Reed Novel Studies
My Side of The Mountain: Novel Study
Some money, a pocketknife, a ball of cord, and some flint and steel ... is that enough for a 14-year-old to survive alone in the wilderness? Scholars explore the topic of survival with the novel study for My Side of the Mountain....
Curated OER
Who is on that Bill? Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers
Students, who are adult learners, participate in an Internet scavenger hunt in order to assimilate information about the biography of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers. They look at the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers...
Curated OER
Edgar Allan Poe Short Story WebQuest
Introduce your class to Edgar Allan Poe with a series of mostly self-guided tasks and assignments. Class members follow the list of tasks, starting by watching a video with background information and ending with a compare-and-contrast...
Curated OER
Abolitionists and Their Impact on Sectionalism
Eleventh graders examine the impact of Abolitionist leaders on sectionalism. In small groups, they conduct research on a famous abolitionist, and develop and write a newspaper cover page based on their assigned abolitionist.
Curated OER
Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat"
Students examine the relationship of man and nature as portrayed in Stephen Crane's, The Open Boat." The third person, omniscient point of view, the depth of character analysis found in the story, and the emotions evoked by the author...
Curated OER
Write Like David Shannon
Students research the author David Shannon. In this author study lesson, students discuss their favorite David Shannon book and write their own story using his style of writing. Students share their stories with their classmates.
Curated OER
Virginia Woolf
In this online interactive literature worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about the life and accomplishments of Virginia Woolf.
Curated OER
Dr. Seuss Author Study
Students listen to a story, then use the same format to write a class book.
Curated OER
Author/Illustrator Heroes
Students recognize heroic authors and illustrators and create their own comic strips. For this language arts lesson, students examine characteristics of heroes and work in groups to create their own comic strips and hero books.
Curated OER
Author Study: Kevin Henkes
Students use the Internet to access information about author Kevin Henkes and his many books. They read interviews, explore book-related mazes, recipes and activities and complete coloring pages, etc.
Curated OER
Read and Get Smart
Use the class textbook to read a full story about Martin Luther King, Jr. The class writes facts about him and outlines his life, then they read the author and illustrator summaries at the end of the story. They compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
The Other Side of Paradise
Eleventh graders explore the life and writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. They examine the youth culture of the 1920's and compare it to their own. They practice using some of the biographer's or archivist's tools for studying a person.
Curated OER
Judging a Book by Its Cover
Students explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. In this book exploration lesson plan, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a cover that...
Secondary Solutions
Of Mice and Men: A Literature Guide
Whether you are planning on using Of Mice and Men for whole-class reading or as a selection for literature circles; whether you are new to John Steinbeck's novel, or it has long been a part of your curriculum, you will find a wealth of...
Captain Planet Foundation
George Washington Carver and the Sweet Potato
Learn about George Washington Carver's important contributions to agriculture by studying the sweet potato. First graders read about the inventor's observations and prepare sweet potato slips for the class garden. Additionally, they...
Curated OER
Night
Students read Night by Elie Wiesel, examine importance of survivor testimonials like Wiesel's in preventing future Holocausts, research biographical information online about Wiesel, and create author brochure including vital statistics,...
Curated OER
Painting Portraits with Words
Students examine how an exhibition of an author's writings can become a portrait or biography of that author . They work in small groups, analyzing various poems by Yeats.
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Poet Naomi Shihab Nye
Students read and analyze poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye. They define stereotypes, view and discuss a video interview with Nye, present an oral reading of a poem, and write a persuasive letter to an author.
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Literature: Isabel Allende
Young scholars watch and respond to a Bill Moyers Now video on the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. They brainstorm a list of recent events that might inspire writers and choose one to write about in poetic, diary, or short story form.
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Joltin' Joe Has Left and Gone Away
Young scholars assess admirable qualities in entertainers. They discuss Joe DiMaggio's obituary, focusing on his accomplishments and place in American society. They research and create their own descriptive biographies of athletes and...
Curated OER
All Creatures Microscopically Small
Students investigate physical and behavioral characteristics of different microbes and create research- based 'Microbe Biographies.' students compare microbe sizes and examine how size of a microbe relates to its physical and behavioral...
Curated OER
Story Dolls
Students express themselves through art and writing at the same time in this lesson. Students create paper doll versions of themselves. Students write a biography of their dolls.
Curated OER
Behind the Cover
Students develop questions they would have liked to ask an author about their written works. They read an article about their forefathers and research a back story to a written work of their choice. They create posters to illustrate the...
Curated OER
Cemeteries Are Historical, Not Solely Grave
Students reflect on the value of graveyards as places of great historical importance and information. They create an epitaph for and a brief biography of a deceased historical figure whom they admire.