Maine Content Literacy Project
Dramatic Structure of the Short Story
The second instructional activity in a series of fourteen, this plan takes the short story basics a step further. Learners complete a quiz about the story from the previous day, discuss the text, learn about Anton Chekhov, and work in...
Maine Content Literacy Project
Processes of Writing and Speaking
As this short story unit comes to a close, provide a day for a full examination of theme and allow some time in class for individuals to work on their various assessments. This final lesson before presenting iMovies and portfolios is the...
UAF Geophysical Institute
System Interactions: The Lorax and the Truffula Tree
If the Lorax were to write a letter, what would he write? Introduce your class to systems and feedback loops through the whimsical stylings of Dr. Seuss. Learners take on the Lorax's point of view to write a letter, among other activities.
University of Arizona
Yoruba Legends: Southern Nigeria
Explore legends and storytelling with your learners. After listening to some legends, pupils work collaboratively and then individually to come up with original legends about animals.
Novelinks
Nightjohn: List-Group-Label Strategy
Encourage readers of Nightjohn, Gary Paulsen's young adult novel about slavery set shortly before the Civil War, to develop their categorization and organizational skills with a strategy that asks them to list all the words they can...
Novelinks
The Little Prince: Concept/Vocab Analysis
Focus on the literary elements of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince with a concept analysis sheet. With suggestions and explanations for many of the book's concepts, vocabulary, and other issues that may arise in instruction,...
Curated OER
The Metamorphosis: DR-TA
Guide class members through Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis with a series of questions designed for before, during, and after reading. Readers consider Gregor's situation and his options. In addition, they consider how they might rewrite...
Curated OER
The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie: A Close Reading
Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth" provides high schoolers an opportunity to engage more complex text. After a close reading of the essay and an analysis of Carnegie's argument that the rich are superior because they earn money,...
Teacher Created Resources
Terrific Topic Sentences
Strengthen writing skills with a introductory exercise to learn how to write topic sentences. Using an informational reading passage, pupils delineate the types of sentences they read and discern what the topic sentence should be.
Curated OER
The Use of Language in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
Readers of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are asked to craft an essay in which they compare how Maya Angelou uses figurative language to depict herself and Mrs. Flowers.
Prestwick House
New (March 2016) SAT Writing and Language Test Practice
Prepare class members for the SAT Writing and Language exam with a practice test that prepares students for the types of questions and the kind of language used in the exam. Test takers must select the best way to fix poorly constructed...
Prestwick House
Introducing Literary Theory – A Unit Wrap-Up
Literary theories are lenses through which a text may be analyzed. The question in this lesson plan is how a particular literary lens can influence the reader's view of the text.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Elements of Music—How do Composers Plan?
The introduction to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the finale of his Symphony No. 4 provide young musicians with an opportunity to investigate the music elements composers employ to develop the themes they want to create. They compare the...
EngageNY
Launching Frightful’s Mountain: Building Background Knowledge and Establishing Reading Routines
Welcome to Frightful's Mountain. The teacher introduces scholars to the text Frightful’s Mountain by reading the first chapter aloud. Learners then talk with a partner about the text. The instructor models answering focus questions as...
EngageNY
Drafting Individual Readers Theater Scripts for a Specific Scene: Narrowing Text for our Readers Theater Scripts
Let's focus. In small groups, writers narrow text selections to produce a narrative script based on the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Next, pupils plan their reader's theater scripts based on the text.
Curated OER
China: Land Beyond the Wall
An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...
Global Oneness Project
Far From Home
A timely and provocative lesson inspires high schoolers to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. They analyze a compelling photo essay before discussing and writing about it.
Curated OER
I Wonder How Manduca Breathe
Young scholars observe a Manduca bug as it is dropped in a glass of water and hypothesise how it breathes. They compare this to how humans and other creatures breathe and record their findings in their science journal.
Curated OER
I Wonder What Camouflague Is...
Students examine the way that Manduca, other animals, and humans use camouflage. They participate in a teacher directed camouflage experiment and the creation of a camouflage collage.
Curated OER
Functional Homes
Students observe and reflect on habitats built and used by various life forms. They discover the benefits of the "homes" to the creature and its life and apply the natural designs to human uses.
Curated OER
Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Students organize acquired information and make inferences as to the kind of habitat and its probable location. They identify and replicate art forms characteristic of the Pacific Northwest coast involving the use of ovoids and "u forms".
Curated OER
Where Am I, and How Do I Get Where I am Going?
Students describe geographical places through art, music, writing, and math. They compile information in booklets which may be published.
Curated OER
Tree Cookies
Young scholars identify heartwood, sapwood, and a tree's annual rings, infer from a tree's rings what damage or stress might have occurred in its life, and make a time-line of human history that coincides with a tree's rings.
Curated OER
Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change
Students examine the potential impact of climate change to agriculture, coastal areas, forests, water, and human health. They hypothesize what might happen to a sugar maple forest and hold a debate about global warming.