Simon & Schuster
Classroom Activities for The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Three activities are designed for readers of Jack London's The Call of the Wild. First, class members research and create posters that reflect the setting of the novel. Next, groups create posters with images that represent each chapter...
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Children's Literature and African American Culture
Third graders examine various stories and poems and identify characteristics that make each individual unique. After analyzing the readings, they create their own personality poems to accompany self-portrait drawings. The poems and...
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Allegorical Meaning in Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death
Tenth graders recognize the allegorical meaning in The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe. In this poetry lesson, 10th graders analyze a poem for allegorical meaning.
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Words by Kevin Morris
Students analyze and discuss contemporary artwork of Kevin Morris, and create their own mind maps and poetry using Words by Morris as inspiration. Students then scan newspaper, write at least ten words that jump out at them, and discuss...
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Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: 19th Century African-American Writer and Reformer
Students investigate African-American author Frances Ellen Watkins Harper by analyzing her life and poetry. They explore the reformist messages communicated in her writings and evaluate the potential impact of her work.
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Batting Practice: Using Math to Calculate Baseball Statistics
Learners calculate and record batting average, hits, and at bats. For this Batting Practice: Using Math to Calculate Baseball Statistics lesson, students utilize mathematical formulas to determine the career statistics of baseball player...
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Darfur Now Lesson Four: The Messages of Darfur Now
Young scholars explore the work in individuals that are part of Darfur Now. In this human rights lesson, students also analyze the message of Weisel's Not on Our Watch. Young scholars create found poems pertaining to social...
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Native Americans During the 19th and 20th Centuries
Learners explore major events in Native American history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this American history lesson, students listen to lectures, examine photographs, and analyze music regarding Native American history...
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Art and War
Students analyze art and war and the Futurist movement. In this art analysis instructional activity, students define manifesto and its role with artistic movement. Students explore art as a response to political and social issues through...
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Action/Reaction: Art and Politics
Students examine three images that were responses to social and political turmoil World War I and II. In this political art lesson, students analyze and discuss the example art. Students create a word poem, a collage, and their own...
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Mosaic Pavement Panel
Students analyze Mosaic art and identify the tessellation process. In this Mosaic art lesson, students read information about Mosaic art and the tessellation process. Students compare mosaics from various civilizations and construct...
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Dr. King and His Advice for Dreams Deferred
Students analyze Dr. King's public addresses and Langston Hughes' poetry as a study of the Civil Rights' nonviolent approach to making an impact. In this protesting instructional activity, students read poetry of Hughes and...
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Visual and Number Patterns
Fourth graders develop strategies for identifying geometric and number patterns. In this mathematical patterns lesson, 4th graders use pattern blocks to make repeating patterns with numbers and shapes. Students then explore number...
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When were you selfless today?
Middle schoolers, after reading and analyzing the poem, Selflessness of Mind, by Joe Gurknecht, brainstorm and discuss specific recent student acts of selflessness. They develop strategies to tie those acts of selflessness to themselves...
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When were you selfless today?
Students, after reading and discussing the poem, Selflessness of Mind, by Joe Gutknecht, discuss specific recent acts of selflessness and then write a first draft paper on selflessness. They compare/contrast their own lives to the poem...
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Safe from the Storm
Fourth graders read the poem "Snowbound" after brainstorming what a place of refuge is and why it's needed. They, in pairs, meet and write a list of ten attributes that describe a refuge. They write a paragraph describing the look, feel,...
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A Courtin' We Will Go
Students investigate dialect in poetry as an indication of a people's culture in literature. They write a poem about dating in this era.
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Pablo Neruda
Eighth graders explore the life and works of Pablo Neruda. They complete an author map concerning his personal and professional life. Students identify the key components of an ode. They write an ode to a common object around their...
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Haiku: Observation and Writing in the Japanese Garden
Students observe a Botanical Gardens. Upon returning to the classroom, students write their own Haiku based on their observations.
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Haiku - Poetry of the Samurai Warrior
Learners research the Samurai and their Haiku Writings. Students use internet research to gather information about the ancient Japanese Samurai. The learners then create individual Haiku writings, and a cultural day is designated when...
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Studying Mars
Students study Mars and Odyssey's mission to Mars. In groups, they plan a community that could live on Mars.
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Younger Generation
Learners discuss the composer Aaron Copland and the lyricist Ira Gershwin and their significance in/contributions to American music of their time while singing the song "Younger Generation" in the choir setting. Emphasis is placed on...
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Rap Music and Hip-Hop
Students explore rap and hip hop music. In this music and culture lesson, students experience the music of Will Smith in order to work on language and communication skills such as rhyming words, writing, and public speaking.
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Figurative Language
Students put poetic interpretations back together to explain the poem. Starting with cliches, students learn what various phrases mean. They analyze words, phrases and levels of meaning.