A teacher's guide to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness proves that it is not impossible to delve into the heart of darkness. Containing a wealth of information about Conrad, the Scramble for Africa, and the history of the Belgian Congo,...

Students read "I Had a Hero" a memoir written by a Peace Corps volunteer serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss the story, respond to it in writing, complete comprehension activities and relate the account to their own...

Examine the devastation that can come with colonialism. Defined here are the events that followed King Leopold's take over of the Belgian Congo. The treatment of native Congolese people, The Kurtz cult, and Joseph Conrad's observational...

Students read the story "Sharing in Africa". As a class, they brainstorm a list of holidays and celebrations in various cultures and identify the Congo on a world map. To end the lesson, they focus on one paragraph of the story,...

Heart of Darkness is not an easy read, both because of the subject matter and Conrad's Impressionistic style. A 20-slide presentation introduces readers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The presentation begins with a brief review of...

Heart of Darkness can challenge even the best readers. Here's a pre-reading strategy that will engage class members and provide background and context for Conrad's study of racism, savagery and imperialism. Class members brainstorm,...

Students examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.

Students examine the culturally based impulse to share with others versus the impulse to watch out for oneself or one's immediate family. They probe the deeper meanings of "Ilunga's Harvest" and examine the impact of the events in...

Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...

Young readers make sense out of the wealth of information in newspapers with this helpful reference document. Pointing out basic features like headings, articles, bylines, and captions this resource is a...

Young scholars examine the meaning of generosity and how sharing can be a cultural trait. In this cultural trait lesson, students read a text about the culture of generosity in Africa. Young scholars complete a discussion activity and...

Students create their own "talking sticks" that reflect personas they have invented in this Art lesson designed to introduce the Yoruba peoples from Nigeria. Emphasis is placed on personal reflection after completing the "sticks".

Students analyze the characteristics of company towns. They locate former company towns on a map. Students classify the perspectives of residents of company towns. Creative writing unfolds within this lesson.

Second graders use play quarters to "purchase" items. They discuss how these are choices the character in the story they will read has to make. Students read the book "Monkey for Sale." They discuss the choices Luzolo makes and how she...

Students learn about peanuts through online research. In this peanut lesson, students use provided links to research information on the origins of the peanut. Students collect information about peanuts also called goobers.

Modal verbs of probability express what could or may happen. The class will look at 15 sentences and then choose which verb of probability fits best in each phrase. Then they write four phrases using accurate verbs in the present tense....

Fifth graders investigate the topography of Africa.  In this physical geography lesson, 5th graders research the six regions of Africa and complete a physical map.  Students locate various landforms in Africa.  Students...

Students read information about George Washington Carver and outline the information. They are given peanuts in the shell, students examine them and eat them. Students discuss the following questions: Why did George Washington Carver...

In this ESL worksheet, students answer 10 multiple-choice questions about a variety of topics. For example, "What is the highest mountain in the world?"

In this identifying modal verb usage worksheet, students read the different uses of model verbs with examples, read and identify types of phrases, and fill in the blanks with modal verbs. Students write 30 short answers.

In this using articles with names of countries learning exercise, students read the explanations and examples of using the with names of countries, then interactively select the correct article for 20 countries with immediate online...

In this book report worksheet, students recommend a book to someone by completing 6 different statements about their selection. First, they describe the book's main subject and point. Then, students write one of the most interesting...

In this journey, travel, and trip worksheet, students fill in the blanks to the sentences with either the words journey, travel, or trip. Students complete 17 sentences and write 4 on their own.

Seventh graders listen to, recite, and research African folktales. They research African artwork to add to their original folk tales which they write.