Academy of American Poets
We Sing America
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
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African American Poetry: Family and Traditions
Learners are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Seventh Grade
Having a hard time defining bullying with your seventh graders? Discuss the different types of behavior one would see in a bullying situation with a series of lessons, worksheets, and group activities.
Facing History and Ourselves
Confirmation and Other Biases
As the investigation into the reporting of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, continues, class members consider how bias influences perception, how the tendency is to collect evidence that supports preconceived notions. The big idea...
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Where in the World?
Sixth graders research online various types of poetry. In this poetry analysis instructional activity, 6th graders research different types of poetry online, their characteristics, and poets. Students create a class atlas that...
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Sam Samurai
Students study the history and culture of 17th century Japan by examining samurai. They review the format of haiku poetry and examine renga poetry. They examine Kamishibai, the Japanese storytelling form and apply it five facts they...
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Hold a Poetry Festival
Students examine how poetry festivals showcase many different kinds of poetry and can bring a school together. They notice that festival is a series of related performances and that there are many other types of festivals. They present...
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Transportation
Students identify and name at least six different kinds of transportion, sort and classify different kinds of transport according to similar and/or different characteristics and identify the purpose of different types of transportion.
Facing History and Ourselves
Dual Identities
Many of us have multiple identities. There's who we are at home, school, friends, and strangers. And often these identities come with different names. The third activity in the First Days of School series examines how names reflect...
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The First World War
Students examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...
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Fly Away Home
Second graders investigate the human right of having a home. They listen to Eve Bunting's, "Fly Away Home" before looking a pictures of different types of homes around the world. They write sentences about the homes before writing an...
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Forest Fever
Studetns explore the conect of forests. In this forest investigation lesson, studetns identify several aspects and characteristics of forests with research. Students also write diamante poems and 3D pictures.
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Diversity of Families
Students discuss the word "family" and examine the various types of families, focusing on those of students in the classroom. They create a "School Family Tree" that builds on the diversity of students in the classroom.
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Out of the Dust
Students create a poem that expresses the physical and emotional turmoil of living through the Dust Bowl. In this Out of the Dust lesson, students research facts about the time period and discuss the cause-effect patterns associated...
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The Four Seasons
Students examine four paintings by Robert Harris and identify the season portrayed. Using the characteristics for each season, they write a poem and create a drawing of their own. In groups, they describe the different types of...
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Propaganda of War
Students examine examples of war propaganda. For this historical literature lesson, students research the elements of propaganda in relation to various wars of the past. They discuss different types of propaganda, and the potential...
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100 Famous Quotes
Students explore famous quotes from throughout history. In this multicultural literacy lesson, students work as a team to read and memorize a list of 100 quotes. Students participate in a game in which the first half of a quote is...
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Social Studies: Exploring Japan
Fourth graders examine the culture and environment of Japan, beginning with a KWL chart. They use clay and cups of water to construct representations of the Japanese Islands. After designing flags representing farming and food, 4th...
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The Holocaust
Students comprehension widens on the subject of the Holocaust by focusing on two different, yet related, experiences of Jews in Europe during the Holocaust. Those being death camps and life in major ghettos. They trace both commonalities...
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Male Image Building Utilizing the Writing Process
Introduce your class to the techniques of proper writing. In groups, they brainstorm their ideas on family structures and discuss the importance of having a male figure in their lives. After listening to an African-American poem, they...
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I've Just Seen a Face: Portraits
Students examine portraits for different images they project, cite three purposes a portrait can serve, analyze portraits of historical figures, and relate biographical research to portraits.
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When a Country Loses Its Songs
Students explore music as a cultural tradition. In this global studies lesson, students consider the implications of the loss of childhood songs to a cultural group. Students determine the type of musical "treasures" that are part of...