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Chinese Mythology
Seventh graders examine creation myths of China, discuss how myths reflect Chinese culture, differentiate between Chinese and Greek creation myths, and explore place of myths in Chinese culture as compared to their place in other...
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Exploring & Creating Mythology
Students read and compare mythological stories from ancient cultures from around the world. In small groups they read a myth and present the storyline and themes to the class, and write an original mythological story of their own...
Curriculum Corner
Academic Reading Vocabulary
From A to Z, learners define, draw, and find examples of specific reading focus skills in an alphabetized reading vocabulary packet. Words include dialogue, theme, text structure, genre, paraphrase, and many more.
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MONSTERS AND MYTHS: SCRIPTS /SCULPTS
Seventh graders are introduced to myths formed by many cultures as a unique genre of literature. They use critical thinking skills to compare and contrast mythic tales, compare versions of the same story, and respond to literature in...
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Cherokeee Myth: Origin of Strawberries
Fourth graders read a Cherokee myth about the origin of strawberries. After reading the story, they add another chapter to it and read their additions to the class. Or, as a group activity, they each write a few sentences and then pass...
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Star Stories
An unusually inventive and entertaining presentation awaits you and your class. The first few slides introduce the animals that certain constellations represent. There are also creative stories by other students of fictitious animals...
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Language Arts: Writing Through Reading
Improve writing skills using methods from Robert Gay's Writing Through Reading; Gay espouses reproducing the work of successful writers to build the ability to convey original ideas effectively. Young writers transcribe, paraphrase,...
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Tall Tales and Urban Legends
In this creative writing worksheet, students sort through old pictures and discuss the characterization in each. Students create characters, a setting, and their own tall tale or urban legend based on the pictures.
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Myths, Folk Tales, Fables and Fairy Tales
Fifth graders study the differences in the four genres of myths, folk tales, fables and fairy tales. They use a PowerPoint Presentation, an assessment in Word, and a writing template also created in Word on which they write first, a...
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Cloudy Days are for Reading and Writing
Students research weather proverbs and determine the scientific validity of 3 weather proverbs. They write an essay presenting their reasoning. They interview elderly people to graph the most frequently heard proverbs and theorize...
Pardee Home Museum
Geography of Alaska
A unit on the 49th state covers a variety of topics from the geography of Alaska to Native American myths. Academics work to analyze information found in primary source materials including old newspaper articles and artifacts....
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Mythology of the Ancient World
The mythology of the ancient world can provide motivating lessons that can help students learn about history.
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From Fact to Fiction: The Origins of Constellations
Sixth graders investigate the constellations. In this constellations lesson plan, 6th graders discover where the constellations are located and the myth associated with them. Students create their own myth and make a slide show about...
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Creative Writing Lesson Plan: Combination Creature
Students navigate through an online interactive virtual zoo to create imaginary animals by combining different parts of real animals. They write a short story about their combination creature.
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Legends of Stars
After choosing a figure from Greek mythology, middle schoolers design, draw, and color a constellation to represent that person. Additionally, they create a story to tell how the constellation came to be. This instructional...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Christopher Columbus
Take some time to focus on Christopher Columbus, his three ships, the purpose of his voyage, and the new land he discovered. Pay special attention to the included additional materials, they are the real value in this resource.
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Children of Clay
Fourth graders identify and interpret the Pueblo Native American culture and history and comprehend their folklore and songs. They also create their own piece of pottery with clay and write a myth about the piece of pottery they made....
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Make Your Own Constellation Myth
Students examine constellation myths. In this constellation myth lesson, students read "Orion, the Hunter", "Ursa Major, the Great Bear", and Taurus, the Bull". Students discuss similarities and differences in the 3 myths, create...
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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Creative God or Goddess
Who causes sinkholes? Or acid rain? High schoolers try their hand at myth-making as individuals create a god or goddess responsible for the modern-day phenomenon. They introduce their deity in an essay that reveals the name, parentage,...
Facing History and Ourselves
Us and Them: Confronting Labels and Lies
Stereotyping and discrimination based on religion catalyze many atrocities in the world. Explain the awful treatment of Jews and the lies Nazis spread by using an informative yet sensitive resource. Learners participate in a warm-up and...
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The Lightning Thief: Vocabulary Strategy
Take an in-depth look into the vocabulary from the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. With a list of words to choose from, scholars discover the definition, origin, stories associated with...
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Not Just for Gods and Goddesses:
Students use dictionaries, encyclopedias, art, computers, and books to study the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. In this Ancient Greece lesson plan, students research maps, stories, Olympic games, and more about Ancient Greece.
National First Ladies' Library
Digging up the Past: Sir Arthur Evans and the Palace at Knossos
Middle schoolers explore the excavations of the Palace of Knossos on the Island of Crete. They create a simulated news broadcasting on the work of Sir Arthur Evans and his colleges. In their news investigation, learners cover such topics...