Fluence Learning
Writing About Informational Text: Music and the Brain
Even if you've never picked up a musical instrument, chances are that music has directly impacted your mental and emotional development. Sixth graders engage in a reading activity in which they read two articles on the impact of music on...
Curated OER
Magazine Production
Analyze magazines as a class, looking carefully for the target audience, advertisements, and topics presented. Small groups then work as a publication team and receive a magazine that they have to "sell." Each individual has a different...
Curated OER
"Golden" Years?
The Golden Years? Upper graders may think retirement is a long way off, but in life everything is just around the corner. They consider what it means to retire and the current trend of parents working for their Students. They research...
Louisiana Department of Education
Unit: Hamlet
Encourage readers to determine if Hamlet's madness is actually divinest sense. Class members analyze the words of the play before studying related texts, including T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," scenes from...
Curated OER
Keyboarding: Formatting a Report Using MLA Style
Keyboarding is one of the most basic skills needed to master modern technology, and it's also one of the most important. The class uses Century 21 Keyboarding and Information Processing to guide their hands in typing a report in the...
Curated OER
Gandhi's Alternate View of Women: Changing the Face of Modern Media & Advertising
Eleventh graders analyze the violence of media and advertising on women, as well as Gandhi's views of women. In this women and media lesson, 11th graders Killing Us Softly and Tough Guise as an analysis of media and advertising and their...
Curated OER
Letter Recognition: Confusable Letter Pairs
Young scholars distinguish between easily-confused letter pairs such as b and d, p and b, m and w, and n and m. They read and listen to a story that highlights words containing the letter pairs. They use picture clues to aid reading...
Curated OER
Question Cards for Reading
Sometimes a teacher reading to a child doesn't think to stop to ask questions about the text. For those of us who don't engage the learners during reading activities, here is a set of cards that contain the questions all teachers need to...
Curated OER
Media Literacy Lesson Plans
Students familiarize themselves with the definition of media literacy and why it is important. In this media literacy lesson, students examine the front pages of three different types of newspapers. Students discuss the lead stories...
Curated OER
Let the Truth Be Known
Learners explore authenticity in written works and the responsibilities of the media. They read two Holocaust accounts, one that is factual and one that was fabricated. They further examine, the importance of authenticity in the media.
Curated OER
Life, Camera, Action
Students investigate the history, politics and culture of Somalia. They analyze media coverage and portrayal of the country. They focus on the role of media in reporting on Somalia and the current debate over the film Black Hawk Down.
Curated OER
News Coverage
Students compare and contrast methods of media coverage. In this media awareness lesson, students keep track of news regarding a world or national issue for the period of 1 week. Students collaborate to describe the type of coverage...
Curated OER
Consider the Source
Young scholars explain how to critically compare news reporting from around the world, focusing on coverage of the Taliban regime. They compare and contrast television and print media reporting on the issue.
Curated OER
The Ad Campaign
Young scholars explore how political candidates use mass media to deliver their messages to voters. Focusing on specific issues in the upcoming election, students create television commercials representing different parties' views.
Curated OER
Native American Images in the Media
Learners examine various images of Native Americans in the media. In groups, they create a list of present Native American stereotypes and what the media did to continue the stereotype. To end the instructional activity, they write in...
PBS
Broadcast News
Just because a story is on the news doesn't mean it's being presented fairly. Analyze news broadcasts with a lesson focused on evaluating television journalism. At home, kids watch a news show and note the stories presented, including...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
How close are your eighth graders to mastering the ELA Common Core standards? Keep an eye on progress with these charts, which include every eighth grade identifier and full standard text. As you move through the year and teach, reteach,...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
Fluence Learning
Writing an Argument: Is Electronic Communication Helpful or Harmful?
Technology has undoubtedly improved the lives of people around the world—but has it improved communication? Seventh graders read two informative passages about the rise of texting and emailing versus in-person conversations before...
Curated OER
Burr Airlines Flight to Asia: Building Inquiry Skills
What a wonderful way to explore this topic! Learners take an imaginary trip to Asia, take a visual tour, and formulate questions for a research project. As a final project, they create a travel brochure.
Odell Education
Making Evidence-Based Claims: Grade 9
Sorry, Charlie. Scholars take a close look at Apology by Plato. Activities analyzing the text help pupils understand, make, organize, and write about claims. Learners work in groups, complete claim tools, and evaluate thinking by filling...
Wells Fargo
Hands on Banking
Cha-ching! You just hit the jackpot with this interactive consumer math unit. Supported by a series of online lessons and activities, these lessons engage students in applying their math skills to real-life personal finance problems...
Curated OER
Macbeth News Broadcast
Here is an authentic assessment task for Shakespeare's Macbeth. Young literature scholars prepare, perform, and record a news broadcast about the major events in the play. For example, groups may choose to report on the death of Lady...
Sargent Art
Color Value Study
I love geometric art because it applies mathematical reasoning to an artistic endeavor. Creative kids use scale values to highlight their complex, repetitive, geometric designs. Symmetry, angles, and congruence are three concepts that...