Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sound Effects

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students listen carefully so they can say their "part" during a reading of a Cinderella story. In this listening and speaking lesson, students saying their "part" on cue during a reading of a familiar story. They actively listen to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shadow Puppetry in South India

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read a variety of literature from India, including folktales and fables. They then select a scene or story to script, work together to design and craft shadow puppets of characters and scenery, narrate a story, manipulate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thornton Wilder's Our Town: The Reader as Writer

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars read a play and create their own play using Thornton Wilder's Our Townas a resource. In this play lesson, students analyze how theatrical elements contribute to a play's meanings and effects. Young scholars recognize...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students analyze the conventions used in Noh plays and write an introduction to a Noh play of their own. In this Noh play lesson, students identify the conventions of the Noh form and analyze the realizations the main character achieves....
Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Analyzing Literary Elements in Literary Nonfiction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the literary elements of a nonfiction text. In this literary elements lesson plan, 4th graders read the text Piano Starts Here--The Young Art Tatum and fill in a chart that includes the events from the book....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Comparison of the Play and Movie "Inherit the Wind"

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read the play "Inherit the Wind" about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In groups, they choose their favorite scene and create a diorama dipicting the scene as they see it. They watch a recording of the play and compare it to their...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Readers' Theatre with African and Chinese Folktales

For Teachers 4th
Students investigate genre of folklore, specifically African and Chinese folktales, and script and perform folktales with examples from The Magic Brocade and Fire on the Mountain. Seven lessons on one page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet The Spy

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persuasive Speech

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders participate in a lesson that is focused on the concept of writing persuasive speechs. They conduct research from a variety of sources in order to gather information to write well informed speeches.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coyote and Anansi

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the structure of folktales. In this coyote and Anansi lesson, students discuss the attributes of folktales as they read versions of tales featuring coyote and Anansi. Students collaborate to write and perform their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Through the Eyes of An Actor

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the ways poetry has been used by actors. After reading a poem, they discuss the characters and the differences in how the male and female students view them. In groups, they read a few of Shakespeare's sonnets and write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chocolate Chaos

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders demonstrate the ability to examine the elements of a story (theme, plot, setting, mood) and characters, by discussing and writing about each. They have fun with chocolate related activities and enjoy reading about some...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

KS5 Film and Media Studies: Documentary

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students generate their own definition of documetary. They watch and discusss a series of extracts that demonstrate the breadth of the documentary form. Students create a defintion of the term documentary that takes into account the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walden

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students participate in a panel discussion on materialism, assuming the identities of Henry David Thoreau and other experts on materialism.  In this Walden lesson, students create a panel discussion of prominent people, including...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Differences Between Fiction and Nonfiction Books

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore the differences between fiction and non-fiction book. For this genre study lesson, students read examples of fiction and non-fiction and identify the characteristics of each genre. Students list the characteristics on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living Biographies

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders create a multimedia slide presentation containing facts, graphics, and sounds relating to a biographical figure based on their reading of a biography or an autobiography. They present their slide presentations before the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Legends of the Fifth

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discover the difference between myths, legends, and folk tales. They summarize legends. They work together to dramatize legends and then create their own legend using the writing process. Handouts and worksheets are included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring American Tall Tales

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students explore elements of American folktales and tall tales. In this literature lesson, students read examples of American folktales and tall tales and prepare a monologue or news report to present to the class based on their readings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders preview different poetry selections form different poets to narrow their criteria for a favorite poem. They use the web and written sources to find a favorite poem and then give an oral interpretation of their poem in class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Lesson Plan

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students practice their writing skills. For this writing perspective lesson, students review The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and consider the points of view of the main characters. Students write descriptions of a modern-day...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coming to America

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students present tableaus showing scenes from The Memory Coat,  a book about immigration. For this tableau lesson, students examine the cover of the book and make predictions about what is happening and who the people are. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Incorporating Reading Comprehension Using Cinderella Stories from Different Lands

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate Cinderella tales from different lands to discover their commonalities in this unit. They perform their favorite Cinderella story.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paul Robeson: 20th-Century Renaissance Man, Hero In Any Century

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore several themes relevant to the life of Paul Robeson and the social, artistic, & political realities of the first half of the 20th century, identify and interview heroes in their communities, and publish profiles on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Farm - The Rest of the Story

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students participate in a reader's theater using farm animals in the novella Animal Farm. For this Animal Farm lesson plan, students evaluate interpretations using the text, personal experience, and historical events.