Curated OER
The Joy Luck Club
Students read The Joy Luck Club and analyze the effect of having to translate from one culture into another. Students trace patterns that link mothers and daughters in the novel, and write an essay comparing personal experiences to those...
Curated OER
Silent Stories
Young scholars create a pictorial narrative based upon John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and the Japanese techniques of "lacquer jar" stories in this three-day Language Arts/Art lesson.
Curated OER
Organizational Structures of Nonfiction Text/Graphic Organizers
Fifth graders review the characteristics of a nonfiction text. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders understand that one can use a specific graphic organizer to help them in understanding an organizational structure. For example, in...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Understanding the Context of Modernist Poetry
Students examine the historical, social, and cultural context of modernist poetry. They explore websites, complete a chart, compare/contrast rural and urban life, watch a video of early New York, and complete a writing assessment...
Curated OER
Making Friends
First graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark. They listen to a story, analyze a map, compare/contrast the Jefferson Peace Medal and the Peace Medal nickel, and design a peace and...
Curated OER
Scientific Method
Students conduct an experiment and complete a chart demonstrating some of the basic properties and components of water via the scientific method. They encompass strategies such as questioning, making predictions, comparing/contrasting...
Curated OER
Far Out!
Students research and compare/contrast how routine tasks on Earth would be without gravity. They read and discuss the article "The Life Galactic: A Lot of Work, a Little Play, Plenty of E-Mail." In groups they write a pitch for a TV...
Curated OER
Same, But Different
Students compare and contrast specific characters in the book, "Old Henry." They discuss similarities and differences between people and define character traits. They assess one's own character traits and have a class discussion about...
Curated OER
Comparing and Contrasting Ancient Civilizations
Students research the ancient civilizations of Rome, India, Greece, and Egypt. They conduct Internet research, compare/contrast aspects of each culture, and create a Powerpoint presentation.
Curated OER
Looking At French Decorative Arts: Makers of Nothing, Sellers of Everything
Students compare/contrast the role of merchant to that of his modern-day business counterpart. They role-play that they are 18th-century merchants, and write persuasive letters to sell French beds for clients.
University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...
Memorial Art Gallery
Learning to Look, Looking to Learn - Sunday Morning
Jerome Myers' depiction of the urban landscape in "Sunday Morning" is the focus of a series of activities that asks viewers to examine how an artist uses the elements of a painting to tell a story. The resource packet includes an...
Curated OER
Fairy Dictionary
Use artwork to illicit responses in a writing journal, and then present your class with the short list of key terms provided. Can your learners add any of their own key terms? Segue for a second, and read tales such as Peter Pan or...
Curated OER
Literary Response and Analysis
Examine a variety of literary responses to Abraham Lincoln's death and the impact of perception. Your class can work in writing groups to analyze either poetry, eulogy, or a newspaper article. They retell the events of Abraham Lincoln's...
Curated OER
Responses to Literature
Middle and high schoolers hone their writing skills by reading Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the poem Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out. They fill out a graphic organizer (included here), and use the organizer to write an...
Curated OER
Essay Modes: Different Kinds of Essays
Review many different types of essays with this presentation. Each slide gives a short description of an essay such as narrative or persuasive. Makes for a good overview of various formats.
Curated OER
Applying Character and Setting to Play Readings
Read Ira Sleeps Over, then identify elements of plays that are also common to books. Learners analyze character and setting, consider how these elements relate to a play, then write a one-paragraph skit using the characters from Ira...
Curated OER
Introduction to Drama
Introduce your class to drama! You cast each pupil as a different character from a story you have read. They are given a general outline of the scene, act out the scene multiple times, then discuss the weak and strong aspects of each...
Curated OER
Who's Your Favorite Author?
Imagine a kindergarten author study. Did you know that Angela Johnson writes about families while Eric Carle writes about insects and animals? In small groups, the class examines a basket of books sorted by author and records...
Curated OER
Comparing the Oneota of Wisconsin to the Aztecs of Mexico
Students study the Oneota Indians of Wisconsin. They compare and contrast them to another group of natives in the Americas around the same time. They conduct intelligent discussion of the Oneotas that gives evidence to support statements.
Curated OER
Mercer Mayer-Just Me and My ...books
Students read various Mercer Mayer books. They discuss the enhancement of family and relationships within the family. Students write a book with their peers about their relationship with a member of their family. They practice their...
Curated OER
The Geometry of Indigenous Art
Students examine the concepts of symmetry, rotations, reflections, translation, dialations, and tessellations and apply them to indigenous art. They also do Internet research and create artwork (painting, pottery, computer graphic design).
Curated OER
Comparing Cultures Through Symbols
Students examine symbols used by the Plains Indians. Using examples of African art, they discuss what symbols they use that relate to the Native American symbols. They compare and contrast the two cultures and discuss as a class to end...
Curated OER
Patriotism Reflected in Art and Literature (Part B)
Tenth graders compare and contrast the patriotism of Imperial Japan to its presence in the United States today. In this patriotism lesson, 10th graders write essays and participate in a classroom debate that requires them to consider the...