and the study of plot development, comparisons are made to the movie and the historical records available.
Curated OER
Making A Story Map
Sixth graders learn to plan a story by using a story map. They analyze a detailed sample story map and answer 5 questions about it. Then, plan their own story using a story map template.
Curated OER
Baseball Statistics
Students take an in depth examine baseball record breakers. They calculate statistics, not just for one year, but over whole careers, to compare some famous players and find who was the best all-time home run hitter.
IPDAE
Themes in Short Stories
"What is the theme of this story?" The very question can spark fear in the minds of readers and incinerate confidence. Here you will discover an exercise that shows how writers use the tools of setting, plot, conflict, and...
Curated OER
Graphs and Functions
Middle schoolers describe plotting functions on the Cartesian coordinate plane. They solve functions on paper and using an online tool to plot points on a Cartesian coordinate plane creating lines and parabolas.
NASA
A Different Perspective
What can we learn from the data? Young scholars analyze actual solar data to answer specific questions. The activity presents an opportunity for an open-ended investigation of the data to conclude a five-part series on solar winds.
Curated OER
Setting the Tone with Figurative Language
Explore figurative language with your secondary class. Extending a language arts unit, the lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine how an author's word choice establishes a story's tone, possibly using metaphors, similes,...
Curated OER
Exploring Quadratic Data : Transformation Graphing
High schoolers analyze the vertex form of a parabola and find an approximate fit of a model. They explain the quadratic parabola function and its properties by developing quadratic models. They use translation and dilation to change the...
Shodor Education Foundation
Algorithm Discovery with Venn Diagrams
Here is a lesson that takes an interesting approach to analyzing data using box and whisker plots. By using an applet that dynamically generates Venn diagrams, the class forms a strategy/algorithm for guessing the rule that fits...
Kenan Fellows
Lego Thinking and Building
Run a simulated airplane manufacturing plant with your pupils as the builders! Learners build Lego airplane models and collect data on the rate of production, comparing the number produced to the number defective. Using linear...
Curated OER
What Factors Contribute In Attracting Birds To Feeders?
Students develop their own research questions dealing with specific variables provided by the instructor; students conduct bird counts using two kinds of birdseed, and analyze possible effects such as abundance or diversity.
Curated OER
A New Point of View
Analyze point of view and how it affects a literary work with this lesson. Middle schoolers create a written piece that focuses on point of view. They review the literary term "point of view," and explore examples of the term in text....
Curated OER
Regarding the Fountain: Questioning Strategy—Cubing
Look deeper into the text with a reading strategy based on asking critical thinking questions. While reading Reading the Fountain by Kate Klise, learners think of questions that help them describe, compare, associate, analyze,...
Curated OER
I Am An Author
Analyze and interpret a literary work your class has read during the course. After reading a variety of literary works, middle schoolers alter the ending of a selection by creating an alternate ending. They generate five comprehension...
Curated OER
Because of Winn-Dixie Scrapbook
Here is a fun resource that your kids will love. While reading the book Because of Winn-Dixie, they analyze the story's main characters by creating an online scrapbook. The purpose is to have them identify character traits and use...
It's About Time
Volcanic Hazards: Airborne Debris
Pupils interpret maps and graph data related to volcanic ash. Then they analyze the importance of wind speed and the dangers of the ash to both life, air temperature, and technology.
Curated OER
What a Character!
Middle schoolers read a novel and discuss character personality. First, they analyze a character in a novel and keep a chart or web of the character's identity, which includes specific examples from the book. They then write a script...
Curated OER
THE GULF STREAM
Young scholars explore how to describe the Gulf Stream, how Benjamin Franklin charted it, and correctly plot it on a map.
Curated OER
Crane, London, and Literary Naturalism
Students analyze "To Build a Fire" by Jack London and "The Open boat" by Stephen Crane. They write an essay in which they compare and contrast the narrators and plots in each story.